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139-533: Empress Zhangsun (長孫皇后, personal name unknown, presumably Wugou (無垢) (15 March 601 – 28 July 636), formally Empress Wendeshunsheng (文德順聖皇后, literally "the civil, virtuous, serene, and holy empress") or, in short, Empress Wende (文德皇后), was a Chinese essayist and an empress of the Chinese Tang dynasty . She was the wife of Emperor Taizong and the mother of Emperor Gaozong . She was well educated, and her ancestors were of Xianbei ethnicity. Their original surname

278-410: A commandant post at Tan Prefecture (roughly modern Changsha , Hunan ), deposed Empress Wang and Consort Xiao to commoner rank and created Consort Wu as empress to replace Empress Wang. (Soon, by Empress Wu's orders, the former Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were tortured and killed.) By the beginning of 657, the power of Empress Wu and her allies was so great that they began to retaliate hard against

417-643: A concubine even though she had been a concubine of Emperor Taizong's. (Empress Wang, who had been jealous of Emperor Gaozong's then-favorite concubine Consort Xiao , had suggested that he take Consort Wu as a concubine, in order to divide Consort Xiao's favors, but as Emperor Gaozong's favors became exclusively concentrated on Consort Wu, she turned to ally with Consort Xiao against Consort Wu, to no avail.) In 654, after Consort Wu's infant daughter died, Emperor Gaozong began considering deposing Empress Wang and replacing her with Consort Wu. (Historians have suggested that Consort Wu murdered her own daughter in order to frame

556-430: A contemporary source. King Sancho III of Navarre conquered Leon in 1034 and began using it. His son, Ferdinand I of Castile also took the title in 1039. Ferdinand's son, Alfonso VI of León and Castile took the title in 1077. It then passed to his son-in-law, Alfonso I of Aragon in 1109. His stepson and Alfonso VI's grandson, Alfonso VII was the only one who actually had an imperial coronation in 1135. The title

695-503: A coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji , he had Yang You yield the throne to him, establishing Tang dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu. Li Shimin was created the Prince of Qin and thereafter became the main general in charge of his father's campaigns to reunify China under Tang rule, which was largely complete by 623, when the last major rival to Tang, Liu Heita the Prince of Handong, was captured and killed by Li Shimin's older brother, Li Jiancheng

834-403: A crown prince should worry about is not having enough virtues or enough fame. Why worry about not having enough goods?" It was also said that she rarely got angry with the ladies in waiting and eunuchs who served her. She often gave Emperor Taizong examples from history to inspire him to rule better, and if there was a problem with the decision of Emperor Taizong about the administration, or for

973-463: A deep enmity developed between Zhangsun and Li Ke. In 644, when Emperor Taizong, at an imperial gathering, stated to his key officials their strengths and weaknesses, he spoke, with regard to Zhangsun: Later in 644, when Emperor Taizong launched a major attack against Goguryeo , he had the generals Li Shiji and Li Daozong lead the forward forces, while commanding the main forces himself, assisted by Zhangsun, Cen, and Yang Shidao . In summer 645, at

1112-473: A dynastic succession started when the title Empress of India was created for Queen Victoria . The government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli , conferred the additional title upon her by an Act of Parliament, reputedly to assuage the monarch's irritation at being, as a mere Queen, notionally inferior to the emperors of Russia, Germany, and Austria. That included her own daughter ( Princess Victoria , who

1251-507: A king might be obliged to pay tribute to another ruler, or be restrained in his actions in some unequal fashion, but an emperor should in theory be completely free of such restraints. However, monarchs heading empires have not always used the title in all contexts—the British sovereign did not assume the title Empress of the British Empire even during the incorporation of India , though she

1390-621: A major battle against the main Goguryeo forces commanded by the generals Go Yeonsu ( 高延壽 ) and Go Hyezin ( 高惠真 ) engaged Tang forces, Emperor Taizong had Li Shiji command 15,000 men to serve as decoy, and when Goguryeo forces attacked Li Shiji, Zhangsun Wuji attacked them from behind with 11,000 men, and Li Shiji and Zhangsun, as well as Emperor Taizong himself, defeated Goguryeo forces, forcing their surrender. He then considered directly attacking Goguryeo's capital Pyongyang itself, but Li Shiji believed that if Ansi ( 安市 , in modern Anshan , Liaoning )

1529-399: A major general of his father's, and he began to serve on Li Shimin's staff, often following Li Shimin on various campaigns. Li Yuan captured Chang'an in winter 617 and declared Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You emperor (as Emperor Gong), taking power himself as regent . After he received news in spring 618 that Emperor Yang had been killed at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou , Jiangsu ) in

