Empress dowager

Empress Dowager ( Kor., Japanese, Chinese皇太后, Pinyin Tài Huang Hou, Korean pronunciation: Hwang Tae Hu, Japanese pronunciation: Kōtaigō Vietnamese pronunciation: Hoàng Thái HAU) was a title that was awarded to the mother of a Chinese emperor.

From time to time, the title also another woman of the same generation was given, while that of the previous generation woman the title of Empress Grandmother (Chinese太 皇太后, Pinyin tài huáng tài HOU ) received. Some Empress mothers served as regents for underage emperor. The most famous Empress mothers extended their control often into adulthood of the Emperor of what is sometimes resulted in Chinese history to crises.

Under the Northern Wei Dynasty also existed the title of nurse - Empress Dowager (Chinese保 太后, Pinyin Bǎo Taihou ), which was awarded to the nurse of an emperor. This title was based on a tradition of Xianbei who imposed the mother of the Crown Prince to commit suicide. The Crown Prince of the Northern Wei Dynasty were therefore raised by nurses and given them once they had ascended the throne, the title of " nurse - dowager ." In later times, the nurses were also given the actual title of " Empress Dowager " and often had as much influence as this.

• Empress Dowager
• Title of nobility
• Cultural History (China)