List of Chinese empresses and queens
The following is a list of empresses and queens consort of China, who formed the highest tier of the imperial Chinese harem system. China has periodically been divided into kingdoms as well as united under empires, resulting in consorts titled both queen and empress. The empress title could also be given posthumously, as to the mothers and grandmothers of the founders of dynasties.
Empresses and queens
The title of empress could also be given posthumously. The posthumous empresses are listed separately by the year they were given the title.[Predynastic Zhou] (c. 1150–1046 BCE)
[Zhou dynasty] (1046–256 BCE)
Western [Han dynasty] (202 BCE–9 CE)
[Xin dynasty] (9–23)
Eastern [Han dynasty] (25–220)
[Three Kingdoms] period (220–280)
[Cao Wei] (220–266)
[Shu Han] (221–263)
[Eastern Wu] (222–280)
Jin dynasty">Jin dynasty (266–420)">Jin dynasty (266–403, 404–420)
Huan Chu dynasty (403–404)
[Sixteen Kingdoms] period (304–439)
[Cheng-Han] (304–347)
[Han-Zhao] (304–329)
[Later Zhao] (319–351)
[Ran Wei] (350–352)
[Former Liang] (301–376)
Later Liang">Later Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms)">Later Liang (386–403)
Western Liang">Western Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms)">Western Liang (400–421)
[Northern Liang] (397–439)
Southern Liang">Southern Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms)">Southern Liang (397–404, 408–414)
[Former Qin] (351–394)
Later Qin
- 386–394: Empress She
- 402–?: Empress Zhang
- 412–?: Empress Qi
- 416–417: Yao Hong's empress
Western Qin
- 388–394, 394–400, 409–412: Queen Bian
- 394: Queen Fu
- 414–423: Queen Tufa
- 429–431: Queen Liang
Former Yan
- 337–348: Princess Duan
- 348?–360: Empress Kezuhun
- 369–370: Empress Kezuhun
Later Yan
- 388–396: Duan Yuanfei
- 396–398: Empress Duan
- 404–407: Fu Xunying
- 407–409: Empress Li
Northern Yan
- 409–?: Princess Sun
- 430–?: Princess Murong
Southern Yan
- 398–405: Duan Jifei
- 408–410: Empress Huyan
Xia
- 407–425: Empress Kezuhun
- 425–427: Helian Chang's empress
Northern and Southern dynasties
Liu Song
- 422–424: Empress Sima Maoying
- 424–440: Empress Yuan Qigui
- 453: Empress Yin Yuying
- 453–464: Empress Wang Xianyuan
- 465: Empress Lu
- 465–472: Empress Wang Zhenfeng
- 472–477: Empress Jiang Jiangui
- 478–479: Empress Xie Fanjing
Southern Qi
- 493–494: He Jingying
- 494: Wang Shaoming
- 498–501: Chu Lingqu
- 501–502: Wang Shunhua
Northern Wei
- 400–409: Empress Murong
- 432–452: Empress Helian
- 456–465: Empress Feng
- 493–497: Empress Feng Qing
- 497–499: Empress Feng Run
- 501–507: Empress Yu
- 508–515: Empress Gao
- 5??–528: Empress Hu
- 528–530: Empress Erzhu Ying'e
- 530–531: Empress Erzhu
- 532: Empress Erzhu
- 533–534: Empress Gao
Western Wei
- 535–538: Empress Yifu
- 538–540: Empress Yujiulü
- 553–554: Empress Yuwen
- 554–556: Empress Ruogan
Eastern Wei
- 539–550: Empress Gao
Northern Qi
- 550–559: Empress Li Zu'e
- 560–561: Empress Yuan
- 561–565: Empress Hu
- 565–572: Empress Hulü
- 572–573: Empress Hu
- 572–577: Empress Mu
Liang dynasty
- 551: Empress Zhang
- Empress Wang
- 560–561: Empress Wang
Chen dynasty
- Zhang Yao'er
- Shen Miaorong
- Wang Shaoji
- Liu Jingyan
- Shen Wuhua
Northern Zhou
- 557–557: Empress Yuan Humo
- 568–568: Empress Dugu
- 568–578: Empress Ashina
- 578–579: Yang Lihua
- 579–580: Empress Sima Lingji
Sui dynasty
