Empress Taimu
| Lady Dou | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portrait of Lady Dou from Qing-era collection Baimei xinyong Tuzhuan (百美新咏图传) | |||||
| Duchess of Tang | |||||
| Reign | 581?[1] - 613? | ||||
| Born | 569? | ||||
| Died | 613? [2] | ||||
| Spouse | Li Yuan | ||||
| Issue | |||||
| |||||
| Father | Dou Yi | ||||
| Mother | Lady Yuwen, Princess Xiangyang | ||||
Empress Taimu (Chinese: 太穆皇后; 569?–613?) was posthumously honored the first empress of the Chinese Tang dynasty. She was known as Duchess Dou or Lady Dou (竇氏) throughout her lifetime, and was the wife of Emperor Gaozu and mother of Emperor Taizong.
Background
[edit]Lady Dou was the daughter of Dou Yi (519 - 3 January 583[3]) and Princess Xiangyang. Dou Yi was the son of Dou Yue (窦岳),[4] an elder brother of Dou Chi (竇熾), a high-level official of both the Northern Zhou and successive Sui dynasties.[5] Dou Chi also had a son named Dou Wei, a scribe for Yang Xiu, the Prince of Shu, who later served as chancellor during the early years of the Tang dynasty. Her mother Princess Xiangyang was the fifth daughter of Yuwen Tai, Emperor Wen of Northern Zhou, and a sister of Empress Yuwen.[6][7] Lady Dou also had an elder brother, Dou Xian (竇贤),[8] and at least one other elder cousin (Dou Kang[9]).
As a young child, Lady Dou was raised in the palace and particularly favored by her uncle Yuwen Yong (Emperor Wu). She once recommended Yuwen Yong to establish a relationship between Northern Zhou and Tujue through the Heqin system. As a result, Yuwen Yong married Empress Ashina, the daughter of Muqan Qaghan on 20 April 568.[10] Yuwen Yong didn't favor Empress Ashina at first, but agreed after Lady Dou and her father reminded him of Tujue's power and that he still had to face the rivaling neighbor kingdoms Northern Qi and Chen dynasty.[11][12]
Lady Dou persuaded the general Zhangsun Sheng (長孫晟) to form a marriage alliance with the Tang household. Zhangsun Sheng's son Zhangsun Wuji would later become a prominent official and daughter Lady Zhangsun would become Lady Dou's daughter-in-law. After Yang Jian overthrew the Yuwen family and established the Sui dynasty in March 581, Lady Dou lamented that she wasn't able to help her uncle and cousins. Her parents Dou Yi (by then about 62 years old) and Princess Xiangyang cautioned her to keep her mouth shut in order to live.
Duchess
[edit]As Lady Dou grew older, Dou Yi told Princess Xiangyang to marry their daughter to a wise and intelligent gentleman. Dou Yi placed two peacocks between an armorial screen and let the proposers shoot two arrows. The proposer who could shoot two arrows on the peacock's eye would be married to Lady Dou. Several proposers failed, except for a man named Li Yuan. Lady Dou and Li Yuan were married, and Li Yuan would later become the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty.
Lady Dou and Li Yuan were deeply in love and accompanied each other everywhere. Since Lady Dou grew up in the palace, she was familiar with politics and history books. She assisted her husband in his studies and raised their children. They had four sons, Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, Li Xuanba, and Li Yuanji, and one daughter who would become Princess Pingyang.
Lady Dou established a close bond with her mother-in-law, Lady Dugu. Lady Dugu was a daughter of the prominent general Dugu Xin, and a sister of two empresses from different dynasties, Empress Dugu and Dugu Qieluo. Li Yuan's father Li Bing had died early, leaving Lady Dugu in charge of the Li household. Lady Dugu suffered from poor health, and Lady Dou assisted her mother-in-law in managing household affairs. Once, Lady Dugu was extremely sick and due to her reckless and adamant personality, several of her daughter-in-laws refused to assist her. Only Lady Dou cared for Lady Dugu, and Lady Dugu recovered after a month. Lady Dugu was grateful and favored Lady Dou.
Death and posthumous honors
[edit]Lady Dou died at the age of 45 (by East Asian reckoning). After Li Yuan was made Prince of Tang, Lady Dou was given the posthumous name "Mu" on 8 January 618.[13] After Li Yuan overthrew the Sui dynasty and established the Tang dynasty, he honored Lady Dou as Empress Mu (穆皇后) on 3 July 618.[14] When her son Li Shimin succeeded to the throne as Emperor Taizong, he honored Lady Dou as Empress Taimu (太穆皇后) on 12 December 635.[15] She was further honored as Empress Taimu Shunsheng (太穆顺圣皇后)[16] on 22 July 749.[17]
Family
[edit]Parents
- Father: Dou Yi, Duke Shenwu (河南 竇毅; 519 – 3 January 583)
- Mother: Princess Xiangyang (襄陽公主),
- Maternal Grandfather: Yuwen Tai (宇文泰, 507 – 556)
Spouse and issue(s):
- Li Yuan (李淵, 7 April 566 – 25 June 635), Emperor Gaozu of Tang
- Li Jiancheng, Crown Prince Yin (隱皇太子 李建成; 589–626)
- Princess Pingyangzhao (平陽昭公主; d. 623),
- Married Chai Shao, Duke Huo (d. 638), and had issue (two sons)
- Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong (太宗 李世民; 598–649)
- Li Xuanba, Prince Weihuai (衛懷王 李玄霸; 599–614)
- Li Yuanji, Prince Chaola (巢剌王 李元吉; 603–626)
References
[edit]- ^ Historical sources did not indicate when Li Yuan and Lady Dou were wedded. However the date should be before Dou Yi's death on 3 Jan 583. ([开皇二年]十二月...甲戌，上柱国窦毅卒。) Sui Shu, vol.01.
