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Empress Dowager Zhang

250 – 313

Chinese empress dowager

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About Empress Dowager Zhang

Lived 250 – 313 (aged 62–63).

Empress Dowager Zhang (, personal name unknown; died 313), formally Empress Guangxian (, literally "the rebuilding and wise empress"), was an empress dowager of the Xiongnu-led Han-Zhao dynasty of China, during the reign of her son Liu Cong (Emperor Zhaowu).

She was the founding emperor Liu Yuan's concubine. Her son Liu Cong was Liu Yuan's fourth son, and it is not known if she bore other children for Liu Yuan. When Liu Cong seized the throne in 310 after overthrowing his older brother Liu He (after Liu He had tried to have him and the other brothers killed and successfully killed two), he honored both her and Liu Yuan's wife, Empress Shan, empresses dowager – Empress Shan with the greater title of Huangtaihou and her with the lesser title of Ditaihou . When Empress Dowager Shan died later that year, she received the greater title of Huangtaihou.

She was known only for a few incidents during her time as empress dowager. In 312, at her insistence, Liu Cong took two daughters of his cousin Zhang Shi as his concubines. Later that year, when Liu Cong was wrongly punishing the official Wang Zhang for trying to persuade him to be milder in his temper and actions, Empress Dowager Zhang protested by fasting for three days, eventually helping to correct Liu Cong's behavior for a time. Later that year, when Liu Cong was set to create his concubine Liu Ying as empress, Empress Zhang insisted against it and for her grandniece Zhang Huiguang, whom Liu Cong then formally created empress in early 313. Three months later, Empress Dowager Zhang died and was honored with a posthumous empress title. Her grandniece, the empress, mourned her so greatly and was so depressed that she died as well.

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Important facts

Born
250
Birth century
Died
313
Nationality
Han Zhao

People in Empress Dowager Zhang's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Empress Dowager Zhang's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Empress Dowager Zhang?

Chinese empress dowager

When was Empress Dowager Zhang born?

Empress Dowager Zhang was born in 250.

When did Empress Dowager Zhang die?

Empress Dowager Zhang died in 313.

What nationality was Empress Dowager Zhang?

Empress Dowager Zhang's recorded nationality: Han Zhao.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Empress Dowager Zhang

· Wikidata: Q5374498

· DBpedia: Empress Dowager Zhang (Han-Zhao)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Empress Dowager Zhang. https://biography.guide/empress-dowager-zhang-0250/

MLA: "Empress Dowager Zhang." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/empress-dowager-zhang-0250/.

Chicago: "Empress Dowager Zhang." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/empress-dowager-zhang-0250/.

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