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1668-455: A petition to Emperor Taizong, asking him to yield the throne to Li Zhi, Li Zhi became concerned that Emperor Taizong would suspect that the proposal came from him, and Zhangsun requested that Duan be executed. Emperor Taizong, however, was unfazed, and took no actions against Duan. In spring 648, Emperor Taizong made Zhangsun the acting head of the legislative bureau—also a chancellor post—and further gave instructions that he also be in charge of

1807-570: A purge—and in spring 653, Zhangsun persuaded Emperor Gaozong to issue an edict executing Fang Yi'ai, Xue, and Chai, while ordering Li Yuanjing, Li Ke, and Princesses Gaoyang and Baling (Chai's wife) to commit suicide. Further, Zhangsun also had the chancellor Yuwen Jie (a friend of Fang Yi'ai's), Li Daozong (who had long had a rivalry with Zhangsun and Chu), and the general Zhishi Sili (執失思力), Xue's brother Xue Wanbei (薛萬備) as well as Li Ke's mother Consort Yang and Consort Yang's younger son Li Yin, reduced to commoner rank and exiled. (For these actions, he

1946-521: A woman who rules in her own right and name ( empress regnant or suo jure ). Emperors are generally recognized to be of the highest monarchic honour and rank , surpassing kings . In Europe , the title of Emperor has been used since the Middle Ages , considered in those times equal or almost equal in dignity to that of Pope due to the latter's position as visible head of the Church and spiritual leader of

2085-610: Is known as the Dominate (284 AD – 527 AD), during which Emperor Diocletian tried to put the empire on a more formal footing. Diocletian sought to address the challenges of the Empire's now vast geography and the instability caused by the informality of succession by the creation of co-emperors and junior emperors. At one point, there were as many as five sharers of the imperium (see: Tetrarchy ). In 325 AD Constantine I defeated his rivals and restored single emperor rule, but following his death

2224-605: Is not known when Zhangsun Wuji was born, but what is known is that he was older than his sister, the future Empress Zhangsun, who was born in 601. It was written that his ancestors traced their origin to the Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei 's founding emperor Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei 's 17th generation ancestor Tuoba Kuaili (拓拔儈立)—that their ancestor was Tuoba Kuali's third son, who took the surname Baba (拔拔), eventually changed to Zhangsun when Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei changed Xianbei surnames to Han surnames in 496. His father

2363-553: The Byzantine Empire after Byzantium , the original name of the town that Constantine I would elevate to the Imperial capital as New Rome in AD 330. (The city is more commonly called Constantinople and is today named Istanbul ). Although the empire was again subdivided and a co-emperor sent to Italy at the end of the fourth century, the office became unitary again only 95 years later at

2502-685: The Crown Prince . For Zhangsun Wuji's contributions to Li Shimin's campaigns, he was created the Duke of Shangdang. By 623, however, Li Shimin was locked into an intense rivalry with Li Jiancheng, who was supported by another brother, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi. For the next several years, the rivalry further intensified. By 626, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, apprehensive that Li Shimin might act against them, had falsely accused Li Shimin's staff strategists Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui and military officer Yuchi Gong and had them removed from Li Shimin's staff. It

2641-662: The Despotate of Epirus . In 1248, Epirus recognized the Nicaean emperors, who subsequently recaptured Constantinople in 1261. The Trapezuntine emperor formally submitted in Constantinople in 1281, but frequently flouted convention by styling themselves emperor back in Trebizond thereafter. Byzantium 's close cultural and political interaction with its Balkan neighbors Bulgaria and Serbia , and with Russia (Kievan Rus', then Muscovy) led to

2780-572: The Eastern Roman Empire or (after the Battle of Yarmouk in 636 AD) the Later Roman or Byzantine Empire . The subdivisions and co-emperor system were formally abolished by Emperor Zeno in 480 AD following the death of Julius Nepos last Western Emperor and the ascension of Odoacer as the de facto King of Italy in 476 AD. Historians generally refer to the continuing Roman Empire in the east as

2919-646: The Eastern Roman Empire . Their status was officially recognized by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1514, although not officially used by the Russian monarchs until 1547. However, the Russian emperors are better known by their Russian-language title of Tsar even after Peter the Great adopted the title of Emperor of All Russia in 1721. Historians have liberally used "emperor" and "empire" anachronistically and out of its Roman and European context to describe any large state from

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3058-650: The German Empire with the proclamation of the Prussian king Wilhelm I as German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles , to the humiliation of the French, who ceased to resist only days later. After his death he was succeeded by his son Frederick III who was only emperor for 99 days. In the same year his son Wilhelm II became the third emperor within a year. He was

3197-568: The Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen (Hungary) were given self-government in 1867, the non-Hungarian portions were called the Empire of Austria. They were officially known as the "Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council ( Reichsrat )". The title of Emperor of Austria and the associated Empire were both abolished at the end World War I in 1918, when German Austria became a republic and