- 581–602: Dugu Qieluo, empress consort of Emperor Wen
- 605–618: Empress Xiao, empress consort of Emperor Yang
Tang dynasty
- 626–636: Empress Zhangsun, empress consort of Emperor Taizong
- 650–655: Empress Wang, first empress consort of Emperor Gaozong
- 655–684: Wu Zetian, second empress consort of Emperor Gaozong, later also an empress regnant
- 684–684: Empress Wei, empress consort of Emperor Zhongzong
- 684–690: Empress Liu, empress consort of Emperor Ruizong
- 705–710: Empress Wei, empress consort of Emperor Zhongzong
- 710–710: Empress Lu, empress consort of Emperor Shang
- 712–724: Empress Wang, empress consort of Emperor Xuanzong
- 758–762: Empress Zhang, empress consort of Emperor Suzong
- 786–786: Empress Wang, empress consort of Emperor Dezong
- 898–900: Empress He, empress consort of Emperor Zhaozong
- 901–904: Empress He, empress consort of Emperor Zhaozong
- Empress Ju
- Empress Ju
;Yan
- Empress Duan
- Empress Xin
- Empress Cao
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
Qi
- 907–924: Empress Liu, empress consort of Li Maozhen
Former Shu
- 908–918: Empress Zhou, empress consort of Wang Jian
- 918–921: Empress Gao, first empress consort of Wang Zongyan
- 921–926: Empress Jin Feishan, second empress consort of Wang Yan
Yan
- 911–913: Empress Li and Empress Zhu, empress consorts of Liu Shouguang
Later Liang
- 912–913: Empress Zhang, empress consort of Zhu Yougui
Southern Han
- 919–935: Empress Ma, empress consort of Liu Yan
Later Tang
- 924–926: Empress Liu, empress consort of Li Cunxu
- 930–933: Empress Cao, empress consort of Li Siyuan
- 934–934: Empress Kong, empress consort of Li Conghou
- 934–936: Empress Liu, empress consort of Li Congke
Wu
- 933–937: Empress Wang, empress consort of Yang Pu
Min
- 935–935: Empress Chen Jinfeng, empress consort of Wang Yanjun
- 936–939: Empress Li Chunyan, empress consort of Wang Jipeng
- 942–944: Empress Li, empress consort of Wang Yanxi
Southern Tang
- 937–943: Empress Song, empress consort of Li Bian
- 943–961: Empress Zhong, empress consort of Li Jing
- 961–965: Queen Zhou the Elder, first queen consort of Li Yu
- 968–975: Queen Zhou the Younger, second queen consort of Li Yu
Later Jin
- 941–942: Empress Li, empress consort of Shi Jingtang
- 943–946: Empress Feng, empress consort of Shi Chonggui
Yin
- 943–?: Empress Zhang, empress consort of Wang Yanzheng
Later Han
- 947–948: Empress Li, empress consort of Liu Zhiyuan
Later Zhou
- 954–956: Empress Fu the Elder, first empress consort of Chai Rong
- 959–959: Empress Dowager Fu, second empress consort of Chai Rong
Northern Han
- ?–968: Empress Guo, empress consort of Liu Jun
- 968–?: Empress Ma, empress consort of Liu Jiyuan
Song dynasty
- 929-958: Empress He, first empress consort of Emperor Taizu
- 960–963: Empress Wang, second empress consort of Emperor Taizu
- 968–976: Empress Song, third empress consort of Emperor Taizu
- 984–997: Empress Li, empress consort of Emperor Taizong
- 997–1007: Empress Guo, first empress consort of Emperor Zhenzong
- 1012–1022: Empress Liu, second empress consort of Emperor Zhenzong and Senior regent Song dynasty
- 1024–1033: Empress Guo, first empress consort of Emperor Renzong
- 1034–1063: Empress Cao, second empress consort of Emperor Renzong
- 1065–1067: Empress Gao, empress consort of Emperor Yingzong
- 1068–1085: Empress Xiang, empress consort of Emperor Shenzong
