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Emperor Ping of Han (9 BC – 3 February 6 AD),[2][3] personal names Liu Jizi and later Liu Kan, was the eleventh emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty, reigning from 1 BC to AD 6. He ascended the throne at the age of eight following the death of his cousin, the childless Emperor Ai. Wang Mang was appointed regent by Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun. Dissatisfied with his father's dictatorial regency, in AD 3, Wang's son Wang Yu (
Emperor Ping of Han | |||||||||||||||||
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Emperor of the Han dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
Reign | 17 October 1 BC[1] – 3 February 6 AD | ||||||||||||||||
Predecessor | Emperor Ai | ||||||||||||||||
Successor | Liu Ying | ||||||||||||||||
Born | 9 BC Lunu, Principality of Zhongshan, Han dynasty | ||||||||||||||||
Died | 3 February 6 AD (aged 14) Chang'an, Han dynasty | ||||||||||||||||
Burial | Kang Mausoleum ( | ||||||||||||||||
Consorts | Empress Xiaoping | ||||||||||||||||
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House | Liu | ||||||||||||||||
Dynasty | Han (Western Han) | ||||||||||||||||
Father | Liu Xing | ||||||||||||||||
Mother | Lady Wei |
Family background and life as imperial prince
editLiu Jizi was born in 9 BC. His father Liu Xing (
Around the time of Prince Jizi's birth, Prince Xing was considered a potential imperial heir, because Emperor Cheng had no heirs, but eventually Emperor Cheng chose his nephew (Prince Jizi's cousin) Liu Xin (
Also in 7 BC, when Prince Jizi was just 2, Prince Xing died, and Prince Jizi inherited his principality as the Prince of Zhongshan (roughly modern Baoding, Hebei). He continued to be periodically afflicted with his heart disorder. As a result, his grandmother Princess Dowager Feng hired many physicians and often prayed to the gods. In 6 BC, Emperor Ai, hearing about his cousin's illness, sent imperial physicians along with his attendant Zhang You (
The imperial attendant Zhang was himself afflicted with a psychiatric condition (probably bipolar disorder), and when he got to Zhongshan, he suddenly, in a rage, left there and returned to the capital Chang'an. Once he did and was ordered to explain his conduct, he made up a false reason—that he had discovered that Princess Dowager Feng was using witchcraft to curse Emperor Ai and his grandmother, Empress Dowager Fu. Empress Dowager Fu and Princess Dowager Feng had been romantic rivals when they had been both consorts to Emperor Yuan, and Empress Dowager Fu decided to use this opportunity to strike at Princess Dowager Feng. She sent a eunuch, Shi Li (
In August 1 BC, Emperor Ai died without an heir. His stepgrandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Wang, quickly seized power back from Emperor Ai's male favorite (and probable lover) Dong Xian, and recalled her nephew Wang Mang as regent. Wang Mang quickly carried out a wave of retaliation against Dong Xian and Emperor Ai's Fu and Ding (relatives of his mother Consort Ding) relations, purging them from government. At the same time, he also purged many actual or potential political enemies, while pretending to Grand Empress Dowager Wang to be still loyal to the Han dynasty. Prince Jizi, as the only surviving male descendant of Emperor Yuan (both Emperors Cheng and Ai having died without issue), was considered the logical successor, and he was welcomed to Chang'an to succeed his cousin.[according to whom?]
Early reign and Wang Mang's aggrandization of power
editAlmost immediately after Emperor Ping took the throne, Wang Mang began to carry out a regime to return governmental structure to ancient days of the Zhou dynasty and the even more ancient Xia dynasty and Shang dynasty. He also aggressively pursued a program to build up a personality cult about himself, wanting to have himself recognized as a holy regent on the scale of the Duke of Zhou. In 1 CE, for example, after having his political allies convincing Grand Empress Dowager Wang of his great faithfulness and great achievements, he was created the Duke of Anhan (
To prevent Emperor Ping's Wei relations from becoming powerful potential rivals at court, Wang Mang limited the titles of Emperor Ping's uncles to acting marquesses (
In 2 CE, to reduce the burden of the people in naming taboo, Emperor Ping's name was changed to Kan (衎), since Ji and Zi were commonly used characters.