- ^ Although the birth and death years of Lady Dou were not recorded in historical sources, it was recorded that she died at the age of 45 (by East Asian reckoning). According to Tangwen Shiyi (唐文拾遗), her death anniversary was the 21st day of the 5th lunar month. According to her biography in the Old Book of Tang, Lady Dou died soon after giving her husband the advice of gifting the stallions in his possession to Emperor Yang; this event took place during the Daye era (605-618), while Li Yuan was Taishou (太守) of Fufeng (扶风). Li Yuan's biography in Old Book of Tang mentioned that he was Taishou of Xingyang and Loufan early in the Daye era, and in 613, he became Weiwei Shaoqing (大业初，为荥阳、楼烦二郡太守，征为殿内少监。九年，迁卫尉少卿。) Jiu Tang Shu, vol.01. If her death year is 613, it should be after her second son Li Shimin's wedding to Lady Zhangsun, as Lady Zhangsun's biography in Old Book of Tang recorded that she was 13 (by East Asian reckoning) when she wedded.
- ^ Dou Yi's biography in vol.30 of Zhou Shu indicate that he was 64 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died.
- ^ (毅字天武。父岳，早卒。) Zhou Shu, vol.30
- ^ Volume 30 of Book of Zhou indicate that Dou Yi was the son of an elder brother (兄子) of Dou Chi.
- ^ Princess Xiangyang was older than Yuwen Yong, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. (父毅，在周为上柱国，尚武帝姊襄阳长公主...) Xin Tang Shu, vol.76.
- ^ Victor Cunrui Xiong (2009), Historical Dictionary of Medieval China, Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras, No. 19. Edited by John Woronoff. Lanham, Toronto, Plymouth: The Scarecrow Press, p. 26, ISBN 0-8108-6053-8
- ^ Since Lady Dou was born when Dou Yi was already elderly, Dou Xian was likely older as he was already made Dou Yi's heir in 567. It is unknown when Dou Xian died, but it was between his father's death and the establishment of the Tang dynasty (贤字托贤，志业通敏，少知名。天和二年，策拜神武国世子。宣政元年，授使持节仪同大将军。隋开皇中，袭爵神武公，除迁州刺史。) Zhou Shu, vol.30.
- ^ (抗，字道生，太穆皇后之从兄也，...) Jiu Tang Shu, vol.61
- ^ ([天和三年]三月癸卯，皇后阿史那氏至自突厥。) Zhou Shu, vol.05
- ^ Bo Yang. Modern Chinese Edition of Zizhi Tongjian. Taipei: Yuan-Liou Publishing Co. Ltd, vol. 1 ISBN 957-32-0795-8 to vol. 72 ISBN 957-32-1810-0
- ^ This anecdote likely took place in 572, after Emperor Wu was able to exercise power after the death of Yuwen Hu.
- ^ ([义宁元年]十二月，癸未，追谥唐王渊大父襄公为景王；考仁公为元王，夫人窦氏为穆妃。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.184
- ^ This is per vol.1 of New Book of Tang. The record in Old Book of Tang indicate that her posthumous title given on that day was "Empress Taimu". ([武德元年]六月......己卯，备法驾，迎皇高祖宣简公已下神主，祔于太庙。追谥妃窦氏为太穆皇后，陵曰寿安。) Jiu Tang Shu, vol.01
- ^ ([贞观九年]冬，十月，...庚寅，葬太武皇帝于献陵，庙号高祖；以穆皇后祔葬，加号太穆皇后。) She was also buried together with Li Yuan on this date, him having passed away about six months earlier in June 635.
- ^ Jack W. Chen, The Poetics of Sovereignty: On Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, pp.14
- ^ ([天宝八载]闰月......。丙寅，上亲谒太清宫.....；太穆、文德、则天、和思、昭皇后，皆加“顺圣皇后”之字。) Jiu Tang Shu, vol.09. Volume 3 of Tang Huiyao gave the date as the 15th day of the 6th month of the same year, which corresponds to 4 July 749 in the Julian calendar (天宝八载六月十五日，追尊太穆顺圣皇后。).