Empress Nara
| Empress Nara 那拉皇后 | |
|---|---|
La Concubine (1750) by the French Catholic priest Jean Denis Attiret, purported to depict Empress Nara (formerly claimed as Imperial Noble Consort Shujia) | |
| Empress of the Qing dynasty | |
| Tenure | 2 September 1750 – 19 August 1766 |
| Predecessor | Empress Xiaoxianchun |
| Successor | Empress Xiaoshurui |
| Born | 11 March 1718 |
| Died | 19 August 1766 (aged 48) Forbidden City, Shuntian Prefecture, North Zhili |
| Burial | Yu Mausoleum, Eastern Qing tombs |
| Spouse | |
| Issue Detail |
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| Clan | Nara (那拉; by birth) Aisin-Gioro (by marriage) |
| Father | Narbu |
| Religion | Vajrayana Buddhism |
The Empress of the Nara clan (11 March 1718 – 19 August 1766), of the Manchu Bordered Blue Banner Nara clan, was an imperial consort of the Qing dynasty. She was second wife of the Qianlong Emperor. Informally known as the Step-Empress, she is one of the most controversial female figures in Chinese history.
She was elevated to empress rank after Empress Xiaoxianchun's death, and in her role as empress, accompanied the Qianlong Emperor on many leisure and hunting trips, as well as ancestral worship ceremonies.
Historical records give little information about her life or even her physical appearance. Because of this lack of documentation, there has been intense speculation among Chinese academicians regarding her historicity and character. It is widely suspected that the Qianlong Emperor destroyed all her records and portraits.
Although never officially deposed, she lost her authority as chief of the imperial harem in 1765, reputedly because she cut her hair, an act that was considered a grave offense according to Manchurian custom. Consequently, the Qianlong Emperor ordered that her four titular imperial edicts, accompanying gifts, and imperial seal be confiscated. After her death, she was not given an imperial funeral or a posthumous name, nor was she buried with the Qianlong Emperor.