- 1092–1096: Empress Meng, first empress consort of Emperor Zhezong
- 1099–1100: Empress Liu, second empress consort of Emperor Zhezong
- 1100–1108: Empress Wang, first empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1111–1126: Empress Zheng, second empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1126–1127: Empress Zhu, empress consort of Emperor Qinzong
- 1127–1139: Empress Xing, first empress consort of Emperor Gaozong
- 1143–1162: Empress Wu, second empress consort of Emperor Gaozong
- 1162–1167: Empress Xia, first empress consort of Emperor Xiaozong
- 1167–1189: Empress Xie, second empress consort of Emperor Xiaozong
- 1189–1194: Empress Li Fengniang, empress consort of Emperor Guangzong
- 1194–1200: Empress Han, first empress consort of Emperor Ningzong
- 1200–1224: Empress Yang, second empress consort of Emperor Ningzong
- 1227–1264: Empress Xie Daoqing, empress consort of Emperor Lizong
- 1267–1274: Empress Quan, empress consort of Emperor Duzong
Yuan dynasty
- 1260–1281: Chabi, first empress consort of Emperor Shizu
- 1283–1294: Nambui, second empress consort of Emperor Shizu
- 1295–1307: Bulugan, empress consort of Emperor Chengzong
- 1310–1311: Zhenge, empress consort of Emperor Wuzong
- 1313–1320: Radnashiri, empress consort of Emperor Renzong
- 1321–1323: Sugabala, empress consort of Emperor Yingzong
- 1324–1328: Babukhan Khatun, empress consort of Emperor Taiding
- 1328–1329: Budashiri, empress consort of Emperor Wenzong
- 1329–1329: Babusha, empress consort of Emperor Mingzong
- 1329–1332: Budashiri, empress consort of Emperor Wenzong
- 1332–1332: Daliyetemishi, empress consort of Emperor Ningzong
- 1333–1335: Danashri, first empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1337–1365: Bayan Khutugh, second empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1340–1370: Empress Gi, third empress consort of Emperor Huizong
Ming dynasty
- 1368–1382: Empress Ma, empress consort of the Hongwu Emperor
- 1399–1402: Empress Ma, empress consort of the Jianwen Emperor
- 1402–1407: Empress Xu, empress consort of the Yongle Emperor
- 1424–1425: Empress Zhang, empress consort of the Hongxi Emperor
- 1425–1428: Empress Hu Shanxiang, first empress consort of the Xuande Emperor
- 1428–1435: Empress Sun, second empress consort of the Xuande Emperor
- 1442–1449: Empress Qian, empress consort of the Zhengtong Emperor
- 1449–1452: Empress Wang, first empress consort of the Jingtai Emperor
- 1452–1456: Empress Hang, second empress consort of the Jingtai Emperor
- 1457–1464: Empress Qian, empress consort of the Tianshun Emperor
- 1464–1464: Empress Wu, first empress consort of the Chenghua Emperor
- 1464–1487: Empress Wang, second empress consort of the Chenghua Emperor
- 1487–1505: Empress Zhang, empress consort of the Hongzhi Emperor
- 1506–1521: Empress Xia, empress consort of the Zhengde Emperor
- 1522–1528: Empress Chen, first empress consort of the Jiajing Emperor
- 1528–1534: Empress Zhang, second empress consort of the Jiajing Emperor
- 1534–1547: Empress Fang, third empress consort of the Jiajing Emperor
- 1566–1572: Empress Chen, empress consort of the Longqing Emperor
- 1578–1620: Empress Wang Xijie, empress consort of the Wanli Emperor
- 1621–1627: Empress Zhang, empress consort of the Tianqi Emperor
- 1628–1644: Empress Zhou, empress consort of the Chongzhen Emperor