Erdeni Bumba

Erdeni Bumba (Chinese: 額爾德尼布木巴; fl. 17th century), of the Khorchin Mongol Borjigit clan, was the consort of Fulin, the Shunzhi Emperor. She was empress consort of the Qing dynasty of China from 1651 until her deposition in 1653. She was demoted to concubine rank and received the honorary title Consort Jing.

Life

Family background

• Father: Wukeshan (吳克善; d. 1666), held the title of a first rank prince (親王)
  • Paternal grandfather: Jaisang (寨桑), held the title of a first rank prince (親王)
  • Paternal grandmother: Boli
  • Paternal great aunt: Empress Xiaoduanwen (1599–1649)
  • Paternal aunt: Primary consort Minhui (1609–1641)
  • Paternal aunt: Empress Dowager Zhaosheng (Xiaozhuangwen) (1613–1688), the mother of the Shunzhi Emperor (1638–1661)

Shunzhi era

Erdeni Bumba was selected by her aunt - the emperor's mother, Empress Dowager Zhaosheng - to be the Shunzhi Emperor's primary consort. On 27 September 1651, she was instated as empress. The Prince-Regent Dorgon also encouraged the marriage between the Shunzhi Emperor and Erdeni Bumba.

Two years later, however, on 25 October 1653, the Emperor deposed her, despite protests from much of his court. She was demoted from empress to merely "Consort Jing". Some sources, such as the Draft History of the Qing, claim that she was deposed because of her love luxury and tendency towards jealousy, characteristics decried by the emperor, who respected simplicity and frugality.

However, deposing her may have been related to growing estrangement between the emperor and his mother, and power struggles within the court. His mother and regent Dorgon, who were closely intertwined, held great power, and by deposing his mother's niece, who had been chosen for him, he may have been attempting to exercise his own power.

Some sources claim, that when she was living in Palace of Eternal Longevity, she became pregnant. During her pregnancy, she left the Forbidden City and gave birth to a son. However, historical records don't mention her further fate.

Titles

• During the reign of Hong Taiji (r. 1626–1643):
  • Lady Borjigit
• During the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor (r. 1643–1661):
  • Empress (皇后; from 27 September 1651)
  • Consort Jing (靜妃; from 25 October 1653), fourth rank consort

In fiction and popular culture

• Portrayed by Lee Ying-tong in The Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty (1987)
• Portrayed by Wu Zitong in Xiaozhuang Mishi (2003)
• Portrayed by Winnie Ma in The Life and Times of a Sentinel (2011)
• Portrayed by Viola Mi 米露 in Royal Romantic 多情江山 (2013)

See also

• List of people who disappeared
• Ranks of imperial consorts in China § Qing
• Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty

Notes

References

• Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese).

1. Empress Xiaohuizhang
2. Empress Xiaoyichun
3. Empress Xiaoxianchun
4. Wanrong
5. Consort Jing
6. Empress Xiaoduanwen
7. Empress Xiaozhaoren
8. Empress Xiaojingxian
9. Empress Xiaoshengxian
10. List of Chinese empresses and queens
11. List of people who disappeared mysteriously: pre-1910
12. Empress Xiaoyiren
13. Empress Xiaokangzhang
14. Empress Xiaoshurui
15. Lady Abahai
16. Empress Xiaozheyi
17. Empress Xiaoquancheng
18. Empress Xiaojingcheng
19. Empress Xiaochengren
20. Consort Donggo