Taihou
Empress dowager (also Dowager Empress or Empress mother) (Chinese: 皇太后; Chinese pinyin: Húang Tài Hòu, Japanese pronunciation: Kōtaigō, Korean pronunciation: Hwang Tae Hu, Vietnamese pronunciation: Hoàng Thái Hậu) was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese emperor.
The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress dowagers held regency during the reign of an underage emperor. Many of the most prominent empress dowagers also extended their control for long periods after the emperor was old enough to govern. This was a source of political turmoil according to the traditional view of Chinese history.
The title Dowager Empress was given to the wife of a deceased Emperor of Russia, or of the Holy Roman Emperor.
Read more about Taihou: Chinese Empress Dowager, Indian Empress Dowager, Japanese Empress Dowager, Korean Empress Dowager, Russian Dowager Empress, See Also, References