Empress Duan Jifei
Encyclopedia
Empress Duan Jifei was an empress of the Chinese
/Xianbei
state Southern Yan
. Her husband was the founding emperor Murong De
(Emperor Xianwu). Her name is actually lost to history, but her courtesy name Jifei was recorded and used by historians. Her father was Duan Yi (段儀).
Duan Jifei's older sister Duan Yuanfei
was the empress of Murong De's older brother, Murong Chui
, the founding emperor of Later Yan
. She married Murong De in or slightly before 388, when he was the Prince of Fanyang. They did not have any sons.
In 398, Murong De, displeased at how Murong Chui's son and successor Murong Bao
had, through incompetence, lost most of the Later Yan territory, declared himself the Prince of Yan and established the separate Southern Yan state. In 400, he declared himself emperor and created Duan Jifei empress. After Murong De died in 405 and was succeeded by his nephew Murong Chao
, she became empress dowager
, but in 406 became embroiled in a plot with Murong Zhong (慕容鍾) the Prince of Beidi and the generals Murong Fa (慕容法) and Duan Hong (段宏) to overthrow Murong Chao, but after one of the coconspirators, Feng Song (封嵩) was arrested, she became fearful and revealed the entire plot to Murong Chao, who then defeated the coup attempt.
The 406 plot was the last reference to Empress Dowager Duan in history. In 408, after Murong Chao ransomed his mother Lady Duan
back from Later Qin
, he honored his mother as empress dowager, implying that Empress Dowager Duan Jifei might not be still alive at that point, or was deprived of her empress dowager title. (There was a reference in the Zizhi Tongjian
that stated, "Empress Dowager Duan of Yan's title was removed, and she went to reside in a different palace"; the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang
opined that referred to Later Yan's Empress Dowager Duan
.)
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
/Xianbei
Xianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
state Southern Yan
Southern Yan
The Southern Yan was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Its territory roughly coincided with modern Shandong...
. Her husband was the founding emperor Murong De
Murong De
Murong De , name changed in 400 to Murong Beide , courtesy name Xuanming , formally Emperor Xianwu of Yan , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Southern Yan...
(Emperor Xianwu). Her name is actually lost to history, but her courtesy name Jifei was recorded and used by historians. Her father was Duan Yi (段儀).
Duan Jifei's older sister Duan Yuanfei
Empress Duan Yuanfei
Empress Duan Yuanfei , formally Empress Chengai , was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. Her husband was the state's founding emperor, Murong Chui . Her name is actually lost to history, but her courtesy name Yuanfei was recorded and used by historians...
was the empress of Murong De's older brother, Murong Chui
Murong Chui
Murong Chui , courtesy name Daoming , formally Emperor Wucheng of Yan was a great general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan who later became the founding emperor of Later Yan...
, the founding emperor of Later Yan
Later Yan
The Later Yan was a Murong-Xianbei state, located in modern day northeast China, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.All rulers of the Later Yan declared themselves "emperors". Later Yan fell to the Goguryeo dynasty.-Rulers of the Later Yan:...
. She married Murong De in or slightly before 388, when he was the Prince of Fanyang. They did not have any sons.
In 398, Murong De, displeased at how Murong Chui's son and successor Murong Bao
Murong Bao
Murong Bao , courtesy name Daoyou , formally Emperor Huimin of Yan , temple name Liezong or Liezu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan...
had, through incompetence, lost most of the Later Yan territory, declared himself the Prince of Yan and established the separate Southern Yan state. In 400, he declared himself emperor and created Duan Jifei empress. After Murong De died in 405 and was succeeded by his nephew Murong Chao
Murong Chao
Murong Chao , courtesy name Zuming , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Southern Yan. He was the nephew of the founding emperor Murong De who was trapped under the rule of Later Qin, but was welcomed to Southern Yan after his uncle found out about his existence...
, she became empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
, but in 406 became embroiled in a plot with Murong Zhong (慕容鍾) the Prince of Beidi and the generals Murong Fa (慕容法) and Duan Hong (段宏) to overthrow Murong Chao, but after one of the coconspirators, Feng Song (封嵩) was arrested, she became fearful and revealed the entire plot to Murong Chao, who then defeated the coup attempt.
The 406 plot was the last reference to Empress Dowager Duan in history. In 408, after Murong Chao ransomed his mother Lady Duan
Empress Dowager Duan (Murong Chao)
Empress Dowager Duan was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei state Southern Yan. She was the mother of the last emperor, Murong Chao....
back from Later Qin
Later Qin
The Later Qin was a state of Qiang ethnicity of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. Note that the Later Qin is entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Former Qin, and the Western Qin....
, he honored his mother as empress dowager, implying that Empress Dowager Duan Jifei might not be still alive at that point, or was deprived of her empress dowager title. (There was a reference in the Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
that stated, "Empress Dowager Duan of Yan's title was removed, and she went to reside in a different palace"; the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang
Bo Yang
This article is about the Chinese writer. His name in Western languages is homonymic with Bó Yáng .Boyang , also sometimes called Baiyang, was a Chinese language writer based in Taiwan...
opined that referred to Later Yan's Empress Dowager Duan
Empress Dowager Duan (Zhaowen)
Empress Dowager Duan was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. She was a concubine of the founding emperor Murong Chui , and she was the mother of Murong Xi .-Biography:...
.)