Chinese Sovereign - How To Read The Titles of A Chinese Sovereign

How To Read The Titles of A Chinese Sovereign

All sovereigns are denoted by a string of Chinese characters.

Examples:

1. Hàn Gāo Zǔ Liú Bāng (漢 高祖 劉邦)
2. Táng Tài Zōng Lǐ Shì Mín (唐 太宗 李世民)
3. Hòu Hàn Gāo Zǔ Liú Zhī Yuǎn (後漢 高祖 劉知遠)
4. Hàn Guāng Wǔ Dì Liú Xiù (漢 光武帝 劉秀)

The first character(s) are the name of the dynasty or kingdom. e.g. Hàn, Táng, Wèi and Hòu Hàn.

Then come the characters of how the sovereign is commonly called, in most cases the posthumous names or the temple names. e.g. Gāo Zǔ, Tài Zōng, Wǔ Dì, Guāng Wǔ Dì.

Then follow the characters of their family and given names. e.g. Liú Bāng, Lǐ Shì Mín, Cáo Cāo, Liú Zhī Yuǎn and Liú Xiù.

In contemporary historical texts, the string including the name of dynasty and temple or posthumous names is sufficient enough as a clear reference to a particular sovereign.

e.g. Hàn Gāo Zǔ

Note that Wèi Wǔ Dì Cáo Cāo was never a sovereign in his own right but his son was. Thus his imperial style of Wǔ Dì was added only after his son had ascended to the throne. Such cases were common in Chinese history, i.e., the first emperor of a new dynasty often accorded posthumous imperial titles to his father or sometimes even further paternal ancestors.