Xiao Dong
Xiao Dong | |||||||||
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Emperor of the Liang Dynasty | |||||||||
Reign | 6 October 551 - 1 January 552[1] | ||||||||
Predecessor | Emperor Jianwen | ||||||||
Successor | Xiao Ji (in the west) Emperor Yuan (in the central and south) Hou Jing (in the south-east) | ||||||||
Died | 3 May 552 | ||||||||
Consorts | Lady Zhang | ||||||||
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House | Lanling Xiao | ||||||||
Father | Xiao Huan | ||||||||
Mother | Lady Wang |
Xiao Dong (Chinese:
During his brief reign, Xiao Dong was entirely under Hou's control.[3] Just two and a half months after Xiao Dong became emperor, Hou forced him to yield the throne to himself, who took the throne as the Emperor of Han. In May 552, troops under Wang Sengbian, a general loyal to Xiao Dong's granduncle Xiao Yi retook Jiankang, and the general Zhu Maichen (
Background
[edit]Not much is known about Xiao Dong's early life, including when he was born. What is known is that he was the oldest son of Xiao Huan (
In 548, the general Hou Jing rebelled and, in 549, captured the capital Jiankang. Hou put the surviving princes of the Xiao imperial clan, including Xiao Dong, under effective house arrest. Emperor Wu died later that year, and Xiao Gang succeeded him as Emperor Jianwen, albeit under Hou's control.
In 551, Hou, after attempting to defeat Emperor Jianwen's brother Xiao Yi the Prince of Xiangdong but being defeated by Xiao Yi's general Wang Sengbian, retreated to Jiankang, and he, believing that his days may be numbered, wanted to take the throne. In order to show off his power, he deposed Emperor Jianwen and replaced him with Xiao Dong. When the imperial procession went to Xiao Dong's residence to escort him to the palace, Xiao Dong and his wife Princess Zhang were tending their garden, growing vegetables to supplement their diet in light of the war-induced famine in the capital region. He was shocked when the imperial procession arrived, and, not sure how to respond, got onto the imperial carriage while crying. Hou declared him emperor.
Brief reign
[edit]Xiao Dong had no actual power, as power was in the hands of Hou Jing. Xiao Dong posthumously honored his grandfather Xiao Tong and father Xiao Huan as emperors, and honored his mother Princess Dowager Wang as empress dowager. He created his wife Princess Zhang empress.
Two and a half months after Xiao Dong became emperor, Hou forced Xiao Dong to yield the throne to him. Hou, who became the emperor of a newly declared Han state, created Xiao Dong the Prince of Huaiyin, but imprisoned him and his brothers Xiao Qiao and Xiao Jiu in a secret prison.
Death
[edit]In spring 552, Wang Sengbian captured Jiankang, forcing Hou Jing to flee. Xiao Yi had initially ordered Wang to have Xiao Dong killed, but Wang declined—stating that while he was willing to fight Hou, the responsibility of killing an emperor should be entrusted to someone else. Xiao Yi therefore gave the order instead to another general, Zhu Maichen.
Meanwhile, when Hou fled, Xiao Dong and his brothers broke out of their prison, but they were still in chains. They encountered the general Du Shi (
Family
[edit]Consorts:
- Princess consort, of the Zhang clan (
王妃 張 氏 )
Ancestry
[edit]Xiao Shunzhi | |||||||||||||||||||
Emperor Wu of Liang (464–549) | |||||||||||||||||||
Empress Wenxian (d. 471) | |||||||||||||||||||
Xiao Tong (501–531) | |||||||||||||||||||
Ding Daoqian | |||||||||||||||||||
Empress Dowager Mu (484–526) | |||||||||||||||||||
Xiao Huan | |||||||||||||||||||
Cai Xingzong (415–472) | |||||||||||||||||||
Cai Zun (467—523) | |||||||||||||||||||
Empress Zhaode | |||||||||||||||||||
Xiao Dong (d. 552) | |||||||||||||||||||
Empress Dowager Wang | |||||||||||||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ ren'xu day of the 8th month and ji'chou day of the 11th month of the 2nd year of the Da'bao era, per vol.164 of Zizhi Tongjian
- ^ xin'mao day of the 3rd month of the 1st year of the Cheng'sheng era, per Emperor Yuan's biography in Book of Liang
- ^ Xiao Dong was not listed among the emperors of Liang in Book of Liang and indeed, did not have his own biography in the work.
- ^ ren'zi day of the 12th month of the 6th year of the Da'tong era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Liang
- History of Southern Dynasties, vol. 53.[1]
- Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 164.