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Empress Ma

1378 – 1402

Ming dynasty empress, born 1378

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About Empress Ma

Lived 1378 – 1402 (aged 23–24). Empress Ma was a Chinese.

Empress Xiaominrang (1378–1402), of the Ma clan, was the empress consort to the Jianwen Emperor and the second empress consort of China's Ming dynasty.

Biography Born in 1378, Ma was the daughter of an official from the town of Yingtian in modern Nanjing named Ma Quan . She married Zhu Yunwen, grandson of the Hongwu Emperor, and was proclaimed consort of the Imperial Grandson-heir in 1395.

Zhu Yunmen ascended the throne in 1398 and Ma was instated as the empress consort in the second month of his reign. She had two sons, Zhu Wenkui, Crown Prince Hejian and Zhu Wengui, Prince Huai of Run, both posthumously honored.

In 1402, Zhu Di sacked Nanjing and set fire to the palace, where Empress Ma died.

Titles During the reign of the Hongwu Emperor : Lady Ma (; from 1378) Consort of the Imperial Grandson (; from 1395) During the reign of the Jianwen Emperor : Empress (; from 30 June 1398) During the reign of the Hongguang Emperor : Empress Xiàomǐn Wēnzhēn Zhéruì Sùliè Xiāngtiān Bìshèng Ràng (; from 1644)

Issue As consort of the Imperial Grandson-heir: Zhu Wenkui, Crown Prince Hejian (; 30 November 1396 – 1402), the Jianwen Emperor's first son As empress: Zhu Wengui, Prince Huai of Run (; 1401–1457), the Jianwen Emperor's second son

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Important facts

Born
1378, Yingtian Fu
Birth century
Died
1402
Nationality
Also known as
Empress Xiaominrang

Family & relationships

Spouse
Jianwen Emperor
Child
Zhu Wenkui

People in Empress Ma's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Empress Ma's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Empress Ma?

Ming dynasty empress, born 1378

When was Empress Ma born?

Empress Ma was born in 1378 in Yingtian Fu.

When did Empress Ma die?

Empress Ma died in 1402.

What nationality was Empress Ma?

Empress Ma was Chinese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Empress Ma

· Wikidata: Q5374573

· DBpedia: Empress Ma (Jianwen)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Empress Ma. https://biography.guide/empress-ma-1378/

MLA: "Empress Ma." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/empress-ma-1378/.

Chicago: "Empress Ma." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/empress-ma-1378/.

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