Princess Dowager Liu was a princess dowager 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...

 state Former Liang

Former Liang

The Former Liang was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin dynasty in China. It was founded by the Zhang family of the Han Chinese...

. She was a concubine of Zhang Jun

Zhang Jun (Former Liang)

Zhang Jun , courtesy name Gongting , formally Duke Zhongcheng of Xiping or Duke Wen of Xiping was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang...

 (Duke Zhongcheng) and the mother of his youngest son, Zhang Tianxi

Zhang Tianxi

Zhang Tianxi , original courtesy name Gongchungu , later Chungu , nickname Duhuo , formally Duke Dao of Xiping , was the last ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. He was the youngest son of Zhang Jun , and he seized the throne from his nephew Zhang Xuanjing in 363...

 (Duke Dao).

Lady Liu gave birth to Zhang Tianxi in 346. That year, Zhang Jun died. Nothing is known about her life between that year and 363

363

Year 363 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iulianus and Sallustius...

, when Zhang Tianxi seized the throne from his nephew Zhang Xuanjing

Zhang Xuanjing

Zhang Xuanjing , courtesy name Yuan'an , formally Duke Jingdao of Xiping or Duke Chong of Xiping was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang...

 (Duke Jingdao) and honored her as princess dowager. (The exact title he honored her with is disputed historically; Zizhi Tongjian

Zizhi Tongjian

The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...

gave it as Taifei (太妃, translate as princess dowager), while Shiliuguo Chunqiu

Shiliuguo Chunqiu

The Shiliuguo Chunqiu is a biographial history work compiled by Cui Hong between 501 to 522. It became one of the chief sources for the compilation of the Book of Wei and Book of Jin in the beginning....

gave it as Taihou (太后, translate as queen dowager or empress dowager).

No other mention was made of her until an arguable one in 376

376

Year 376 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valens and Augustus...

, when Zhang Tianxi, under attack from Former Qin

Former Qin

The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...

, received a rebuke from, according to historical accounts, "his mother Lady Yan." This appears to be an erroneous record, and it was likely Princess Dowager Liu that was referred to, because the records of 363 was unambiguous that Princess Dowager Liu was Zhang Tianxi's mother. The reason why she was referred to as Lady Yan might have been the result of a confusion with Zhang Jun's wife Princess Yan

Princess Yan

Princess Yan was the wife of the Chinese state Former Liang's ruler Zhang Jun. It is not known when Zhang Jun married her, but it is known that she carried the title of princess even though Zhang, for most of his reign, used the Jin Dynasty -created title of Duke of Xiping, and only late in his...

, who should have long ago died by that point.