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| Emperor Cheng of Han 漢成帝 | |||||||||
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 Emperor Cheng riding a palanquin, Northern Wei painted screen (5th century) | |||||||||
| Emperor of the Han dynasty | |||||||||
| Reign | 4 August 33 BC–17 April 7 BC | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Yuan | ||||||||
| Successor | Emperor Ai | ||||||||
| Born | 51 BC Chang'an, Han Empire | ||||||||
| Died | 17 April 7 BC (aged 44) Chang'an, Han Empire | ||||||||
| Burial | Yan Mausoleum (延陵) | ||||||||
| Consorts | Xu Kua Empress Xiaocheng | ||||||||
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| House | Liu | ||||||||
| Dynasty | Han (Western Han) | ||||||||
| Father | Emperor Yuan | ||||||||
| Mother | Empress Xiaoyuan | ||||||||
| Emperor Cheng of Han | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 漢成帝 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 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, personal name Liu Ao (劉驁; 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. Under Emperor Cheng, the Han dynasty continued its growing disintegration as the emperor's maternal relatives from the Wang clan increased their grip on the levers of power and on governmental affairs as encouraged by the previous emperor. Corruption 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 had died in infancy. One of them starved to death and another was suffocated in prison. The babies and their mothers were killed by the order of Emperor Cheng's favorite consort Zhao Hede, with the implied consent of the emperor. He was succeeded by his nephew, Emperor Ai, whose death was followed by Wang Mang's rise to power.