Also in 2 CE, Wang Mang decided to have his daughter married to Emperor Ping to further affirm his position. Initially, he started a selection process of eligible noble young ladies (after declaring, in accordance with ancient customs, that Emperor Ping would have one wife and 11 concubines). However, then, in an act of false modesty intended to create the opposite result, he petitioned Grand Empress Dowager Wang that his daughter not be considered—and then started a petition drive by the people to have his daughter be selected as empress. The petitioners stormed the outside of the palace, and Grand Empress Dowager Wang, overwhelmed by the display of affection for Wang Mang, ordered that Wang Mang's daughter be made empress.[citation needed]
The Lü Kuan Incident and Wang Mang's seizure of absolute power
editWang Mang's son Wang Yu (
In 3 CE, Wang Yu formed a conspiracy with his teacher Wu Zhang (
Wang Mang then took this opportunity to further wipe out potential enemies—by torturing Wang Yu and Lü's coconspirators and then arrest anyone that they mentioned, and then have them either executed or forced them to commit suicide. The victims of this purge included Emperor Yuan's sister Grand Princess[4] Jingwu (
In 4 CE, Emperor Ping officially married Wang Mang's daughter and created her empress.
In 5 CE, Wang Mang revived an ancient ceremony intended for those who have made great contributions to the state, and had himself given the nine bestowments. (The "nine bestowments" would, after Wang Mang, thereafter become a customary step for usurpers to receive before they usurp the throne.)[according to whom?][citation needed]
Death
editCirca 5 AD, Emperor Ping, having grown older, appeared to have grown out of his earlier heart condition, and it became fairly plain that he resented Wang Mang for slaughtering his uncles and not allowing his mother to visit him in Chang'an. Wang Mang therefore resolved to murder the emperor. In winter 5 AD, Wang Mang submitted pepper wine (considered in those days to be capable of chasing away evil spirits) to the 13-year-old emperor, but had the wine spiked with poison. As the emperor was suffering the effects of the poison, Wang Mang wrote a secret petition to the gods, in which he offered to substitute his life for Emperor Ping's, and then had the petition locked away. (Historians generally believed that Wang Mang had two motives in doing this—one was, in case Emperor Ping recovered from the poisoning, to use this to try to absolve himself of involvement in the poisoning, and the second was to leave for posterity evidence of his faithfulness.) After a few days of suffering, Emperor Ping died. The throne would lie vacant for the next few years, as although Emperor Ping's cousin-once-removed, the infant Emperor Ruzi, would be selected as emperor, he would never actually take the throne. Wang Mang would serve as acting emperor and usurp the Han throne officially in 8 AD.
Tomb
editEmperor Ping's burial mound is found in Zhouling district of Xianyang. The grave sits in a field with only a rudimentary sign and low fence to distinguish it. The latter has not proven effective in discouraging climbers, as there are worn paths leading up and down the hill.
Era name
editFamily
editConsorts:
- Empress Xiaoping, of the Wang clan (
孝平 皇后 王 氏 ; 4 BC – 23)
Ancestry
editEmperor Xuan of Han (91–48 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Emperor Yuan of Han (75–33 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Empress Gong'ai (89–71 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Liu Xing (d. 8 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Feng Fengshi (d. 39 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Feng Yuan (d. 6 BC) | |||||||||||||||
Emperor Ping of Han (9 BC – 6) | |||||||||||||||
Wei Zihao | |||||||||||||||
Lady Wei | |||||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ xinyou day of the 9th month of the 2nd year of the Yuan'shou era, per vol.35 of Zizhi Tongjian
- ^ Vol. 36 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Emperor Ping died on the bingwu (
丙午 ) day of the 12th month of the 5th year of the Yuan'shi era. However, there is no bingwu day in that month. Bielenstein opined that the correct day should be the bingzi (丙 子 ) day, which corresponds to 3 Feb 6 in the proleptic Julian calendar. - ^ Bielenstein (1986), 228.
- ^ Lee, Lily; Wiles, Sue, eds. (2015). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women. Vol. II. Routledge. p. 609. ISBN 978-1-317-51562-3.
An emperor's [...] sister or a favorite daughter was called a grand princess (zhang gongzhu); and his aunt or grand-aunt was called a princess supreme (dazhang gongzhu).
- Bielenstein, Hans. (1986). "Wang Mang, the Restoration of the Han Dynasty, and Later Han," in The Cambridge History of China: Volume I: the Ch'in and Han Empires, 221 B.C. – A.D. 220. Edited by Denis Twitchett and Michael Loewe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-24327-0.