Imperial consorts of Tang China
Encyclopedia
Imperial consorts
of Tang China
are organized in eight or nine ranks, in addition to the empress. They are also called the "inner officials" (內官), as opposed to "palace officials" (宮官), the bureaucracy.
In 662, the titles were temporarily changed to be devoid of feminine and superficial quality. This seemingly feminist change was reverted in the twelfth month of 670. The rationales were not explained in official records in both instances. However, some scholars have speculated it to be the suggestion of Empress Wu
to her husband.
For later history see Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China
.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Tang China
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
are organized in eight or nine ranks, in addition to the empress. They are also called the "inner officials" (內官), as opposed to "palace officials" (宮官), the bureaucracy.
In 662, the titles were temporarily changed to be devoid of feminine and superficial quality. This seemingly feminist change was reverted in the twelfth month of 670. The rationales were not explained in official records in both instances. However, some scholars have speculated it to be the suggestion of Empress Wu
Empress Wu
Empress Wu may mean or refer to:* Empress Wu , the wife of Liu Bei, the first emperor of Shu Han* Empress Wu, a title name for Wu Zetian* Consort Wu , Wu Zetian's grandniece, who was posthumously honored as an empress...
to her husband.
| Old titles | Rank | -> | New titles | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consort (夫人 furen) | 1a | Assistant in Virtue (賛德 zande) | 1a | |
| Nine Concubines (九嬪 jiupin) | 2a | Propagator of Deportment (宣儀 xuanyi) | 2a | |
| Handsome Fairness (婕妤 jieyu) | 3a | Recipient from the Inner Chamber (承閨 chenggui) | 4a | |
| Beauty (美人 meiren) | 4a | Recipient of Edicts (承旨 chengzhi) | 5a | |
| Talented (才人 cairen) | 5a | Guardian Immortal (衛仙 weixian) | 6a | |
| Lady of Treasure (寶林 baolin) | 6a | Service Provider (供奉 gongfeng) | 7a | |
| Lady of His Majesty (御女 yunü) | 7a | Coiffure Attendant (恃櫛 shijie) | 8a | |
| Selected Lady (采女 cainü) | 8a | Towel Attendant (恃巾 shijin) | 9a | |
For later history see Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China
Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China
In Chinese History, polygamy was not prohibited until recent times. As a result, different dynasties have different systems of ranking for their palace's inner harems...
.