3336-569: The Latin Empire of Constantinople , installing Baldwin IX , Count of Flanders , as Emperor. However, Byzantine resistance to the new empire meant that it was in constant struggle to establish itself. Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos succeeded in recapturing Constantinople in 1261. The Principality of Achaea , a vassal state the empire had created in Morea (Greece) intermittently continued to recognize

3475-708: The Ottoman Empire in 1908, its monarch, who was previously styled Knyaz , Prince , took the traditional title of Tsar , this time translated as King . Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is the former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria. The kings of the Ancien Régime and the July Monarchy used the title Empereur de France in diplomatic correspondence and treaties with the Ottoman emperor from at least 1673 onwards. The Ottomans insisted on this elevated style while refusing to recognize

3614-670: The Patriarch of Constantinople and Imperial regent Nicholas Mystikos outside the Byzantine capital. In its final expanded form, under the Second Bulgarian Empire the title read "Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians and Greeks" (Цар и самодържец на всички българи и гърци, Car i samodăržec na vsički bălgari i gărci in the modern vernacular). The Roman component in the Bulgarian imperial title indicated both rule over Greek speakers and

3753-507: The Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion to commemorate the 24 great contributors to Tang rule, Zhangsun's was one of the portraits commissioned—indeed, Zhangsun's portraits was ranked first. Later in 643, Li Chengqian the Crown Prince (the oldest son of Emperor Taizong and Empress Zhangsun, who had died in 636), locked into an intense rivalry with his younger brother Li Tai the Prince of Wei, who

3892-729: The Second Mexican Empire (headed by his choice of Maximilian I of Mexico , a member of the House of Habsburg ), to regain France's hold in the Americas and to achieve greatness for the 'Latin' race. Napoleon III was deposed on 4 September 1870, after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War . The Third Republic followed and after the death of his son Napoleon (IV), in 1879 during the Zulu War,

4031-634: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , is according to English law an Empire ruled by a King endowed with the imperial dignity. However, this has not led to the creation of the title of Emperor in England, nor in Great Britain , nor in the United Kingdom. In 1801, George III rejected the title of Emperor when offered. The only period when British monarchs held the title of Emperor in

4170-514: The Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei 's founding emperor Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei 's 17th generation ancestor Tuoba Kuaili (拓拔儈立) — that their ancestor was Tuoba Kuali's third son, who took the surname Baba (拔拔), eventually changed to Zhangsun when Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei changed Xianbei surnames to Han surnames in 496. In 617, Li Yuan, aided by Li Shimin and his older brother Li Jiancheng , among others, rebelled at Taiyuan (太原, in modern Taiyuan , Shanxi ), and later that year captured

4309-636: The 19th century, the emperor exercised little power beyond the German-speaking states. Although technically an elective title, by the late 16th century, the imperial title had in practice come to be inherited by the Habsburg Archdukes of Austria and, following the Thirty Years' War , their control over the states (outside the Habsburg monarchy , i.e. Austria , Bohemia and various territories outside

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4448-682: The Bonapartist movement split, and the Third Republic was to last until 1940. The role of head of the House of Bonaparte is claimed by Jean-Christophe Napoléon and Charles Napoléon . The origin of the title Imperator totius Hispaniae ( Latin for Emperor of All Spain ) is murky. It was associated with the Leonese monarchy perhaps as far back as Alfonso the Great ( r. 866–910). The last two kings of its Astur-Leonese dynasty were called emperors in

4587-571: The Byzantine Empire. This idea was represented more emphatically in the composition the monk Filofej addressed to their son Vasili III . In 1480, after ending Muscovy's dependence on its overlords of the Great Horde , Ivan III began the usage of the titles Tsar and Autocrat ( samoderzhets ). His insistence on recognition as such by the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire since 1489 resulted in

4726-506: The Byzantine imperial title evolved from simply "emperor" ( basileus ) to "emperor of the Romans" ( basileus tōn Rōmaiōn ) in the 9th century, to "emperor and autocrat of the Romans" ( basileus kai autokratōr tōn Rōmaiōn ) in the 10th. In fact, none of these (and other) additional epithets and titles had ever been completely discarded. One important distinction between the post Constantine I (reigned AD 306–337) emperors and their pagan predecessors

4865-519: The Catholic part of Western Europe . The emperor of Japan is the only currently reigning monarch whose title is translated into English as "Emperor". Both emperors and kings are monarchs or sovereigns, both emperor and empress are considered monarchical titles. In as much as there is a strict definition of emperor, it is that an emperor has no relations implying the superiority of any other ruler and typically rules over more than one nation. Therefore,

