Emperor of China

The emperor or huangdi (皇帝 in pinyin: huang2 di4) of China was the head of government and head of state of China from the Qin dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. The pre-Qin heads of the government were called wang (roughly translated as King). Before Qin Shi Huang, the characters huang ("godking") and di ("sage king") were used separately and never consecutively (See Three Huang and five Di). After the Han dynasty, huangdi began to be abbreviated to huang or di -- the two characters had lost their original pre-Qin meanings.

Heredity and succession

The title of Emperor was transmitted from father to son. By convention in most Han Chinese-ruled dynasties, the eldest son born to the Empress (嫡長子) succeeds the throne. In some cases when the Empress did not bear any children, she could adopt a son as her own and the son is subsequently made heir (although all children of the Emperor are said to also be the children of the Empress, regardless of birth mother). In some dynasties the rule of the Empress' eldest son succeeding is disputed, and because many Emperors had large progenies, often led to wars of succession between rival sons of the Emperor. In attempts to resolve disputes after death, the Emperor often designated a Crown Prince (太子) at early times. Even such a clear designation, however, caused problems within the imperial family involving jealousy and distrust, whether it is the Crown Prince plotting against the Emperor, or brothers plotting against each other, and further does not actually ensure a peaceful succession. Some Emperors, like the Kangxi Emperor, after abolishing the position of Crown Prince, placed the succession papers in a sealed box, only to be opened and announced after his death.

Related Topics:
Han Chinese - Empress - Crown Prince - Kangxi Emperor

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Unlike the Emperor of Japan, Chinese political theory (See Mandate of Heaven) allowed for a change in dynasty and an emperor could be replaced by a rebel leader. Prominent examples include the first Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Era), and Hong Xiuquan, leader of the Taiping Rebellion, who ruled with the title Heavenly King. As the Emperor usually has a large number of sons, it was generally not possible for a female to succeed to the throne. In the history of China there has only been one lawful reigning Empress, the Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty. Many females, however, have come to become de facto leaders, usually as the Empress Dowager. Prominent examples include the Empress Dowager Cixi, mother of the Tongzhi Emperor and adoptive mother of the Guangxu Emperor, ruling China for 47 years (1861-1908), and the Empress Dowager Lü of the Han Dynasty.

Related Topics:
Emperor of Japan - Mandate of Heaven - Zhu Yuanzhang - Hong Xiuquan - Taiping Rebellion - Heavenly King - Empress Wu - Tang dynasty - De facto - Empress Dowager - Cixi - Tongzhi Emperor - Guangxu Emperor - Empress Dowager Lü - Han Dynasty

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