Historians' Tea House - Issue 4 [February 2006]

Author: Wang Zhaocheng / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The life in the imperial harem has always been a microcosm of ancient political life. In particular, the operations of the central court politics are almost entirely reflected at the level of the harem life, either directly or indirectly. Therefore, the harem has always been an indispensable part of the emperor's power operation under the imperial system. In the political structure of imperial power, the imperial consorts and concubines within the ninefold gates of the palace played a significant role on the ancient political stage. Whether consciously or unconsciously, they enacted a series of tragedies and comedies of court politics. Due to such performances, the imperial consorts and concubines, who originally possessed the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, could no longer easily arrange their lives according to the of civilian life. They were as far removed from the lives of ordinary people as the heavens and the earth. Even the imperial consort system itself evolved alongside the perfection of the emperor's system. For example, in the Han Dynasty, there was no custom of posthumous titles for empresses after their death; they were simply referred to by the emperor's posthumous title. For instance, the empress of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han, Lü Zhi, was called the "High Empress." After the Eastern Han Dynasty, empresses gradually began to have posthumous titles, but even until the Sui and Tang dynasties, empresses' posthumous titles were usually one or two characters long. By the time of the Zhao Song Dynasty, empresses' posthumous titles increased from two to four characters. When Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty established the dynasty, he "learned from the calamities of women in previous dynasties, established principles and regulations, and first strictly enforced internal education." Initially, the posthumous title of the empress was only two characters, such as Ma Shi, the empress of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was posthumously titled "Filial and Benevolent." However, in the first year of the Yongle era, Ma Empress's posthumous title was increased to 13 characters: "Filial, Benevolent, Illuminating, Constitutional, Most Benevolent, Literary, and Virtuous, Inheriting Heaven, Following the Virtue, High Empress." By the 16th year of the Jiajing era, it was further increased to 15 characters: "Filial, Benevolent, Sincere, Wise, Compliant, Benevolent, Accommodating, Cultivating Heaven, Nurturing Virtue, Most Virtuous, High Empress." Before the Manchus entered the empire, the system was still in its early stages, and the palace did not have official titles, but followed the old custom of calling them "Fujin." After changing the dynasty to Qing, the five palaces were established, and "rank titles became clear, and hierarchy gradually distinguished." After entering the empire, the Manchus followed the old system to establish honorific titles for imperial consorts and concubines. For example, Empress Xiaozhuang, the consort of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty, was granted the honorific title "Revering, Holy, Benevolent, Gentle, Peaceful, Auspicious, Cultivating Virtue, Nurturing Virtue, Most Virtuous, High Empress" after Emperor Kangxi suppressed the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, which was as long as 20 characters. After her death, emperors such as Yongzheng and Qianlong added posthumous titles over the generations, and her title became "Filial, Benevolent, Sincere, Constitutional, Gentle, Auspicious, Pure, Auspicious, Nurturing Heaven, Enlightening Virtue, Literary Empress," which was 17 characters long. Even the famous Empress Dowager Cixi in the late Qing Dynasty had a 16-character posthumous title: "Filial, Benevolent, Gentle, Auspicious, Longevity, Respectful, Revered, Auspicious, High Empress." (See the "Biography of Imperial Consorts" in the History of the Qing Dynasty.)
"A title is a reflection of merit." In the modern context, such lengthy titles seem meaningless. However, during the imperial era in China, according to the rules of posthumous titles, a title not only represented the evaluation of a person's achievements and deeds by later generations but also reflected the status of imperial consorts and concubines within the imperial power system. This is akin to the emperor having (honorific title), (posthumous title), and (temple title), all interconnected. From this alone, it is clear that the function of the imperial consort system was far beyond the family and marriage system of the imperial family; its political function was evident.
At the end of the "Biography of Imperial Consorts" in the History of the Qing Dynasty, the preface states, "The rise and fall of a dynasty depend on the harem," although the compiler was a Qing loyalist, his remarks are meaningful for understanding the role and status of imperial consorts and concubines in the court politics of the imperial era., people will find an even more interesting fact: once these imperial consorts and concubines became involved in the political life of the palace, they seemed to lose control over their own destinies. Formerly gentle and virtuous young ladies suddenly became fierce and ruthless, and those who were already cruel and jealous became even more so. The design of the imperial power political system seems to be peculiar in this way—it often requires imperial consorts and concubines, who are expected to embody "softness" and "submissiveness," to display great strength, proving that women are no less than men. Whether they "served as regents" or "listened to affairs behind a screen," in either case, they moved from the harem to the core of politics, shifting from "being naturally gentle" to "holding the highest position," using softness to overcome harshness. (The Old Book of Tang records Shen Jiji's opposition to the inclusion of Wu Zetian in the "Annals" as "the mother of the nation" when his father Shen Ji Ji opposed it.) They personally wielded political power, becoming the supreme figures who influenced or controlled the emperor's authority.
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