5004-547: The Dingyang Khan, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, and Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia. In doing so, he overshadowed his older brother Li Jiancheng, the crown prince . The brothers developed an intense rivalry. Princess Zhangsun was said to serve her father-in-law Emperor Gaozu carefully, forming friendships with his concubines which she would use to cover up the mistakes of her husband and his faction. Sources state that in 626,

5143-504: The Empress family than allowed. Because of Empress Zhangsun, he granted extrajudicial favors to Zhangsun Anye, Zhangsun Shunde, and Zhangsun Chang for their illegal acts, and he lavishly gave gifts, grants and wealth to all empress relatives and friends to such an extent that many courtiers even the empress herself and some of her relatives objected to it. Emperor Taizong would at times try to discuss with empress matters of award and punishment and

5282-949: The Empress; however, there is no evidence that the infant was actually murdered, and could have died from natural causes). However, Gaozong feared opposition from the high level officials. He visited Zhangsun's mansion along with Consort Wu, bestowing lavish gifts on Zhangsun and making Zhangsun's three sons mid-level officials, and used the opportunity to bring up the topic of replacing Empress Wang with Consort Wu. Zhangsun pretended not to understand and took no actions to endorse Consort Wu, and persisted in this stand despite later lobbying by both Consort Wu's mother Lady Yang and fellow chancellor Xu Jingzong . However, soon, Xu, Li Yifu (who became chancellor over his overt support for Consort Wu), as well as other key officials Cui Yixuan (崔義玄) and Yuan Gongyu, formed an alliance in support of Consort Wu. In fall 655, after an imperial gathering, Emperor Gaozong summoned Zhangsun, Li Ji (i.e., Li Shiji—he had dropped

5421-563: The French ( Empereur des Français ) on 18 May 1804, thus creating the French Empire ( Empire Français ). Napoleon relinquished the title of Emperor of the French on 6 April and again on 11 April 1814. Napoleon's infant son, Napoleon II , was recognized by the Council of Peers, as Emperor from the moment of his father's abdication, and therefore reigned (as opposed to ruled) as Emperor for fifteen days, 22 June to 7 July 1815. Since 3 May 1814,

5560-717: The Holy Roman emperors or the Russian tsars because of their rival claims of the Roman crown . In short, it was an indirect insult by the Ottomans to the HRE and the Russians. The French kings also used it for Morocco (1682) and Persia (1715). Napoleon Bonaparte , who was already First Consul of the French Republic ( Premier Consul de la République française ) for life, declared himself Emperor of

5699-525: The Prince of Qin, his wife as the Princess of Qin. The couple would eventually have three sons – Li Chengqian , Li Tai , and Li Zhi – and at least three daughters, who were later named the Princesses Changle, Jinyang, and Xincheng. Li Shimin was Tang's most capable general in its campaigns to reunite China following Sui's collapse, defeating the major enemies Xue Rengao the Emperor of Qin, Liu Wuzhou

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5838-605: The Princess Yongjia. The chancellor Wei Zheng advised against it, pointing out that this was contrary to Emperor Ming of Han 's observation that his sons should not be as honored as his brothers. Emperor Taizong agreed and also informed Empress Zhangsun, who was greatly impressed with Wei's honest advice, and therefore, after receiving permission from Emperor Taizong, she had her eunuchs send rewards of money and silk to Wei, praising him for his honesty. On another occasion, after Emperor Taizong returned from an imperial gathering, he

5977-648: The Senate") and became changed into Augustus' chief honorific, princeps civitatis ("first citizen") from which the modern English word and title prince is descended. The first period of the Roman Empire , from 27 BC to AD 284, is called the principate for this reason. However, it was the informal descriptive of Imperator ("commander") that became the title increasingly favored by his successors. Previously bestowed on high officials and military commanders who had imperium , Augustus reserved it exclusively to himself as

6116-719: The Sovereign Principality of Elba was created as a miniature non-hereditary monarchy under the exiled French Emperor Napoleon I. According to the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814) , Napoleon I was allowed to enjoy the imperial title for life. The islands were not restyled an empire. On 26 February 1815, Napoleon abandoned Elba for France, reviving the French Empire for a Hundred Days ; the Allies declared an end to Napoleon's sovereignty over Elba on 25 March 1815, and on 31 March 1815 Elba

6255-464: The Zhangsun clan was becoming overly honored and would become a target of attack), Emperor Taizong made Zhangsun Wuji Puye (僕射), one of the heads of the important executive bureau of the government and a post considered one for a chancellor . Later that year, when Emperor Taizong heard that Eastern Tujue's Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi, who had made a deep incursion to Chang'an when Emperor Taizong first took

6394-429: The Zhangsun household and sent them back to Lady Gao's brother Gao Shilian , and Gao Shilian raised them. The future Empress Zhangsun was said to be studious and proper in her actions. In 613, she married Li Shimin , the second son of the general Li Yuan the Duke of Tang. Li Shimin was 15, and she was 13 (both ages are by East Asian reckoning). It was written that the ancestors of Zhangsun family traced their origin to

