Empress Xiaoshencheng

Empress Xiaoshencheng (7 May 1792 – 16 June 1833), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Tunggiya clan, was a posthumous name bestowed on the wife and first empress consort of Mianning, the Daoguang Emperor. She was empress consort of Qing from 1822 until her death in 1833.

Empress Xiaoshencheng
Empress Xiaoshencheng in ceremonial dress
Empress consort of the Qing dynasty
Tenure	28 December 1822 – 16 June 1833
Predecessor	Empress Xiaoherui
Successor	Empress Xiaoquancheng
Born	(1792-05-07)7 May 1792 (乾隆五十七年 五月 十七日)
Died	16 June 1833(1833-06-16) (aged 41) (道光十三年 四月 二十九日) Forbidden City
Burial	Mu Mausoleum, Western Qing tombs
Spouse	Daoguang Emperor ​ ​ (m. 1809⁠–⁠1833)​
Issue	Princess Duanmin of the First Rank
Posthumous name Empress Xiaoshen Minsu Zheshun Heyi Chenghui Dunke Xitian Yisheng Cheng (孝慎敏肅哲順和懿誠惠敦恪熙天詒聖成皇后)
House	Tunggiya (佟佳)
Father	Sumingga (舒明阿)

Empress Xiaoshencheng
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	孝慎成皇后
Simplified Chinese	孝慎成皇后
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiàoshènchéng Huánghòu
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡥᡳᠶᠣᠣᡧᡠᠩᡤᠠ ᠣᠯᡥᠣᠪᠠ ᡧᠠᠩᡤᠠ ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠩᡥᡝᠣ
Romanization	hiyoošungga olhoba šanggan hūwangheo

Life

Family background

Empress Xiaoshencheng's personal name was not recorded in history.

• Father: Sumingga (舒明阿), served as the Magistrate of Yong'an from 1771 to 1772 and the Magistrate of Xin'an from 1776 to 1777, and held the title of a first class duke (一等公)

Qianlong era

The future Empress Xiaoshencheng was born on the 17th day of the fifth lunar month in the 57th year of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, which translates to 5 July 1792 in the Gregorian calendar.

Jiaqing era

On 2 February 1809, Lady Tunggiya married Minning, the second son of the Jiaqing Emperor, and became his second primary consort. On 29 July 1813, she gave birth to his first daughter, Princess Duanmin of the First Rank, who would die prematurely on 7 December 1819.

Daoguang era

The Jiaqing Emperor died on 2 September 1820 and was succeeded by Minning, who was enthroned as the Daoguang Emperor. On 28 December 1822, Lady Tunggiya, as the emperor's primary consort, was instated as Empress. As Empress, Lady Tunggiya was placed in charge of the emperor's harem. She died on 16 June 1833 and was interred in the Mu Mausoleum of the Western Qing tombs.

Titles

• During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796):
  • Lady Tunggiya (from 5 July 1792)
• During the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor (r. 1796–1820):
  • Primary consort (嫡福晉; from 2 February 1809)
• During the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (r. 1820–1850):
  • Empress (皇后; from 28 December 1822)
  • Empress Xiaoshen (孝慎皇后; from 7 September 1833)
• During the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1850–1861):
  • Empress Xiaoshencheng (孝慎成皇后; from 26 October 1850)

Issue

• As primary consort:
  • Princess Duanmin of the First Rank (端憫固倫公主; 29 July 1813 – 7 December 1819), the Daoguang Emperor's first daughter

Gallery

• 
  In daily dress
• 
  In daily dress

In fiction and popular culture

• Portrayed by Wong Man-ching in The Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty (1988)
• Portrayed by Myolie Wu in Curse of the Royal Harem (2011)

See also

• Ranks of imperial consorts in China#Qing
• Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty

References

• Wan, Yi; Shuqing, Wang; Yanzhen, Lu; Scott, Rosemary E. (1988). Daily Life in the Forbidden City: The Qing Dynasty, 1644-1912 (Illustrated ed.). Viking. ISBN 0670811645.
• Wei, Betty Peh-T'i (2006). Ruan Yuan, 1764-1849: The Life and Work of a Major Scholar-Official in Nineteenth-Century China Before the Opium War. Hong Kong University Press. p. 272. ISBN 962-209-785-5.
• Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese).