Queen Dowager Xuan

Queen Dowager Xuan (Chinese: 宣太后; 338–265 BC), was a Chinese regent. She was a girl from the royal family of the Kingdom of Chu and one of the imperial concubines (consorts but not the wife) of King Huiwen of Qin. She was the mother of King Zhaoxiang of Qin (r. 306–251 BC) and acted as his regent when he was young. She was the first woman confirmed to have acted as regent in China and the first politically influential women noted since Lady Nanzi.[1]

Queen Dowager Xuan
Born338 BC
State of Chu
Died265 BC (aged 73)
Burial
Mount Li
SpouseKing Huiwen of Qin
IssueKing Zhaoxiang of Qin
Prince Shi (公子市)
Prince Li (公子悝)
2 sons with King of Yiqu
Posthumous name
Queen Dowager Xuan (宣太后)

Empress Dowager

As queen dowager, she entered illicit relations with the "barbarian" Yiqu king and had two sons with him, but later tricked and killed him. Following that coup, the Qin army marched into Yiqu territory at the queen dowager's orders; the Qin annihilated Yiqu and thus came to possess the Ordos region.[2]

Yiqu's fall rendered Qin a safe northern border. Since there was no more hostile forces in the north of Qin, Yiqu's fall ensured Qin's successful expansion eastward.[3]

Queen Xuan was the ruler - first a regent and then as de facto ruler - of Qin starting from 307 BC until around 270s BC. She eventually lost her power due to Fan Sui's scheme against her. She represented Qin's interests and protected and expanded Qin's realm. However, she refused to fight her homeland Chu when the state of Han, under the attack of Chu, asked Qin for reinforcement.[4]

References
  1. Keith McMahon, Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao
  2. di Cosmo, Nicola (2002). Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge, UK New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-052-1-77064-4.
  3. Ma, Feibai (1983). Qinshi Ji(秦集史). Zhonghua Book Company.
  4. Sima, Qian (2006). Records of the Grand Historian. Zhonghua Book Company. ISBN 9787101051469.
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