Empress Shen Wuhua
Encyclopedia
Empress Shen Wuhua later Buddhist nun
name Guanyin (觀音), was an empress of the Chinese
dynasty Chen Dynasty
. Her husband was Chen Shubao
, the last emperor of the dynasty.
Shen Wuhua's father Shen Junli (沈君理) was a junior official during the reign of Chen's founder Emperor Wu
, and Emperor Wu, impressed by his abilities, created Shen Junli the Marquess of Wangcai (望蔡侯) and gave Shen Junli his daughter the Princess Kuaiji as his wife, and Shen Wuhua was born of the Princess Kuaiji, but her birth year is lost to history. He subsequently served under Emperor Wu's nephews Emperor Wen
and Emperor Xuan
. When the Princess died, Shen Wuhua mourned her greatly, and was praised for her filial piety. In 569, she married Chen Shubao, who was then his father Emperor Xuan's crown prince, as his wife and crown princess. (Her age at the time, as noted above, is not known; he was 16.) They did not have any sons together, and when his concubine Consort Sun died in childbirth in 573 while giving birth to his first son Chen Yin, she took Chen Yin and raised him as her own son. Her father Shen Junli died later that year, and she again mourned greatly. He was given the posthumous name Zhenxian (貞憲).
In 582, Emperor Xuan died, and Chen Shubao, after surviving a failed coup attempt by his brother Chen Shuling (陳叔陵) the Prince of Shixing and cousin Chen Bogu (陳伯固) the Prince of Xin'an, albeit with substantial injuries, took the throne. He created her empress and Chen Yin crown prince. However, as he did not favor her, she was not allowed to attend to him during his injuries—only Consort Zhang Lihua
, his favorite concubine, was allowed to.
Empress Shen was said to be solemn and had few desires, spending much of her time studying Confucian classics
, history, and Buddhist sutra
s, as well as practicing calligraphy
. She did not participate much in Chen Shubao's feasting, and he did not favor her, instead greatly favoring his Consort Zhang, who effectively took over the governance of the palace. Empress Shen had few complaints about that, however, and she lived a frugal life, limiting her staff to about 100 people and not using elaborate decorations, often submitting suggestions to Chen Shubao. In 588, believing in accusations that Chen Yin despised him for not favoring Empress Shen, Chen Shubao deposed him and replaced him with Consort Zhang's son Chen Shen
. He also considered deposing Empress Shen and replacing her with Consort Chang, but had not had chance to carry this out when Sui Dynasty
forces captured the capital Jiankang
in 589, seizing him and ending Chen, unifying China.
Consort Zhang was executed by the Sui general Gao Jiong
, but Chen Shubao was spared and taken to the Sui capital Chang'an
to be treated as an honored guest of Emperor Wen of Sui
. Empress Shen followed Chen Shubao to Chang'an. She wrote deeply mournful texts to commemorate him when he died in 604. Earlier that year, Emperor Wen had died as well and was succeeded by his son Emperor Yang of Sui
, who, during his reign, undertook 11 journeys through various parts of the empire and often had Empress Shen accompany his train. She was with his train in Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
) in 618, when he was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji
. After Emperor Yang's death, Empress Shen crossed the Yangtze river south to the city Piling (毗陵, in modern Changzhou
, Jiangsu
), where she became a Buddhist nun with the name Guanyin—same as the Chinese name for the Buddhist deity Avalokiteśvara
. She died early in the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang
(626-649), but the exact year is not known.
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Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
name Guanyin (觀音), was an 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...
dynasty Chen Dynasty
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
. Her husband was Chen Shubao
Chen Shubao
Chen Shubao , often known in history as Houzhu of Chen , posthumous name Duke Yang of Changcheng , courtesy name Yuanxiu , nickname Huangnu , was the last emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty...
, the last emperor of the dynasty.
Shen Wuhua's father Shen Junli (沈君理) was a junior official during the reign of Chen's founder Emperor Wu
Emperor Wu of Chen
Emperor Wu of Chen , personal name Chen Baxian , courtesy name Xingguo , nickname Fasheng , was the first emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He first distinguished himself as a Liang Dynasty general during the campaign against the rebel general Hou Jing, and he was progressively promoted...
