Empress Xiaodexian

Empress Xiaodexian (12 April 1831 – 24 January 1850), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Sakda clan, was a consort of the Xianfeng Emperor.

Life

Family background

Empress Xiaodexian's personal name was not recorded in history. Her family originally belonged to the Bordered Blue Banner.

• Father: Futai (富泰), served as a fourth rank literary official (少卿) in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and held the title of a duke (公)
  • Paternal grandfather: Qichang (祺昌)
  • Paternal grandmother: Lady Nara
• Mother: Lady Aisin Gioro
  • Maternal grandfather: Ulgungga (烏爾恭阿; 1778–1846), held the title Prince Zheng of the First Rank from 1794–1846, Jirgalang's great great great great grandson
  • Maternal uncle: Duanhua (1807–1861), held the title Prince Zheng of the First Rank from 1846–1861, the maternal grandfather of Empress Xiaozheyi (1854–1875)
• One sister
• One younger brother

Daoguang era

The future Empress Xiaodexian was born on the first day of the third lunar month in the 11th year of the reign of the Daoguang Emperor, which translates to 12 April 1831 in the Gregorian calendar.

In 1847, Lady Sakda married Yizhu, the fourth son of the Daoguang Emperor, and became Yizhu's primary consort. She died in January 1850.

Xianfeng era

About a month after her death, the Daoguang Emperor died and was succeeded by Yizhu, who became the Xianfeng Emperor. As the Xianfeng Emperor's primary consort, Lady Sakda was posthumously honoured as Empress, and was interred in the Ding Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs.

Titles

• During the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (r. 1820–1850):
  • Lady Sakda (from 12 April 1831)
  • Primary consort (嫡福晉; from 31 March 1848)
• During the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1850–1861):
  • Empress Xiaode (孝德皇后; from 30 November 1850)
• During the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1861–1875):
  • Empress Xiaodexian (孝德顯皇后; from December 1861 or January 1862)

See also

• Ranks of imperial consorts in China#Qing
• Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty

Notes

References

• Seagrave, Sterling; Seagrave, Peggy (1992). Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China (Illustrated ed.). Knopf. ISBN 9780679402305.
• Wan, Yi; Shuqing, Wang; Yanzhen, Lu; Scott, Rosemary E. (1988). Daily Life in the Forbidden City: The Qing Dynasty, 1644-1912 (Illustrated ed.). Viking. ISBN 0670811645.
• Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese).

1. Empress Dowager Ci'an
2. Wanrong
3. Empress Xiaoyichun
4. Xianfeng Emperor
5. Empress Xiaoxianchun
6. Empress Xiaoshengxian
7. Empress Xiaozheyi
8. Empress Xiaoduanwen
9. Empress Xiaoquancheng
10. Empress Xiaogongren
11. Empress Xiaoshencheng
12. Erdeni Bumba
13. List of Chinese empresses and queens
14. Empress Xiaojingxian
15. Bordered Yellow Banner
16. Empress Xiaoshurui
17. Empress Xiaoherui
18. Empress Xiaozhaoren
19. Empress Xiaoyiren
20. Empress Xiaode