China: Empress Xiao Kang Zhang (1640 – 20 March 1663), Imperial Noble Consort to the Shunzhi Emperor. Hanging scroll painting, 17th century. Empress Xiaokangzhang was born into the Han Chinese Tong clan. Although her family was of Jurchen origin, they had lived amongst the Han Chinese for many generations. When Lady Tong entered the imperial court of the Shunzhi Emperor, she was made his concubine. She bore the Emperor a male heir, Prince Xuanye. When Xuanye was chosen to succeed to the imperial throne as the Kangxi Emperor, Lady Tong was given the title of Dowager Empress Cihe.
The future Empress Xiao Kang Zhang was born into the Han Chinese Tong clan. Although her family was of Jurchen (Manchu) origin, it had lived amongst the Han Chinese for many generations. When Lady Tong entered the imperial court of the Shunzhi Emperor, she was given the title 'Imperial Consort Tong'. She was elevated to the rank of 'Noble Consort' in 1654 when she bore the Emperor a male heir, Prince Xuanye (the later Kangxi Emperor). When the Shunzhi Emperor died in 1661 and Xuanye was chosen to succeed to the imperial throne as the Kangxi Emperor, the Noble Consort Tong was given the title of 'Dowager Empress Cihe' as the new Emperor's mother. She died of an unknown illness on 20 March 1663 inside the Imperial Palace, at the age of 23. Although she had never been Empress during the reign of her husband, the Shunzhi Emperor, she was given the posthumous title of Empress Xiao Kang Zhang, by which she is still commonly known today.
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Keywords: 17th, art, arts, asia, asian, century, china, chinese, cihe, clan, concubine, consort, dowager, dynasty, east, empress, hanging, heaven, historical, history, image, images, imperial, jurchen, kang, lady, manchu, mandate, monarchy, painting, pictures, portrait, qing, queen, royal, royalty, ruler, rulers, scroll, tong, xiao, xiaokangzhang, zhang
