Empress Xiaoduanwen

Jerjer (哲哲; translated as "lady"/"beauty"; 31 May 1599 – 28 May 1649), of the Khorchin Mongol Borjigit clan, was the consort of Hong Taiji. She was seven years his junior. Jerjer was Empress consort of Qing from 1636 until her husband's death in 1643, after which she was known as Empress dowager. She was posthumously honoured with the title Empress Xiaoduanwen.

Empress Xiaoduanwen
Empress consort of the Qing dynasty
Tenure	August 1636 – 21 September 1643
Successor	Deposed Empress Jing
Empress dowager of the Qing dynasty
Tenure	21 September 1643 – 28 May 1649
Successor	Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang
Born	Borjigit Jerjer (博爾濟吉特·哲哲) ᠵᡝᡵᠵᡝᡵ (1599-05-31)31 May 1599 (萬曆二十七年 閏四月 八日)
Died	28 May 1649(1649-05-28) (aged 49) (順治六年 四月 十八日) Forbidden City
Burial	Zhao Mausoleum
Spouse	Hong Taiji ​ ​ (m. 1614; died 1643)​
Issue	Princess Wenzhuang of the First Rank Princess Jingduan of the First Rank Princess Yong'an of the First Rank
Names Borjigit Jerjer (博爾濟吉特 哲哲 博尔济吉特 哲哲) Posthumous name Empress Xiaoduan Zhengjing Renyi Zheshun Cixi Zhuangmin Futian Xiesheng Wen (孝端正敬仁懿哲順慈僖莊敏輔天協聖文皇后 孝端正敬仁懿哲顺慈禧庄敏辅天协圣文皇后)
House	Borjigit (博爾濟吉特)
Father	Manggusi
Mother	Gunbu

Empress Xiaoduanwen
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	孝端文皇后
Simplified Chinese	孝端文皇后
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiàoduānwén Huánghòu
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡥᡳᠶᠣᠣᡧᡠᠩᡤᠠ ᡩᠣᡵᠣᠩᡤᠣ ᡤᡝᠩᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᡧᡠ ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠩᡥᡝᠣ
Romanization	hiyoošungga doronggo genggiyen šu hūwangheo

Life

Family background

• Father: Manggusi (莽古思), held the title of a first rank prince (親王)
  • Paternal grandfather: Namusai (納穆賽), held the title of a third rank prince (貝勒)
• Mother: Gunbu (袞布)
• One elder brother and one younger brother
• Two younger sisters

Wanli era

Jerjer was born on the eighth day of the intercalary fourth lunar month in the 27th year of the reign of the Wanli Emperor, which translates to 31 May 1599 in the Gregorian calendar.

On 28 May 1614, Jerjer married Hong Taiji and became one of his multiple wives.

Tianming era

In 1623, Hong Taiji divorced his second primary consort, and elevated Jerjer to the position.

Lady Borjigit's niece, Bumbutai, the future Empress Dowager Zhaosheng, would marry Hong Taiji in March or April 1625.

Jerjer gave birth in 1625 to Hong Taiji's second daughter, Princess Wenzhuang of the First Rank, on 2 August 1628 to his third daughter, Princess Jingduan of the First Rank, and on 7 October 1634 to his eighth daughter, Princess Yong'an of the First Rank.

Another niece, Harjol, the future primary consort Minhui, would marry Hong Taiji on 6 December 1634.

Chongde era

When Hong Taiji conferred titles on his five primary spouses in August 1636, he instated Jerjer as his empress.

Shunzhi era

Following Hong Taiji's death on 21 September 1643, Jerjer was honoured as "Mother Empress, Empress Dowager" by the Shunzhi Emperor, Hong Taiji's ninth son and successor. The emperor's birth mother, Bumbutai, was similarly honoured as "Holy Mother, Empress Dowager".

Jerjer died on 28 May 1649 and was interred in the Zhao Mausoleum. She was posthumously honoured with the title "Empress Xiaoduanwen".

Titles

• During the reign of the Wanli Emperor (r. 1572–1620):
  • Lady Borjigit (from 31 May 1599)
  • Secondary consort (側福晉; from 28 May 1614^[1])
• During the reign of Nurhaci (r. 1616–1626):
  • Primary consort (大福晉; from 1623)
• During the reign of Hong Taiji (r. 1626–1643):
  • Empress (皇后; from August 1636^[2])
• During the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor (r. 1643–1661):
  • Empress Dowager (皇太后; from 21 September 1643^[3])
  • Empress Xiaoduanwen (孝端文皇后; from 1649)

Issue

• As primary consort:
  • Princess Wenzhuang of the First Rank (固倫溫莊公主; 10 September 1625 – April/May 1663), personal name Makata (馬喀塔), Hong Taiji's second daughter
    • Married Ejei (d. 1641) of the Chahar Borjigit clan on 16 February 1636
    • Married Abunai (阿布奈; 1635–1675) of the Chahar Borjigit clan in 1645
  • Princess Jingduan of the First Rank (固倫靖端公主; 2 August 1628 – June/July 1686), Hong Taiji's third daughter
    • Married Kitad (奇塔特; d. 1653) of the Khorchin Borjigit clan in 1639
  • Princess Yong'an of the First Rank (固倫永安公主; 7 October 1634 – February/March 1692), Hong Taiji's eighth daughter
    • Married Bayasihulang (巴雅斯護朗) of the Khorchin Borjigit clan in 1645

In fiction and popular culture

• Portrayed by Mang Lai-ping in The Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty (1987)
• Portrayed by Wu Qianqian in Xiaozhuang Mishi (2003)
• Portrayed by Wang Yanhui in Rule the World (2017)

See also

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

Notes

1. 萬曆四十二年 四月 二十日
2. 崇德元年 七月
3. 崇德八年 八月 九日

References

• Hummel, Arthur W. Sr., ed. (1943). "Hsiao-tuan Wên Huang-hou" . Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period. United States Government Printing Office.
• 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). Vol. 214.

Empress Xiaoduanwen House of Borjigin (Боржигин) (1206–1649)
Chinese royalty
New title Dynasty established	Empress consort of the Qing dynasty August 1636 – 21 September 1643	Succeeded by Erdeni Bumba, Empress of the Borjigit clan
New title Dynasty established	Empress dowager of the Qing dynasty 21 September 1643 – 28 May 1649 with Empress Dowager Zhaosheng (Xiaozhuang)	Succeeded by Bumbutai, Empress Dowager Zhaosheng (Xiaozhuang) of the Borjigit clan as sole empress dowager