Empress Xiaoquancheng

Empress Xiaoquancheng
Empress Consort of the Qing Dynasty
Tenure	18 November 1834 – 13 February 1840 (&100000000000000050000005 years, &1000000000000008700000087 days)
Spouse	Daoguang Emperor
Issue
Kurun Princess Duanshun Kurun Princess Shou'an Yizhu
Father	Niuhuru Yiling
Born	24 March 1808(1808-03-24) Suzhou, China
Died	13 February 1840(1840-02-13) (aged 31) Palace of Gathering Essence, Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Burial	20 November 1840 Muling Mausoleum, Western Qing Tombs, China

Empress Xiaoquancheng
Chinese	孝全成皇后
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Xiàoquánchéng Huánghòu
Lady Niuhuru
Traditional Chinese	鈕祜祿氏
Simplified Chinese	钮祜禄氏
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Nǐuhùlù Shì

Empress Xiaoquancheng (24 March 1808 – 13 February 1840) was the third official spouse and second Empress Consort^[1] of the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. She was the birth mother of Daoguang's successor, the Xianfeng Emperor.

Biography

Birth and family background

Empress Xiaoquancheng was born in the Manchu Niuhuru clan on the 28th day of the second lunar month in the 13th year of the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor. Her personal name is unknown. Her family was originally under the Plain Red Banner of the Eight Banners but was later moved to the Bordered Yellow Banner.^{[citation needed]} Her father was Yiling (頤齡), a general in Suzhou and a duke of the third order (see the Family section below for his full titles).

As the Daoguang Emperor's concubine

Empress Xiaoquancheng

Lady Niuhuru spent her youth in Suzhou. In 1820 the Jiaqing Emperor died and was succeeded by his son, who became the Daoguang Emperor. A year later, during the selections for Daoguang's concubines, Lady Niuhuru was chosen as a potential candidate. At the age of 13, she entered the Forbidden City and was given the rank of Honoured Lady Quan. She was promoted to Imperial Concubine Quan (全嬪) a year later. On 24 March 1823 Lady Niuhuru was further promoted to the status of Consort Quan (全妃).

Two years later, on 8 April 1825, Lady Niuhuru gave birth to the Daoguang Emperor's third daughter. Daoguang was delighted^{[citation needed]} and about a month later, on 30 May, Lady Niuhuru was promoted to the rank of Honoured Consort Quan (全貴妃).

In the following summer, Lady Niuhuru became pregnant a second time, and on 12 May 1826 she gave birth to the Daoguang Emperor's fourth daughter (Kurun Princess Shou'an).

On 17 July 1831 Lady Niuhuru gave birth to the Daoguang Emperor's fourth (but oldest surviving) son Yizhu, who would later become the Xianfeng Emperor.

On 16 June 1833, the Daoguang Emperor's second empress, Empress Xiaoshencheng, died, and Lady Niuhuru was placed in charge of the emperor's other concubines, performing the duty of an empress. On 28 September 1833, during the Mid Autumn Festival, Lady Niuhuru was elevated to the status of Imperial Honoured Consort Quan (全皇貴妃), making the most senior of all the Daoguang Emperor's concubines.

As Empress

On 18 November 1834, at the age of 26, Lady Niuhuru was instated as Empress. She was the Daoguang Emperor's third official spouse and his second Empress Consort.

On 27 December 1835 Lady Niuhuru's eldest daughter, Kurun Princess Duanshen, died at the age of 10.

Death

Lady Niuhuru died on 13 February 1840 in the Palace of Gathering Essence in the Forbidden City. Her exact cause of death was not recorded in official historical records. Six days after her death, on 19 February 1840, she was granted the posthumous title Empress Xiaoquan (孝全皇后). Nine months later, on 20 November 1840, she was interred in the Muling Mausoleum at the Western Qing Tombs.

Legends surrounding her death

According to legend, Lady Niuhuru was discovered attempting to poison one of the Daoguang Emperor's other princes, so as to bring her own son closer to the throne. One day she invited Yixin, Prince Gong to dine with her. Fish was served but Lady Niuhuru told her son Yizhu not to eat it, so Yixin also refused to eat when he heard that. Yixin threw the fish on the floor, where it was eaten by a cat, which died soon after eating it. Yixin told his mother, Empress Xiaojingcheng, who in turn, informed Empress Dowager Gongci. Empress Dowager Gongci told the Daoguang Emperor about the incident. Lady Niuhuru committed suicide to avoid being placed on trial for the attempted murder.

Family

• Great-grandfather: Chengde (成德), a general stationed in Tibet during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

• Grandfather: Mukedengbu (穆克登布), a general.

• Father: Yiling (頤齡), a general stationed in Suzhou, a Second Class Guardian of Qianqing Gate (乾清門二等侍衛), and a Baron of the Second Order (二等男爵). He was promoted to Marquis Cheng'en of the First Order (一等承恩侯), and later Duke Cheng'en of the Third Order (三等承恩公).

• Spouse: Daoguang Emperor

• Children:
  • Kurun Princess Duanshun (端順固倫公主; 8 April 1825 – 27 December 1835)
  • Kurun Princess Shou'an (壽安固倫公主; 12 May 1826 – 23 April 1860), married Demuchukezhabu (德穆楚克扎布) of the Borjigit clan on 27 October 1840.
• Yizhu (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), later became the Xianfeng Emperor.

Reports on her pregnancy in 1831 suggest that the bulk of the medical attention she received was during the last five weeks, when a physician and a midwife were in constant attendance to await the onset of labour.

Posthumous title

Empress Xiaoquancheng's full posthumous title is:

• Empress Xiaoquancijingkuanrenduanque'anhuichengminfutiandushengcheng (孝全慈敬寬仁端愨安惠誠敏符天篤聖成皇后)

Notes

1. ^ The Daoguang Emperor had four empresses in total. His first official spouse died long before his enthronement and was posthumously granted the title of Empress Xiaomucheng. Daoguang's second official spouse, Empress Xiaoshencheng, was instated as his first empress when Daoguang ascended to the throne in 1821. Empress Xiaoquancheng was Daoguang's third official spouse and she became Empress after Empress Xiaoshencheng died in 1833. After Empress Xiaoquancheng's death Daoguang did not promote any of his other concubines to the status of empress. Instead he appointed one of his concubines to be in charge of the others. This concubine was posthumously granted the title of an empress after Daoguang's death.

References

• The Last Emperors "A Social History of Qing Imperial Institutions", Evelyn S. Rawski. ISBN 0-520-22837-5
• Daily Life in the Forbidden City, Wan Yi, Wang Shuqing, Lu Yanzhen ISBN 0-670-81164-5
• http://www.royalark.net/China/manchu12.htm, about the Aisin Gioro familytree
• http://www.guoxue.com/shibu/24shi/qingshigao/qsg_214.htm, facts about the Qing dynasty concubines.

Succession

Chinese royalty
Preceded by Empress Xiaoshencheng	Empress of China 1833–1840	Succeeded by Empress Xiaodexian after=Empress Xiaojingcheng

Persondata
Name	Xiaoquancheng, Empress
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	24 March 1808
Place of birth	Suzhou, China
Date of death	13 February 1840
Place of death	Palace of Gathering Essence, Forbidden City, Beijing, China