Tian Wang
Encyclopedia
Tian Wang translatable as either "heavenly prince" or "heavenly king," was a Chinese
regal title that was most frequently used during the Sixteen Kingdoms
era, among the kingdoms founded by members of the Wu Hu
tribes, often used as an intermediate stage from claiming a prince/king (王, wang) title to an emperor
(皇帝, huangdi) title. However, for most intents and purposes, a tian wang was treated as an emperor—their spouses carried empress titles, their styles were the same as emperors, and their posthumous name
s and temple name
s reflected imperial status. The only difference appeared that when the head of the state carried the tian wang title, the highest rank among nobility usually became duke (公, gong) rather than prince.
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...
regal title that was most frequently used during the Sixteen Kingdoms
Sixteen Kingdoms
The Sixteen Kingdoms, or less commonly the Sixteen States, were a collection of numerous short-lived sovereign states in China proper and its neighboring areas from 304 to 439 AD after the retreat of the Jin Dynasty to South China and before the establishment of the Northern Dynasties...
era, among the kingdoms founded by members of the Wu Hu
Wu Hu
Wu Hu was a Chinese term for the northern non-Chinese nomadic tribes which caused the Wu Hu uprising, and established the Sixteen Kingdoms from 304 to 439 AD.-Definition:...
tribes, often used as an intermediate stage from claiming a prince/king (王, wang) title to an emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
(皇帝, huangdi) title. However, for most intents and purposes, a tian wang was treated as an emperor—their spouses carried empress titles, their styles were the same as emperors, and their posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
s and temple name
Temple name
Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive...
s reflected imperial status. The only difference appeared that when the head of the state carried the tian wang title, the highest rank among nobility usually became duke (公, gong) rather than prince.