6533-620: The act of accession to the head of state . Other honorifics used by the Roman emperors have also come to be synonyms for Emperor: After the turbulent Year of the Four Emperors in 69, the Flavian dynasty reigned for three decades. The succeeding Nervan-Antonian dynasty , ruling for most of the 2nd century, stabilised the empire. This epoch became known as the era of the Five Good Emperors , and

6672-471: The adoption of Byzantine imperial traditions in all of these countries. The Emperor of the Romans' title was a reflection of the translatio imperii ( transfer of rule ) principle that regarded the Holy Roman emperors as the inheritors of the title of Emperor of the Western Roman Empire , despite the continued existence of the Roman Empire in the east, hence the problem of two emperors . From

6811-727: The authorities who opposed them. By 659, Empress Wu's position was secure, and she resented how Zhangsun and Yu had shown implicit disapproval of her ascension—and Xu, who had been repeatedly rebuked by Zhangsun over this matter, also resented Zhangsun. Xu thereafter, when investigating a report of factionalism by the low level officials Wei Jifang (韋季方) and Li Chao (李巢), manufactured evidence that Zhangsun had plotted treason with them. Emperor Gaozong wanted to interrogate Zhangsun personally, but at Xu's suggestion—pointing out that Zhangsun had been experienced at quick reactions as demonstrated by his achievements—in summer 659, suddenly stripped Zhangsun's posts and fief, and while he officially gave Zhangsun

6950-605: The authority of the crusader emperors for another half century. Pretenders to the title continued among the European nobility until circa 1383. With Constantinople occupied, claimants to the imperial succession styled themselves as emperor in the chief centers of resistance: The Laskarid dynasty in the Empire of Nicaea , the Komnenid dynasty in the Empire of Trebizond and the Doukid dynasty in

7089-439: The capital Chang'an , declaring Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You the Prince of Dai emperor (as Emperor Gong). In 618, after news arrived that Emperor Yang had been killed in a coup at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou , Jiangsu ) led by the general Yuwen Huaji , Li Yuan had Yang You yield the throne to him, thus establishing the Tang dynasty . Li Yuan became the first Tang ruler, Emperor Gaozu. He appointed his son, Li Shimin, as

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7228-429: The chancellor position. Also in 627, Empress Zhangsun's other brother Zhangsun Anye was implicated in a treasonous plot, along with the generals Li Xiaochang (李孝常), Liu Deyu (劉德裕), and Yuan Hongshan (元弘善). Initially, Zhangsun Anye, like the other conspirators, were to be put to death, but Empress Zhangsun interceded on his behalf, stating that even though Zhangsun Anye deserved death, the people would have thought that she

7367-484: The character "Shi" by this point by Emperor Gaozong's orders that naming taboo was to be observed as to the characters Shi and Min, not just the sequence "Shimin" as Emperor Taizong had ordered), Chu, and Yu Zhining to the palace—an order that Chu correctly guessed that was intended to call them into a meeting in which he would try to persuade them to agree with his desire to replace Empress Wang with Consort Wu. Li Ji declined to enter. When Zhangsun, Chu, and Yu attended

7506-406: The complex of Habsburg lands as a whole) had been part of the Archduchy of Austria since the 15th century, and most of the other territories of the Empire had their own institutions and territorial history. There were some attempts at centralization, especially during the reign of Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor . These efforts were finalized in the early 19th century. When

7645-582: The crown prince Li Jiancheng and another brother, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi, who supported Li Jiancheng, set out to ambush the rising Li Shimin. But Li Shimin heard about this trap, and organized a counter-coup, walking into the trap with several of his own most trusted and skilled soldiers. Princess Zhangsun attended the council held by Li Shimin regarding the coup plot, and in all the strategies used by her husband, she supported him and even expressed of her opinions. When Li Shimin mobilized his personal troops within his mansion, and as he did so, Princess Zhangsun

7784-439: The derivation of the imperial tradition from the Romans, however this component was never recognised by the Byzantine court. Byzantine recognition of Simeon's imperial title was revoked by the succeeding Byzantine government. The decade 914–924 was spent in destructive warfare between Byzantium and Bulgaria over this and other matters of conflict. The Bulgarian monarch, who had further irritated his Byzantine counterpart by claiming

7923-485: The dominant rule to identifying an emperor in the modern era. When Republican Rome turned into a de facto monarchy in the second half of the 1st century BC, at first there was no name for the title of the new type of monarch. Ancient Romans abhorred the name Rex ("king") , and it was critical to the political order to maintain the forms and pretenses of republican rule. Julius Caesar had been Dictator , an acknowledged and traditional office in Republican Rome. Caesar

