Empress Dan (單皇后, personal name unknown) (died 310) was an empress of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han Zhao. She was the founding emperor Liu Yuan (Emperor Guangwen)'s second wife.
Empress Dan's father Dan Zheng (單徵) was a Di chieftain, who submitted to Han Zhao in 308. It is not known when she married Liu Yuan, but he made her his wife and empress in early 310, while also creating his son Liu He, by his first wife Empress Huyan crown prince. (However, Empress Dan's son Liu Ai (劉乂), while described as young in 310, was already capable of independent thinking, implying that he was probably born before 300.) Liu Yuan died later that year and was succeeded by Liu He, who was however overthrown and killed by Liu Cong after only a week as emperor. Liu Cong initially offered the throne to Liu Ai, but Liu Ai declined, and Liu Cong took the throne himself. He honored Empress Dan as empress dowager and created her son Liu Ai crown prince.
Empress Dowager Dan was described as still young and beautiful at this point, and she carried on an affair with Liu Cong, which was considered incest in traditional Chinese tradition. Crown Prince Ai became aware of the affair and tried to persuade her to end it. Knowing that her son knew about the affair, she died late in 310, being described of having died "of her shame," implying the possibility that she might have committed suicide.
| Chinese royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Empress Huyan (Guangwen) |
Empress of Han Zhao 310 |
Succeeded by Empress Huyan (Zhaowu) |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dan, Empress |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | 310 |
| Place of death | |
Famous quotes containing the words empress and/or dan:
“We never really are the adults we pretend to be. We wear the mask and perhaps the clothes and posture of grown-ups, but inside our skin we are never as wise or as sure or as strong as we want to convince ourselves and others we are. We may fool all the rest of the people all of the time, but we never fool our parents. They can see behind the mask of adulthood. To her mommy and daddy, the empress never has on any clothes—and knows it.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“No construction stiff working overtime takes more stress and straining than we did just to stay high.”
—Gus Van Sant, U.S. screenwriter and director, and Dan Yost. Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon)