Empress Nara
The Empress of the Nara Clan (Chinese Manchurian: 皇后 那拉氏; 11 March 1718 – 19 August 1766) was the wife and second empress consort of the Qianlong Emperor. She was the empress consort of the Qing Dynasty from 1750 until her death in 1766. Informally known as the Step Empress, she is one of the most controversial female figures in Chinese history.
| Empress of the Nara Clan | |
|---|---|
| Empress of Qing | |
La Concubine (1750) by the French Catholic priest, Father Jean Denis Attiret, purported to depict the Empress of the Nara Clan. (Formerly claimed as Imperial Noble Consort Shujia.) Oil on canvas. | |
| Empress Consort of the Qing Dynasty | |
| Tenure | 2 September 1750 – 19 August 1766 |
| Predecessor | Empress Xiaoxianchun |
| Successor | Empress Xiaoshurui |
| Born | 11 March 1718 |
| Died | 19 August 1766 (aged 48) Forbidden City |
| Burial | Yu Mausoleum, Eastern Qing tombs |
| Spouse |
Qianlong Emperor
(m. 1734–1766) |
| Issue | Yongji, Prince of the Third Rank Fifth daughter Yongjing |
| Clan | Nara (那拉氏; by birth) Aisin Gioro (愛新覺羅氏; by marriage) |
| Father | Lord Narbu |
| Religion | Buddhism and Confucianism |
Originally a noble consort named Xian, she was elevated to empress rank after Empress Xiaoxianchun's death on 8 April 1748. In her role as empress consort, she accompanied the Qianlong Emperor on many leisure and hunting trips, as well as ancestral worship ceremonies.
Historical records give little information about her life or even her physical appearance. Because of this lack of documentation, there has been intense speculation among Chinese academicians regarding her historicity and character. It is widely suspected that the Qianlong Emperor destroyed all her imperial records and portraits.
Although never officially deposed, she lost her authority as chief of the imperial harem in 1765, reputedly because she cut her hair, an act that was considered a grave offense according to ancient Manchurian custom. Consequently, the Qianlong Emperor ordered that her four titular imperial edicts, accompanying gifts, and imperial seal be confiscated. After her death, she was not given an imperial funeral, nor a Buddhist posthumous name, nor was she buried with the Qianlong Emperor.