8062-443: The emperor as a semi-republican official to the emperor as an absolute monarch . Of particular note was the translation of the Latin Imperator into the Greek Basileus , after Emperor Heraclius changed the official language of the empire from Latin to Greek in AD 620. Basileus, a title which had long been used for Alexander the Great was already in common usage as the Greek word for the Roman emperor, but its definition and sense

8201-436: The empire was divided among his sons. For a time the concept was of one empire ruled by multiple emperors with varying territory under their control, however following the death of Theodosius I the rule was divided between his two sons and increasingly became separate entities. The areas administered from Rome are referred to by historians the Western Roman Empire and those under the immediate authority of Constantinople called

8340-471: The empire) had become nearly non-existent. However, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of the French in 1804 and was shortly followed by Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor , who declared himself Emperor of Austria in the same year. The position of Holy Roman Emperor nonetheless continued until Francis II abdicated that position in 1806. In Eastern Europe , the monarchs of Russia also used translatio imperii to wield imperial authority as successors to

8479-448: The end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 (except in the years 1742 to 1745) only members of the House of Habsburg were Holy Roman emperors. Karl von Habsburg is currently the head of the House of Habsburg. The first Austrian Emperor was the last Holy Roman Emperor, Franz II . In the face of aggressions by Napoleon , Francis feared for the future of the Holy Roman Empire . He wished to maintain his and his family's Imperial status in

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8618-481: The even greater honor of Sikong (司空): one of the Three Excellencies . In 637, a major revision of the Sui penal laws, led by Fang but assisted by Zhangsun, was completed, with 500 sections dividing the punishments into 20 grades. About 1,600 sections of regulations to implement the laws were also written. Also in 637, as part of Emperor Taizong's scheme to bestow prefectures on his relatives and great generals and officials as their permanent domains, Zhangsun's title

8757-544: The event that the Holy Roman Empire should be dissolved, as it indeed was in 1806 when an Austrian-led army suffered a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz . After which, the victorious Napoleon proceeded to dismantle the old Reich by severing a good portion from the empire and turning it into a separate Confederation of the Rhine . With the size of his imperial realm significantly reduced, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor became Francis I, Emperor of Austria . The new imperial title may have sounded less prestigious than

8896-504: The expenditures as much as possible, as she wished. He himself would eventually be buried at the same tomb, after his own death in 649. Empress Zhangsun produced seven children with Emperor Taizong : Empress The word emperor (from Latin : imperator , via Old French : empereor ) can mean the male ruler of an empire . Empress , the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort ), mother/grandmother ( empress dowager / grand empress dowager ), or

9035-405: The fall of the Byzantine Empire, the legitimate heir to the throne, Andreas Palaiologos , willed away his claim to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1503. After the independence and proclamation of the Empire of Brazil from the Kingdom of Portugal by Prince Pedro , who became Emperor, in 1822, his father, King John VI of Portugal briefly held the honorific style of Titular Emperor of Brazil and

9174-535: The fall of the city all residents would be slaughtered. With the Tang forces bogged down in sieging Ansi, a number of officials suggested skipping past Ansi and attacking Ogol ( 烏骨 , in modern Dandong , Liaoning ) and then head toward Pyongyang. Zhangsun opposed, believing the strategy to be too risky without first capturing Ansi and Geonan ( 建安 , in modern Yingkou , Liaoning ) first. Emperor Taizong agreed and continued sieging Ansi, but still could not capture it. In fall 645, with winter approaching, Emperor Taizong

9313-467: The general Xue Wanche (薛萬徹), and another brother-in-law of Emperor Gaozong's, Chai Lingwu (柴令武), had considered to support Emperor Taizong's younger brother Li Yuanjing (李元景) the Prince of Jing as emperor. Fang Yi'ai, knowing that Zhangsun had long wanted to kill Li Ke, whom he viewed as a threat to Emperor Gaozong's throne, falsely implicated Li Ke in the plot as well, hoping that Zhangsun would spare him. Zhangsun, however, used this opportunity to carry out

9452-470: The granting of this recognition in 1514 by Emperor Maximilian I to Vasili III. His son Ivan IV emphatically crowned himself Tsar of Russia on 16 January 1547. The word "Tsar" derives from Latin Caesar , but this title was used in Russia as equivalent to "King"; the error occurred when medieval Russian clerics referred to the biblical Jewish kings with the same title that was used to designate Roman and Byzantine rulers — "Caesar". Zhangsun Wuji It

9591-621: The highest grade, and Zhangsun was created the Duke of Qi. As Zhangsun was both a great contributor to his victory and a close relative, Emperor Taizong was particularly close to him, allowing Zhangsun to enter the palace frequently. In spring 627, when the general Li Yi , an associate of Li Jiancheng's, rebelled at Bin Prefecture (豳州, in modern Xianyang , Shaanxi ), Emperor Taizong sent Zhangsun to engage Li Yi, although before Zhangsun could arrive, Li Yi had been defeated by his own subordinates and killed in flight. In fall 627, Emperor Taizong, despite opposition from Empress Zhangsun (who feared that

