Qing Dynasty · 1636 – 1912

Empress Xiaohuizhang

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Xiaohuizhang

Empress Xiaohuizhang (Alatan Qiqige), born on November 5, 1641, belonged to the Khorchin Mongol Borjigit clan and became the second empress consort of the Shunzhi Emperor in 1654 after the deposition of Erdeni Bumba. Despite her official status, the Shunzhi Emperor favored Consort Donggo over her. After her husband’s death in 1661, she was honored as Empress Dowager Renxian during the reign of her step-son, the Kangxi Emperor (Xuanye). Historians suggest her selection as empress aimed to ease tensions between the Aisin Gioro and Borjigit clans. She died on January 7, 1718, and was interred in a separate tomb in the Xiao Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs, posthumously honored with the title Empress Xiaohuizhang.

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Spouse: Emperor Shunzhi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunzhi_Emperor

The Shunzhi Emperor (Fulin; 15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661) was the second Qing emperor and the first to rule over China proper from 1644 to 1661. Selected at the age of five by a committee of Manchu princes, he had two co-regents, Dorgon and Jirgalang, who wielded political power until Dorgon’s death in 1650. Under Dorgon’s leadership, the Qing Empire expanded, conquering most of the Ming dynasty’s territory and instituting policies like the “hair cutting command” of 1645. After Dorgon’s death, the Shunzhi Emperor attempted to govern personally, combating corruption and limiting Manchu nobility influence. Facing challenges from Ming loyalists, he successfully quelled opposition by 1661, the year of his death from smallpox at the age of 22. Succeeded by his son Xuanye, known as the Kangxi Emperor, Shunzhi’s era remains relatively less documented in Qing history.