#历史开讲 #
Ming dynasty concubines were a special group of women in ancient Chinese society. As the wives and concubines of the emperor, they have always attracted people's attention. However, due to the turmoil and chaos brought about by the Houfei government in history, later generations have been trying to limit the power of the empress concubines so that they do not interfere in politics.
An overview of the former concubines of the Ming Dynasty
In the pre-Qin period, the system of "polygamy" was mostly practiced in Chinese marriage relations, but the status of concubines has not yet been clarified. During the Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the concubine system gradually developed, with concubines as the mainstay. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the status of concubines gradually improved, among which the status of princesses in the Qin state was generally recognized, and their status and influence gradually improved.
By the Qin and Han dynasties, the system of concubines was established. During the Qin Dynasty, the status of empress appeared, and concubines, noble concubines and other wives and concubines began to appear. In the Han Dynasty, the concubine system was further improved, and different titles such as lady and concubine appeared appeared.
During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the system of concubines was repeated. During the Three Kingdoms period, the Houfei system of the Eastern Han Dynasty was basically followed, but the status and influence of Houfei were relatively low. During the Two Jin Dynasties, because the emperors were mostly from the Shi family, the empresses were also mostly from the Shi family. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the concubines were promiscuous and their power was relatively chaotic.
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the system of concubines was perfected. The Sui Dynasty revised the system of concubines, limiting the power of concubines more to the harem. The Tang Dynasty produced the only empress in mainland history, Wu Zetian. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, the concubine system underwent tortuous development. The Song Dynasty strictly forbade empress concubines to interfere in government, and mostly used palace maids to hold official positions. The Yuan Dynasty, on the other hand, implemented a multi-posterity system and competed for power with the emperor.
Early Ming Dynasty, Later Concubines Review
The concubines of the early Ming Dynasty were a special group of women in ancient Chinese society. They were the wives and concubines of the emperor and were regarded as appendages of imperial power. During the Ming Dynasty, there were two main sources of concubines: one was the official family, and the other was a folk woman. The size of the concubines varied from emperor to emperor, ranging from a few to dozens.
Among the concubines of the Ming Dynasty, Empress Ma was the most famous. She has a very high prestige and status, but does not dare to interfere too much in politics. In addition, there are Sun Guifei, Li Shufei, Guo Ningfei, Guo Huifei, and Concubine Zhuo, as well as Hu Shunfei, Hu Chongfei, Li Xianfei, Ge Lifei and other twelve concubines. Their status and treatment vary.
There were relatively few concubines during the Ming Hui Emperor's period, only a few. Among them, the famous one is Empress Xu. She was a very capable woman who was highly appreciated by Emperor Ming Hui.
The concubines of the Chengzu period included the three concubines Wang Guifei, Quan Xianfei, and Zhang Guifei, as well as seven concubines such as Concubine Ren Shun, Chen Lifei, and Yu Xianfei. The status and influence of these concubines also differed.
There were ten concubines during the Renzong period, of which Empress Zhang was the most famous. She is a very talented woman with a good performance both politically and culturally. In addition, there are ten concubines such as Guo Guifei, Li Xianfei, and Zhao Huifei.
There were many concubines during the Xuanzong period, including Empress Hu and Empress Sun, as well as Concubine Wu Xian, Concubine Liu Shufei, and Concubine He Hui. In addition, there were nine martyrs, etc. The fate of these concubines also varied, some died, some were persecuted to death, and some were buried or deposed.
In addition to the difference in status and fate, the fertility of the concubines is also different. Some concubines were able to give birth to sons and become heirs to the throne, while others were incapable of procreation.
In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the concubine examined
The origin and size of concubines in the middle of the Ming Dynasty were largely limited by the imperial court. According to historical records, in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the group of concubines consisted of empresses, concubines, noble concubines, concubines, concubines, etc., with a total of about 150 people.
Among them, the empress is the right wife, the concubine is the concubine, and the noble concubine, concubine, and concubine are in the lower position, and the power and status are correspondingly lower. Each emperor would choose concubines according to certain rules, including daughters of foreign relatives or bureaucratic families, in order to strengthen the court's ties with these families.
During the Yingzong period, the scale of empress concubines of the Ming Dynasty was relatively small, only eighteen concubines such as Empress Qian, Imperial Concubine Zhou, Concubine Wan Chen, Concubine Wei De, Concubine Wang Hui, and Concubine Gao Shu. Concubines during the Daizong period included Empress Wang, Empress Hang, and concubines of the Tang Emperor.
During the Xianzong period, the scale of concubines of the Ming Dynasty showed a certain expansion, including fourteen concubines such as Empress Wu, Empress Wang, Concubine Ji Shufei, Concubine Shao, Concubine Wan Guifei, Concubine Baixian, and Concubine Wang Shun.
The concubines during the Xiaozong period were relatively dull, with no important events or political struggles. During the reign of Emperor Wuzong, Empress Xia was deposed for refusing to do anything insulting to herself.
During the Sejong period, the scale of concubines reached its peak, including nineteen concubines such as Empress Chen, Empress Zhang, Empress Fang, Concubine Shen, Concubine Wang, Concubine Yan, and Concubine Du Kang, as well as eleven concubines such as Concubine Lu, Concubine Wei Hui, and Concubine Wang Zhuang.
Among them, Concubine Zheng Xian and Concubine Wang Li, although not made concubines, were also part of the concubines. During the Sejong period, the political influence and rights of the empress concubines were limited to a certain extent, but there were also some concubines who used the favor of the emperor to interfere in the imperial politics and suppress the fertility of other concubines.
In the feudal society of the Ming Dynasty, childbearing was seen as an important responsibility of the family, the family, and the state. In the royal family, childbearing is an important political task. Therefore, the fertility of the queen concubine has always attracted much attention.
In general, the fertility of the empress concubines of the Ming Dynasty was good. Among all the concubines, a total of 129 gave birth, of which 105 gave birth to imperial sons or grandchildren, accounting for 81.4%.
These concubines not only gave birth to princes, but also trained future rulers for the royal family. In addition, the concubines who gave birth to empresses also had an important position, because empresses could also become important figures in the harem, marry into other imperial courts and even marry with foreign races, which had an impact on national politics and diplomacy.
In the case of concubine fertility, there is also an important concept called "mother by son expensive" or "son by mother expensive". This concept refers to the fact that if a concubine gives birth to a prince, then she will be promoted and reused to become an important figure in the harem; And if a concubine does not give birth to a prince, then her status will decline and even be deposed.
Therefore, the concubines attached great importance to their fertility tasks and strove to give birth to a prince for the emperor, thereby improving their status and the stability of their status.
Later Ming Dynasty concubine review
In the late Ming Dynasty, the source of concubines was mainly women from all over the world, and after selection and investigation, they entered the court to become the emperor's wife and concubine. The scale of the concubines also increased, reaching an unprecedented number.
During the Ming Muzong period, the size of the concubines had reached 38, and during the Shenzong period, it increased to 58. Some of these concubines were made empresses, while others were made concubines and concubines.
Secondly, in the late Ming Dynasty, the status and fate of each emperor's concubines were also different. During the Muzong period, Empress Li and Empress Chen had a higher status, while the sixteen concubines were relatively low.
During the Shenzong period, Empress Wang had the highest status, and the other ten concubines and six concubines had relatively low status. During the Guangzong period, Empress Guo was the only empress, and the other six concubines had a low status.
During the reign of Emperor Xizong, Empress Zhang was the only empress, and the other six concubines also had a relatively low status. During the Sizong period, Empress Zhou had the highest status, and the other two concubines had relatively low status.
The fate of the concubines also varied. Some end their lives and enjoy the joy of heaven; Some were abolished and lost all dignity and rights; Some died as a result of persecution, sacrificing their own lives; Some even died martyrdom and made great contributions to the royal family and the country.
Finally, the fertility of the concubines is also one of the key factors in the fate of the concubines. During the Ming Dynasty, the fertility of the concubines was highly valued, and the idea of the mother relying on the son and the son relying on the mother affected the status and treatment of the concubines. Only by giving birth to a prince can he gain the favor and respect of the emperor.
Therefore, in order to give birth to the empress, the concubines also have an important task, that is, childbirth. Mother by son gui and son by mother gui were one of the main means of power struggle within the Ming dynasty. The fertility of the concubines was an important focus of attention of the court.
In the late Ming Dynasty, the fertility of the concubines also attracted much attention. Some concubines had strong fertility and gave birth to multiple heirs, such as Concubine Deng and Concubine Fu Yi of Guangzong; Others were less fortunate and gave birth to children but did not survive, such as Yuan Guifei of Sizong. The fertility of the concubines directly affects the continuation of the royal family and the stability of power.
The system of concubines in the Ming Dynasty
First, the setting of the concubine
During the Ming Dynasty, the rank and size of concubines were limited, and their rank was closely related to their relationship with the emperor. The emperor's empress status was the highest, and the status and treatment of other wives and concubines varied according to their closeness and favor with the emperor. In terms of the number of concubines, the empress's number is "noble concubine", and other concubines have different titles.
2. The system of selection and canonization of concubines
During the Ming Dynasty, the emperor needed to choose his own empress in order to have heirs. Other concubines and other wives and concubines were also personally selected by the emperor. For selected concubines, a canonization ceremony is also required. This ceremony was an important ceremony between the emperor and the canonized concubines, representing the emperor's importance and commitment to the concubines.
Third, the concubine's public opinion and treasure book
The public opinion uniforms and treasure books of the empress concubines of the Ming Dynasty were also institutionalized. Concubines need to use special cars and ceremonial guards on occasions such as patrols and marriages. Their costumes are also very exquisite, usually made of brocade and satin, and are colorful and luxurious. The treasure book is an important document that records the life and status of the concubines.
4. Funeral system
During the Ming Dynasty, the funeral system of concubines was also very important. For deceased empresses and concubines, special funeral rites are required, including wearing specific costumes and performing prescribed rituals.
After the death of the empress and concubines, the emperor also built mausoleums for them and held specific sacrifices. The nickname was also an important part of the funeral system of the concubines, and it represented the emperor's praise and respect for them.
5. The system of martyrdom
During the Ming Dynasty, the martyrdom system of empress concubines was also a special system. Martyrdom means that after the emperor's death, his concubines choose to voluntarily follow the emperor to be buried. This system stems from the ancient idea of "martyrdom from the husband", which held that a wife should follow her husband to death.
However, during the Ming Dynasty, the burial system was gradually restricted, and only a very small number of concubines were able to obtain the emperor's permission to be martyred. This is because the Ming emperor restricted and regulated the martyrdom system in order to avoid the turmoil caused by the concubines after their own death.
Although the Ming Dynasty's concubine system in China's history is only a short period of more than a hundred years, it has left a strong mark in Chinese history, especially during the Ming Dynasty, the concubine system has also become an important embodiment of the high concentration of imperial power in the Ming Dynasty, laying a solid foundation for the development of the Ming Dynasty.