9730-409: The idea to the chancellor Fang Xuanling , who reported it to Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong considered issuing a general pardon, but Empress Zhangsun again refused. As she came close to death (at a time that Fang had drawn anger from Emperor Taizong and was temporarily relieved of his post and returned to his mansion), she bid Emperor Taizong goodbye with these words; She died in 636. After she died,

9869-411: The last German emperor. After the empire's defeat in World War I the empire, called the German Reich , had a president as head of state instead of an emperor. The use of the word Reich was abandoned following World War II . In 1472, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, Sophia Palaiologina , married Ivan III , grand prince of Moscow, who began championing the idea of Russia being the successor to

10008-847: The late 5th century BC, the Angevin Empire of the Plantagenets and the Soviet and American "empires" of the Cold War era. However, such "empires" did not need to be headed by an "emperor". "Empire" became identified instead with vast territorial holdings rather than the title of its ruler by the mid-18th century. For purposes of protocol, the size and scope of a kingdom or empire may determine precedence in international diplomatic relations, but currently, precedence among heads of state who are sovereigns—whether they be kings, queens, emperors, empresses, princes, princesses and presidents may be determined by

10147-480: The meantime, the Bulgarian imperial title may have been also tacitly confirmed by the pope , as claimed in later Bulgarian diplomatic correspondence. The Bulgarian imperial title "tsar" was adopted by all Bulgarian monarchs up to the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule. Despite the attempt of Pope Innocent III to limit the Bulgarian monarch to the title of King ( Rex ), Kaloyan of Bulgaria considered himself an Emperor ( Imperator ) and his successor Boril of Bulgaria

10286-420: The meeting, Emperor Gaozong did indeed propose to replace Empress Wang with Consort Wu. Chu objected strenuously, while Zhangsun and Yu did not speak but showed no approval. Later, fellow chancellors Han Yuan and Lai Ji also showed opposition, but when Emperor Gaozong asked Li Ji, Li Ji responded, "This is your family matter, Your Imperial Majesty. Why ask anyone else?" Emperor Gaozong, after demoting Chu to

10425-613: The new crown prince. Thereafter, however, Emperor Taizong began to doubt whether his decision was correct—believing that while Li Zhi was kind, he was also weak in personality, and unsure whether he would be fit to be emperor. He discussed with Zhangsun the possibility of making another son, Li Ke the Prince of Wu (by his concubine Consort Yang, a daughter of Sui's Emperor Yang), who was older than Li Zhi and considered more capable, crown prince instead. Zhangsun strenuously opposed this idea, and Emperor Taizong did not carry it out. Zhangsun further often praised Li Zhi's kindness. Thereafter,

10564-503: The officials and officers, she respectfully asked him to change the decision. Her influence over him was such that she interceded on behalf of condemned criminals and changed his harmful decisions with gentle counsel. One time, when Emperor Taizong got angry at a servant, she pretended to be angry as well and asked to personally interrogate them and hold them in custody; she then waited until his anger had subsided, and then begin to plead on their behalf, thus reducing improper punishments within

10703-602: The old one, but Francis' dynasty continued to rule from Austria and a Habsburg monarch was still an emperor ( Kaiser ), and not just merely a king ( König ), in name. According to the historian Friedrich Heer, the Austrian Habsburg emperor remained an "auctoritas" of a special kind. He was "the grandson of the Caesars", he remained the patron of the Holy Church . The title lasted just a little over one century until 1918, but it

10842-593: The other kingdoms and lands represented in the Imperial Council established their independence or adhesion to other states. The Kaisers of the Austrian Empire (1804–1918) were Franz I (1804–1835), Ferdinand I (1835–1848), Franz Joseph I (1848–1916) and Karl I (1916–1918). The current head of the House of Habsburg is Karl von Habsburg . In 913, Simeon I of Bulgaria was crowned Emperor ( Tsar , originally more fully Tsesar, cěsar' ) of his own people by

10981-438: The other two main bureaus of government, the executive and the examination bureaus, effectively putting Zhangsun in command of all of the government. In summer 649, Emperor Taizong was seriously ill, while at the summer palace Cuiwei Palace ( 翠微宮 ). He summoned Zhangsun and Chu to his bedside and entrusted Li Zhi to them. He soon died, and by Zhangsun's orders, his death was kept a secret until his casket, accompanied by Li Zhi,

