Emperor Zhi of Han
Emperor Zhi of Han (simplified Chinese: 漢质帝; traditional Chinese: 漢質帝;; pinyin: Hàn Zhì Dì; Wade–Giles: Han Chih-ti; 138 – 26 July 146) was an emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty. He was a great-great-grandson of Emperor Zhang. His reign was dominated by Liang Ji, the brother of Empress Dowager Liang, who eventually poisoned the young emperor. He was the 10th emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty.
| Emperor Zhi of Han 漢質帝 | |
|---|---|
| Emperor of the Han dynasty | |
| Reign | 6 March 145 – 26 July 146 |
| Predecessor | Emperor Chong of Han |
| Successor | Emperor Huan of Han |
| Born | 138 |
| Died | 26 July 146 (aged 7-8) |
| Father | Liu Hong |
| Mother | Consort Chen |
| Han Zhidi (漢質帝) | |
|---|---|
| Family name: | Liu (劉; liú) |
| Given name: | Zuan (纘, zǔan) |
| Posthumous name: (full) | Xiaozhi (孝質, xiào zhì) literary meaning: "filial and upright" |
| Posthumous name: (short) | Zhí (質, zhì) "upright" |
Emperor Zhi ascended the throne when he was seven when his third cousin, two-year-old Emperor Chong died, and although he was still a child, Emperor Zhi was remarkably intelligent and he knew and was offended by the immense power Liang Ji had over the government—leading to him once commenting that Liang Ji was "an arrogant general." This act of defiance angered Liang Ji, who proceeded to poison the emperor. Emperor Zhi was only eight when he died.