Emperor Zhi of Han

Emperor Zhi of Han
漢質帝
Emperor of the Han dynasty
Reign6 March 145[1] – 26 July 146[2]
PredecessorEmperor Chong of Han
SuccessorEmperor Huan of Han
Born138
Died26 July 146 (aged 7-8)
FatherLiu Hong
MotherConsort 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 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 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.

  1. ^ Emperor Zhi's biography in Book of the Later Han recorded that he ascended the throne on the dingsi day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the Yongxi era of Emperor Chong's reign. This corresponds to 6 Mar 145 on the Julian calendar. ([永憙元年春正月]丁巳,封为建平侯,其日即皇帝位,...) Houhanshu, vol.06
  2. ^ Emperor Zhi's biography in Book of the Later Han recorded that he died aged 9 (by East Asian reckoning) on the jiashen day of the leap month of the 1st year of the Benchu era of his reign. This corresponds to 26 Jul 146 on the Julian calendar. ([本初元年]闰月甲申,大将军梁冀潜行鸩弑,帝崩于玉堂前殿,年九岁。) Houhanshu, vol.06