Cao Jie
Empress Cao Jie ( Chinese 曹 節 v = 曹 节 , Pinyin Cáo Jié , W.-G. Ts'ao Chieh ; † 237 ), formally Empress Xianmu ( 獻 穆 皇后 , Xiànmù huánghòu - "Wise and Righteous Empress") and after the abdication of her consort Princess of Shanyang ( 山陽 公 夫人 , Shānyáng Gōng fūrén , Shan-yang Kung fu-jen ) was the second wife of the last Han emperor Xian and the last empress of the Han dynasty .
Life
Family background and marriage to Emperor Xian
Cao Jie was a daughter of the powerful warlord Cao Cao , who had the Emperor Xian under his control from 196 on. Cao Cao issued edicts in the emperor's name to unite China, which was then under the control of numerous warlords. In the year 213 Cao Cao (then appointed Prince of Wei) offered three of his daughters as concubines for Emperor Xian: Cao Jie, her older sister Cao Xian ( 曹 憲 ) and her younger sister Cao Hua ( 曹 華 ). Initially their title was Furen ( 夫人 ), in 197 they were elevated to Guiren ( 貴人 ).
In 214 Cao Cao discovered that Emperor Xian's wife, Empress Fu Shou , had attempted a conspiracy against him in 200. He had her deposed and executed, and forced Emperor Xian to replace her with Cao Jie in 215.
As empress and princess
Little is known about Cao Jie's life as Empress, but it is clear that her husband had no power while Cao Cao ruled the land. Her father died in 220 and her brother Cao Pi succeeded him as Prince of Wei. In the same year he forced Emperor Xian to abdicate in his favor and destroyed the Han dynasty. Traditionally, it is said that when Cao Pi's messengers requested her imperial seal, Empress Cao Jie refused it several times before handing it over to him. When her husband was made Prince of Shanyang , she received the title of Princess of Shanyang . Her husband died in 234, and she died three years later and was buried with imperial honors and according to the customs of the Han Dynasty.
Web links
- Family Trees Cao and Xiahou (English)
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Fu Shou |
Empress of China 215–220 |
k. A. |
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Fu Shou |
Empress of China (north) 215–220 |
Guo Nuwang |
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Fu Shou |
Empress of China (Southwest) 215–220 |
Wu |
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Fu Shou |
Empress of China (Southeast) 215–220 |
Pan |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cao, Jie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 曹 節 (Chinese); Empress Xianmu; Princess of Shanyang |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chinese Empress of the Han Dynasty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 2nd century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | China |
| DATE OF DEATH | 237 |
| Place of death | China |