Empress Dowager Duan was an 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...

 of the Chinese

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 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 was a concubine of the founding emperor 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...

 (Emperor Wucheng), and she was the mother of Murong Xi

Murong Xi

Murong Xi , courtesy name Daowen , formally Emperor Zhaowen of Yan , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was one of the youngest sons of Murong Chui , and after the death of his nephew Murong Sheng became emperor due to his affair with Murong Sheng's mother, Empress...

 (Emperor Zhaowen).

Biography

Little is known about her life before Murong Xi became emperor, and although it appears likely that she might be related to Murong Chui's empress Empress 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...

, that connection is not completely clear. After Murong Xi succeeded his nephew Murong Sheng

Murong Sheng

Murong Sheng , courtesy name Daoyun , formally Emperor Zhaowu of Yan , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao , and after Murong Bao was killed by Lan Han avenged his father in a coup and took the throne...

 (Emperor Zhaowu) in 401

401

Year 401 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vincentius and Fravitus...

, initially, he did not honor her as empress dowager, as Murong Sheng's mother Empress Dowager Ding

Empress Dowager Ding

Empress Dowager Ding , formally Empress Xianyou was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan...

 was already empress dowager, but after he forced Empress Dowager Ding to commit suicide in 402

402

Year 402 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Arcadius and Honorius...

 over her failed coup attempt, he honored his mother as empress dowager around the new year 404

404

Year 404 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Aristaenetus...

.

In summer 407

407

Year 407 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius...

, after Murong Xi's empress Empress Fu Xunying

Empress Fu Xunying

Empress Fu Xunying was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. Her husband was Murong Xi .Fu Xunying was a daughter of Fu Mo , a member of Former Qin's imperial house before he surrendered to Later Yan under military pressure...

 died, Empress Dowager Duan, for reasons unknown, removed her own empress dowager title and moved out of the palace. That was the last historical reference to her, and it is not known what happened to her after Murong Xi was killed in a coup by his adoptive nephew Murong Yun (Emperor Huiyi) later that year.