, and Emperor Wu, impressed by his abilities, created Shen Junli the Marquess of Wangcai (望蔡侯) and gave Shen Junli his daughter the Princess Kuaiji as his wife, and Shen Wuhua was born of the Princess Kuaiji, but her birth year is lost to history. He subsequently served under Emperor Wu's nephews Emperor Wen
Emperor Wen of Chen
Emperor Wen of Chen , personal name Chen Qian , courtesy name Zihua , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor, Emperor Wu , and after Emperor Wu's death in 559, the officials supported him to be emperor since Emperor Wu's only surviving son, Chen...
and Emperor Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Chen
Emperor Xuan of Chen , personal name Chen Xu , courtesy name Shaoshi , nickname Shili , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He seized the throne from his nephew Emperor Fei in 569 and subsequently ruled the state for 13 years...
. When the Princess died, Shen Wuhua mourned her greatly, and was praised for her filial piety. In 569, she married Chen Shubao, who was then his father Emperor Xuan's crown prince, as his wife and crown princess. (Her age at the time, as noted above, is not known; he was 16.) They did not have any sons together, and when his concubine Consort Sun died in childbirth in 573 while giving birth to his first son Chen Yin, she took Chen Yin and raised him as her own son. Her father Shen Junli died later that year, and she again mourned greatly. He was given the posthumous name Zhenxian (貞憲).
In 582, Emperor Xuan died, and Chen Shubao, after surviving a failed coup attempt by his brother Chen Shuling (陳叔陵) the Prince of Shixing and cousin Chen Bogu (陳伯固) the Prince of Xin'an, albeit with substantial injuries, took the throne. He created her empress and Chen Yin crown prince. However, as he did not favor her, she was not allowed to attend to him during his injuries—only Consort Zhang Lihua
Consort Zhang Lihua
Consort Zhang Lihua was an imperial consort of the Chinese dynasty Chen Dynasty. She was the favorite concubine of Chen's final emperor, Chen Shubao....
, his favorite concubine, was allowed to.
Empress Shen was said to be solemn and had few desires, spending much of her time studying Confucian classics
Chinese classic texts
Chinese classic texts, or Chinese canonical texts, today often refer to the pre-Qin Chinese texts, especially the Neo-Confucian titles of Four Books and Five Classics , a selection of short books and chapters from the voluminous collection called the Thirteen Classics. All of these pre-Qin texts...
, history, and Buddhist sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s, as well as practicing calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
. She did not participate much in Chen Shubao's feasting, and he did not favor her, instead greatly favoring his Consort Zhang, who effectively took over the governance of the palace. Empress Shen had few complaints about that, however, and she lived a frugal life, limiting her staff to about 100 people and not using elaborate decorations, often submitting suggestions to Chen Shubao. In 588, believing in accusations that Chen Yin despised him for not favoring Empress Shen, Chen Shubao deposed him and replaced him with Consort Zhang's son Chen Shen
Chen Shen
Chen Shen , courtesy name Chengyuan , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Chen Dynasty.Chen Shen was the fourth son of his father Chen Shubao, but the oldest son of Chen Shubao's favorite concubine Consort Zhang Lihua. His exact birth year is not known. At the time of Chen Shen's birth,...
. He also considered deposing Empress Shen and replacing her with Consort Chang, but had not had chance to carry this out when Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
forces captured the capital Jiankang
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
in 589, seizing him and ending Chen, unifying China.
Consort Zhang was executed by the Sui general Gao Jiong
Gao Jiong
Gāo Jiǒng Gāo Jiǒng Gāo Jiǒng (d. August 27, 607 courtesy name Zhaoxuan (昭玄), alternative name Min (敏), known during the Northern Zhou period by the Xianbei name Dugu Jiong (独孤颎/獨孤熲), was a key official and general of the Chinese Sui Dynasty...
, but Chen Shubao was spared and taken to the Sui capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
to be treated as an honored guest of Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
. Empress Shen followed Chen Shubao to Chang'an. She wrote deeply mournful texts to commemorate him when he died in 604. Earlier that year, Emperor Wen had died as well and was succeeded by his son Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
, who, during his reign, undertook 11 journeys through various parts of the empire and often had Empress Shen accompany his train. She was with his train in Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) in 618, when he was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
. After Emperor Yang's death, Empress Shen crossed the Yangtze river south to the city Piling (毗陵, in modern Changzhou
Changzhou
Changzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), where she became a Buddhist nun with the name Guanyin—same as the Chinese name for the Buddhist deity Avalokiteśvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
. She died early in the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
(626-649), but the exact year is not known.
Ancestry
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