Empress Dou Miao was the third Empress of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Emperor Huan disliked her and neglected her.[1] When Emperor Huan died, she became Empress Dowager. Empress Dowager Dou Miao has often been criticised for being an indecisive Regent.[2] It is because of her indecisiveness that she ends up having a tragic end.[3]
In circa 151 C.E., Empress Dou Miao was born in Pingling in Fufeng County (modern-day Xianyang City in Shaanxi Province).[4] Her father was Dou Wu, who taught the classics and ran a private school.[5] Dou Miao was descended from the legendary warlord Dou Rong.[6] She was also a distant cousin of Empress Dowager Dou.[7]
On 27 March 165 C.E., Empress Deng Mengnu was deposed, which left the Empress position vacant.[8] Dou Miao entered Emperor Huan’s harem as a possible candidate for Empress.[9] She was promoted to Worthy Lady (the highest rank below Empress).[10] Her appointment as Worthy Lady allowed Dou Wu to be promoted to Gentleman-of-the-Palace.[11] Still, Worthy Lady Dou Miao was not appointed Empress. This was because Emperor Huan wanted to promote his favourite, Consort Tian Sheng (who was the lowest-ranked imperial concubine in his harem), as his Empress instead.[12] However, his ministers opposed Consort Tian Sheng as his Empress because of her lowly background.[13] They advised Emperor Huan to appoint Consort Dou Miao as his Empress because of her prestigious background.[14] At last, Emperor Huan agreed to his ministers’ counsel.[15]
On 10 December 165 C.E., Dou Miao was invested as Empress of China. Dou Wu was promoted to colonel of a unit in the Northern Army.[16] He was also made a Marquis and was given revenue from 5,000 households.[17] However, Emperor Huan did not favour Empress Dou Miao.[18] He did not even try to visit her.[19] If he did see her, the visits “were extremely rare.”[20] He preferred spending time with Consort Tian Sheng and eight of his other unnamed favourite imperial concubines.[21] Thus, Empress Dou Miao was very lonely.[22] She became very jealous of Consort Tian Sheng.[23] Throughout her reign as Empress Consort, Emperor Huan grew to dislike Empress Dou Miao’s father, Dou Wu.[24] He also continued to neglect Empress Dou Miao.[25]
In December of 167 C.E., Emperor Huan fell seriously ill. On 25 January 168 C.E., Emperor Huan died. Upon his death, Emperor Huan asked for Consort Tian Sheng and his other eight favourite imperial concubines to be promoted to Worthy Ladies.[26] However, Empress Dou Miao was now Empress Dowager. She and her father, Dou Wu, were the most powerful people in China.[27] She refused for them to be promoted.[28] She executed Consort Tian Sheng out of jealousy.[29] She spared the other eight favourite imperial concubines of Emperor Huan.[30]
Emperor Huan had no sons.[31] Empress Dowager Dou Miao and Dou Wu settled on the twelve-year-old Prince Liu Hong, the Marquis of Jiedu.[32] He was the great-great-grandson of Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han Dynasty.[33] On 17 February 167 C.E., Prince Liu Hong ascended the throne as Emperor Ling. Because he was still very young, Empress Dowager Dou Miao became Regent.[34]
The Dou family was the most powerful family in China.[35] Dou Wu became General-in-Chief.[36] Dou Wu also formed close partnerships with both Chen Fan and Liu Shu.[37] They became known as the “Three Monarchs.”[38] However, Dou Wu found himself caught in a power struggle with the palace eunuchs. Since Emperor Huan’s reign, they were very influential in government affairs and were very powerful.[39] Dou Wu, Chen Fan, and Liu Shu wanted to destroy the palace eunuchs, particularly Cao Jie and Wang Fu, who were still in charge of government affairs.[40]
Dou Wu asked Empress Dowager Dou Miao to kill the palace eunuchs.[41] However, Empress Dowager Dou Miao remained indecisive.[42] She did not want to kill the palace eunuchs because they respected and flattered her.[43] Thus, she ignored her father’s request.[44] Months passed, and Empress Dowager Dou Miao still remained indecisive.[45]
In the autumn of 167 C.E., Dou Wu realised that he could not rely on his daughter, Empress Dowager Dou Miao, to handle the matter.[46] Dou Wu, Chen Fan, and Liu Shu ordered the arrest of Empress Dowager Dou Miao’s favourite palace eunuchs named Guanba and Su Kang.[47] However, the palace eunuchs went to Emperor Ling and asked for his support.[48] Emperor Ling agreed. Cao Jie and the other palace eunuchs arrested Dou Wu and his family.[49] Dou Wu and his son committed suicide.[50] The rest of his family members were exiled to modern-day Vietnam.[51] Chen Fan and his supporters were killed.[52]
Empress Dowager Dou Miao was placed under house arrest in the Southern Palace at Luoyang.[53] She was often abused by her palace eunuch jailers.[54] In the winter of 171 C.E., Emperor Ling visited her and was concerned about her health.[55] A palace eunuch requested that she be given medicine.[56] Emperor Ling agreed. However, the palace eunuch was falsely charged with impiety and was executed.[57] On 18 July 172 C.E., Empress Dowager Dou Miao died “from grief.”[58] Yet, many historians believe that the palace eunuchs assassinated her.[59] The palace eunuchs requested for Emperor Ling to demote her to Worthy Lady.[60] However, Emperor Ling determined that she should be buried with the honours befitting an Empress Dowager.[61] On 8 August 172 C.E., Empress Dowager Dou Miao was buried in the same tomb as Emperor Huan in Xuanling.[62] She was given the posthumous name of Empress Huansi.[63]
Empress Dowager Dou Miao was from a noble family. However, she was neglected by her husband, Emperor Huan. There were times in which Empress Dowager Dou Miao was decisive.[64] This is especially evident when she kills her rival, Consort Tian Sheng.[65] When it came to the matter of eliminating the palace eunuchs, Empress Dowager Dou Miao was very indecisive.[66] Her indecisiveness led to the loss of her father, her brother, and her own life. If she had been more assertive on matters of the most importance, then her ending, as well as the fate of the Eastern Han Dynasty, would have been very different.[67] Instead, the palace eunuchs continued to remain in power, which led to the decline and fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty.[68]
Sources:
De Crespigny, R. (2015). “Dou Miao, Empress of Emperor Huan”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 128-132.
