Queen Dowager Xuan

Posthumous name
	Queen Dowager Xuan (宣太后)

Queen Dowager Xuan
Queen Dowager Xuan
Born	338 BC; State of Chu
Died	265 BC (aged 73)
Burial	Mount Li
Spouse	King Huiwen of Qin
Issue	King Zhaoxiang of Qin; Prince Shi (公子市); Prince Li (公子悝); 2 sons with King of Yiqu
Posthumous name
Posthumous name
	Queen Dowager Xuan (宣太后)

Lady Xiong, (Chinese:熊夫人;personal name unknown) formally Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin (Chinese: 秦宣太后; 338(?)–265 BC), also known as Mi Bazi (羋八子), was the first queen dowager in Chinese history. A concubine of King Huiwen of Qin and the mother of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, Queen Dowager Xuan acted as regent for her son 307-305 and held de facto power in Qin for 35 years during the Warring States period. She was one of the first women confirmed to have acted as regent in China and one of the most politically influential women noted since Lady Nanzi.^[1]

Early life

Queen Dowager Xuan was a native of the State of Chu. Her ancestral name is Mǐ, the same as the royal house of Chu. She held the rank 'bazi' in King Huiwen's harem, so she was also called Mi Bazi.^[2]^[3] In 325 BC, Mi Bazi gave birth to Prince Ji. She had two other sons with King Huiwen.

King Huiwen died in 311 BC, succeeded by his son King Wu of Qin. King Wu suffered an accident and died without issue in 307 BC. With support from Zhao Gu [zh], the prime minister of Dai (vassal of Zhao under King Wuling of Zhao), and her brother Wei Ran [zh], Mi Bazi's son, Prince Ji, claimed the Qin throne as King Zhaoxiang. Mi Bazi became Queen Dowager Xuan and regent for King Zhaoxiang (who hadn't come of age), with assistance from Wei Ran.^[2]^[3]

Queen Dowager

Queen Dowager Xuan bestowed titles to her half brothers Wei Ran and Mi Rong [zh], as well as her two other sons, Gongzi Fei [zh] and Gongzi Kui [zh]. These four, collectively known as "Four Nobles" would hold power over Qin for years.^[4]

Queen Dowager Xuan represented Qin's interests and protected and expanded Qin's realm. However, she refused to fight her homeland Chu when the state of Han, under the attack of Chu, asked Qin for reinforcement.^[5]

She entered illicit relations with the "barbarian" Yiqu king and had two sons with him, but later tricked and killed him and their two sons. Following that coup, the Qin army marched into Yiqu territory at the queen dowager's orders; the Qin annihilated Yiqu and thus came to possess the Ordos region.^[6] Yiqu's fall rendered Qin a safe northern border. Since there was no more hostile forces in the north of Qin, Yiqu's fall ensured Qin's successful expansion eastward.^[7]

Downfall and death

In 271 BC, Fan Ju [zh] (Fan Sui) warned King Zhaoxiang that the power controlled by the Queen Dowager and the "Four Nobles" threatened the king's rule. King Zhaoxiang then stripped Queen Dowager Xuan of her power, exiled the "Four Nobles" from the capital, and appointed Fan Ju to be Chancellor of Qin in place of Wei Ran.^[4] Queen Dowager Xuan died in 265 BC and was buried at Mount Li.^[3]