Han Chengdi
| Han Chengdi |
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Emperor Cheng riding a palanquin, Northern Wei painted screen (5th century)
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| Emperor of the Han Dynasty | |||||
| Reign | 33 – 7 BC | ||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Yuan of Han | ||||
| Successor | Emperor Ai of Han | ||||
| Born | 51 BC Chang'an, Han Empire |
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| Died | 7 BC (Aged 44) Chang'an, Han Empire |
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| House | Han dynasty | ||||
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Family name: Liu () Given name: Ao () Posthumous name: Xiaocheng () "filial and successful" Posthumous name: Cheng () "successful" |
| Emperor Cheng of Han | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 漢成帝 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 汉成帝 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | The Accomplished Emperor of Han | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 劉驁 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 刘骜 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | (personal name) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Emperor Cheng of Han (51 BC – 17 April 7 BC) was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty ruling from 33 until 7 BC. He succeeded his father Emperor Yuan of Han. Under Emperor Cheng, the Han dynasty continued its slide into disintegration while the emperor's maternal relatives of the Wang clan continued their slow grip on power and on governmental affairs as promoted by the previous emperor. Corruptions and greedy officials continued to plague the government and as a result rebellions broke out throughout the country. Emperor Cheng died childless after a reign of 26 years (both of his sons by concubines died in infancy, one of them starved to death) and was succeeded by his nephew Emperor Ai of Han.
Emperor Cheng was born circa 51 BC to then-Crown Prince Liu Shi (later Emperor Yuan) and one of his consorts, Consort Wang (later more commonly known as Grand Empress Dowager Wang). He was Emperor Yuan's first-born son.
In 47 BC, Emperor Yuan created him Crown Prince Ao.
Emperor Yuan was a relatively non-womanizing emperor, but he did have two favorite concubines in addition to Empress Wang—Consort Fu and Consort Feng Yuan, each of whom bore him one son. Empress Wang apparently tried to maintain a cordial relationship with both, and she was largely successful, at least as far as Consort Feng was concerned. However, a struggle between Empress Wang and Consort Fu for their sons' heir status would erupt.
As Crown Prince Ao grew older, Emperor Yuan became increasingly unhappy with his fitness as imperial heir and impressed with Consort Fu's son, Prince Liu Kang of Shanyang (山陽王劉康). Several incidents led to this situation. One happened in 35 BC, when Emperor Yuan's youngest brother Prince Liu Jing of Zhongshan (中山王劉竟) died, Emperor Yuan became angry when he felt that the teenage Crown Prince Ao was insufficiently grieving—particularly because Princes Ao and Jing were of similar age and grew up together as playmates—and showing insufficient respect to Prince Jing. Prince Ao's head of household Shi Dan (史丹), a relative of Emperor Yuan's grandmother and a senior official respected by Emperor Yuan, managed to convince Emperor Yuan that Crown Prince Ao was trying to stop Emperor Yuan himself from overgrieving, but the seed of dissatisfaction was sown.
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