Empress Xiaomucheng

Empress Xiaomucheng (1781 – 17 February 1808), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan, was a consort of the Daoguang Emperor.

Empress Xiaomucheng
Predecessor	Empress Xiaoherui
Successor	Empress Xiaoshencheng
Born	1781 (乾隆四十六年)
Died	17 February 1808 (aged 26–27) (嘉慶十三年 正月 二十一日)
Burial	Mu Mausoleum, Western Qing tombs
Spouse	Daoguang Emperor ​ ​ (m. 1796⁠–⁠1808)​
Posthumous name Empress Xiaomu Wenhou Zhuangsu Duancheng Kehui Kuanqin Futian Yusheng Cheng (孝穆溫厚莊肅端誠恪惠寬欽孚天裕聖成皇后 孝穆温厚庄肃端诚恪惠宽钦孚天裕圣成皇后)
House	Niohuru (鈕祜祿; by birth) Aisin Gioro (by marriage)
Father	Buyandalai

Empress Xiaomucheng
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	孝穆成皇后
Simplified Chinese	孝穆成皇后
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiàomùchéng Huánghòu
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡥᡳᠶᠣᠣᡧᡠᠩᡤᠠ ᠴᡳᠪᠰᡠᠩᡤᠣ ᡧᠠᠩᡤᠠᠨ ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠩᡥᡝᠣ
Romanization	hiyoošungga cibsunggo šanggan hūwangheo

Life

Family background

Empress Xiaomucheng's personal name was not recorded in history.

• Father: Buyandalai (佈彥達賚/佈彦达赉; d. 1801), served as the Minister of Revenue from 1799–1801, and held the title of a third class duke (三等公)
  • Paternal grandfather: Arigūn (阿里袞; d. 1769), Ebilun's grandson
  • Paternal great uncle: Necin (讷亲; d. 1749), served as Minister of War until 1749
  • Paternal uncle: Fengsheng'e （丰昇额,d.1777), served as the Minister of War in 1770 and Minister of Revenue in 1773

Jiaqing era

On 22 December 1796, Lady Niohuru married Minning, the second son of the Jiaqing Emperor, and became his primary consort. She died on 17 February 1808 and was interred in the Eastern Qing tombs.

Daoguang era

The Jiaqing Emperor died on 2 September 1820 and was succeeded by Minning, who was enthroned as the Daoguang Emperor. Lady Niohuru was granted the posthumous title "Empress Xiaomu".

In 1828, there was a leak in the Eastern Qing tombs, resulting in flooding. In 1829, Lady Niohuru's casket was temporarily moved to the Baohua Ravine Hall (寶華峪正殿). In 1835, her casket was transferred to the Mu Mausoleum of the Western Qing tombs.

Titles

• During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796):
  • Lady Niohuru (from 1781)
• During the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor (r. 1796–1820):
  • Primary consort (嫡福晉; from 22 December 1796[1])
• During the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (r. 1820–1850):
  • Empress Xiaomu (孝穆皇后; from 1820)
• During the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1850–1861):
  • Empress Xiaomucheng (孝穆成皇后; from 26 October 1850[2])

See also

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

Notes

1. 嘉慶元年 十一月 二十四日
2. 道光三十年 九月 二十二日

References

• 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).