Retired Emperors in China: “Taishang Huang”
In this story, we will look at some of the most important historical figures in China.
Introduction
Usually, in Western culture, the prince / princess will be crowned when the king / queen died. However, in Chinese history, there are a few emperors who retired and passed the throne to their sons.
Early Eras
The first king who retired and passed his throne to his son was King Wuling of Zhao. In 299 BC, during the Warring States period, he abdicated and gave the throne of Zhao to his younger son, then 12-year-old Zhao He to become King Huiwen of Zhao. He remained the de facto ruler and called himself the “Zhufu” (literal meaning: “Lord Father”), a title similar to Taishang Huang. He did not receive the title of Taishang Huang.
The first Taishang Huang was King Zhuangxiang of Qin, father of Qin Shihuang. He was posthumously declared as Taishang Huang by Qin Shihuang. However, he was deceased when Qin Shihuang bestowed this honour to his father.
The second Taishang Huang was Liu Taigong, father of Liu Bang, founder of Han Dynasty. While Liu Taigong was still alive, Liu Bang honored him with the title Taishang Huang on 4 July, 201 BC, a year after Liu Bang declared himself emperor in February 202 BC. Liu Taigong died in 197 BC.
Sui and Tang Dynasties
Taishang Huang didn’t necessarily need to be the father of the new emperor. One example was Emperor Yang (Sui dynasty). He was proclaimed as Taishang Huang during the reign of his grandson, Emperor Gong. However, he never personally accepted the title. He was the only Taishang Huang who was the grandfather of the reigning emperor.
Emperors could also be forced to abdicate and become Taishang Huang. One example was Emperor Gaozu (Tang dynasty). The then-Prince Li Shimin killed all his brothers to gain the throne, which is known as the Xuanwu Gate Incident. After this, Emperor Gaozu was forced to abdicate his throne to Li Shimin. Finally, Li Shimin became Emperor Taizong in AD 626. Emperor Gaozu remained as Taishang Huang until his death in AD 635.
Another notable example was Wu Zetian. She was the only woman ruler throughout the history of China. She first became the Empress dowager of the Tang Dynasty after her husband, Emperor Gaozong died. Then, in AD 690, she established the Wu Zhou dynasty, and became the emperor herself. She remained as the only female emperor in the history of China. After the Shenlong Revolution (神龍革命) in AD 705, she was forced to abdicate to her son, Emperor Zhongzong, and became the Taishang Huang. She died in the same year.
Qing Dynasty
There was still one Taishang Huang in the Qing dynasty: Qianlong Emperor. When he ruled for the sixtieth year, he retired. The reason is that he didn’t want to have a longer reign than his grandfather, Kangxi Emperor. He made himself the Taishang Huang in AD 1796. However, he still retained ultimate power as until his death in AD 1799.
Conclusion
There were at least 20 “Taishang Huang”s; in the Tang dynasty alone, there were 6 Taishang Huang. They often became a power behind the throne, exerting more power than the reigning emperor. Often, the declaration of a Taishang Huang will be accompanied by major historical events. Therefore, Taishang Huang remained an important part in the history of China.
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