iMedia. (n.d.). “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/760b705abd66d0d3becd86cc79139564.html.
iMedia. (n.d.). “Reading Seals and Knowing the Ancients: Appreciation of the Empress Huansi of the Eastern Han Dynasty “Dou Miao” Young Phoenix Niyu Seal”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/news/2622c54f4c6ae10df9d29317954c17a8.html.
iMedia. (n.d.). “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/news/578c75bfafea777cf1ef10c5252f46c4.html.
iNews. (n.d.). “Dou Miao, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Han Dynasty, opposed her father, Dou Wu, to eradicate the eunuch. Why did the eunuch want to imprison Dou Miao and destroy the Dou family?”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/4d737ab659a31206a6e965b77084c3a7.html#lnsdb8wy4rnujvqqlhp.
iNews. (n.d.). “Treating rivals without mercy, but being indecisive when dealing with eunuchs, the final night scene is bleak”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/af81add48ee4de44383ef5cd059c848d.html#lnsdenfdrf2bexr5bnf.
McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
[1] De Crespigny, 2015
[2] De Crespigny, 2015
[3] De Crespigny, 2015
[4] iMedia, n.d., “Reading Seals and Knowing the Ancients: Appreciation of the Empress Huansi of the Eastern Han Dynasty “Dou Miao” Young Phoenix Niyu Seal”
[5] De Crespigny, 2015
[6] De Crespigny, 2015
[7] De Crespigny, 2015
[8] De Crespigny, 2015
[9] De Crespigny, 2015
[10] De Crespigny, 2015
[11] De Crespigny, 2015
[12] De Crespigny, 2015
[13] De Crespigny, 2015
[14] De Crespigny, 2015
[15] De Crespigny, 2015
[16] De Crespigny, 2015
[17] De Crespigny, 2015
[18] De Crespigny, 2015
[19] De Crespigny, 2015
[20] McMahon, 2013, p. 107
[21] De Crespigny, 2015
[22] iNews, n.d., “Treating rivals without mercy, but being indecisive when dealing with eunuchs, the final night scene is bleak”
[23] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
[24] De Crespigny, 2015
[25] De Crespigny, 2015
[26] De Crespigny, 2015
[27] De Crespigny, 2015
[28] De Crespigny, 2015
[29] McMahon, 2013
[30] McMahon, 2013
[31] De Crespigny, 2015
[32] De Crespigny, 2015
[33] McMahon, 2013
[34] De Crespigny, 2015
[35] De Credpigny, 2015
[36] De Crespigny, 2015
[37] De Crespigny, 2015; iNews, n.d. “Dou Miao, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Han Dynasty, opposed her father, Dou Wu, to eradicate the eunuch. Why did the eunuch want to imprison Dou Miao and destroy the Dou family?”
[38] iNews, n.d., “Dou Miao, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Han Dynasty, opposed her father, Dou Wu, to eradicate the eunuch. Why did the eunuch want to imprison Dou Miao and destroy the Dou family?”, para. 10
[39] De Crespigny, 2015
[40] iNews, n.d., “Dou Miao, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Han Dynasty, opposed her father, Dou Wu, to eradicate the eunuch. Why did the eunuch want to imprison Dou Miao and destroy the Dou family?”
[41] iNews, n.d., “Treating rivals without mercy, but being indecisive when dealing with eunuchs, the final night scene is bleak”
[42] iNews, n.d., “Treating rivals without mercy, but being indecisive when dealing with eunuchs, the final night scene is bleak”
[43] iNews, n.d., “Dou Miao, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Han Dynasty, opposed her father, Dou Wu, to eradicate the eunuch. Why did the eunuch want to imprison Dou Miao and destroy the Dou family?”
[44] iNews, n.d., “Dou Miao, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Han Dynasty, opposed her father, Dou Wu, to eradicate the eunuch. Why did the eunuch want to imprison Dou Miao and destroy the Dou family?”
[45] De Crespigny, 2015
[46] De Crespigny, 2015
[47] De Crespigny, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Dou Miao, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Han Dynasty, opposed her father, Dou Wu, to eradicate the eunuch. Why did the eunuch want to imprison Dou Miao and destroy the Dou family?”
[48] De Crespigny, 2015
[49] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
[50] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
[51] De Crespigny, 2015
[52] De Crespigny, 2015
[53] De Crespigny, 2015
[54] De Crespigny, 2015
[55] De Crespigny, 2015
[56] De Crespigny, 2015
[57] De Crespigny, 2015
[58] De Crespigny, 2015, p. 131
[59] De Crespigny, 2015
[60] De Crespigny, 2015
[61] De Crespigny, 2015
[62] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[63] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[64] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
[65] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
[66] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
[67] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
[68] iMedia, n.d., “Dou Miao: No mercy towards rivals in love, but indecision towards eunuchs and finally a bleak evening scene”
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