11120-432: The palace authorities submitted Empress Zhangsun's writings—a 10-volume compilation of the good deeds of ancient women titled Examples for Women (女則, Nü Ze ), and a commentary criticizing Han dynasty's Empress Ma – to Emperor Taizong. When Emperor Taizong read her works, he was greatly saddened, and he stated: He summoned Fang back to his chancellor position, and then he buried her with honors due an empress, but reduced

11259-410: The palace. It was said that whenever Emperor Taizong's concubines would be ill, she would personally visit them and reduce her own expenditures to treat them. When one of Emperor Taizong's concubines died giving birth to a daughter, Empress Zhangsun raised the daughter, Princess Yuzhang, as her own. Emperor Taizong always loved Empress Zhangsun. After ascending the throne, he often showed more favor to

11398-475: The past or the present. Some titles are considered equivalent to "emperor" or are translated as "emperor". Examples of that are Roman emperors' titles, King of Kings , Khalifa , Huangdi , Cakravartin , Great Khan , Aztec monarchs' title, Inca monarchs' title, etc. Sometimes this reference has even extended to non-monarchically ruled states and their spheres of influence, such as the Athenian Empire of

11537-425: The path of his horse, blocking him, reasoning that as someone who had recently recovered, it was inappropriate for Emperor Taizong to attend the wake. Emperor Taizong, due to Zhangsun's opposition, relented. In summer 647, Emperor Taizong made Zhangsun the commandant at Yang Prefecture (i.e., Jiangdu), but did not actually send him to Yang Prefecture. In fall 647, when a commoner named Duan Zhichong ( 段志沖 ) submitted

11676-399: The reason was. She responded, "I have heard that only a most able emperor will have subordinates who have integrity. Wei shows this much integrity because you are an able emperor. How can I not congratulate you?" Emperor Taizong's anger turned to happiness, and he did not punish Wei. Later that year, on an occasion when Emperor Taizong and she personally visited Emperor Gaozu (who had then taken

11815-510: The request of the Roman Senate and following the death of Julius Nepos , last Western Emperor. This change was a recognition of the reality that little remained of Imperial authority in the areas that had been the Western Empire, with even Rome and Italy itself now ruled by the essentially autonomous Odoacer . These Later Roman "Byzantine" emperors completed the transition from the idea of

11954-773: The rival German states to achieve his aim of a conservative, Prussian-dominated Germany. Three wars led to military successes and helped to convince German people to do this: the Second war of Schleswig against Denmark in 1864, the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, and the Franco-Prussian War against the Second French Empire in 1870–71. During the Siege of Paris in 1871, the North German Confederation , supported by its allies from southern Germany , formed

12093-629: The rule of Henry VIII the Statute in Restraint of Appeals declared that 'this realm of England is an Empire...governed by one Supreme Head and King having the dignity and royal estate of the imperial Crown of the same'. This was in the context of the divorce of Catherine of Aragon and the English Reformation , to emphasize that England had never accepted the quasi-imperial claims of the papacy. Hence England and, by extension its modern successor state,

12232-413: The size and scope or time that each one has been continuously in office . Outside the European context, "emperor" was the translation given to holders of titles who were accorded the same precedence as European emperors in diplomatic terms. In reciprocity, these rulers might accredit equal titles in their native languages to their European peers. Through centuries of international convention, this has become

12371-476: The suggestions of the officials on important matters and even confidential government information to see what she opined, but each time she refused to do so, stating that it was not her place to do so. She to him replied, "The crowing of hens in the morning is a sign of family trouble. As a woman, how dare I be informed of government affairs and give an opinion about it?"; However, Taizong's insistence forced her to tell him what she thought. As her brother Zhangsun Wuji

12510-471: The throne in 626, was having internal problems with his subordinates, he consulted Zhangsun and Xiao Yu , asking for their opinions. Xiao advocated an attack on Eastern Tujue, but Zhangsun pointed out that the peace treaty between the two states should not be breached, and Emperor Taizong accepted his suggestion. Many officials were critical of Zhangsun Wuji's ascension to a chancellor post, and there were secret accusations made to Emperor Taizong that Zhangsun

12649-494: The throne to Li Shimin, who took the throne as Emperor Taizong. Princess Zhangsun, consequently, became empress, and their oldest son, Li Chengqian, became crown prince. As empress, Empress Zhangsun was said to be frugal and not wasteful, taking only the supplies that she needed without living luxuriously. When Li Chengqian's wet nurse the Lady Sui'an stated that his palace lacked sufficient goods and requested more, she replied, "All

12788-401: The throne. If there are unfaithful subjects among the officials, I will lead an army to the capital to destroy them." However, Emperor Gaozong trusted both Zhangsun and Chu greatly, and in 650, when a commoner named Li Hongtai (李弘泰) accused Zhangsun of treason, Emperor Gaozong had Li Hongtai immediately beheaded. In 651, another revision of the laws, with Zhangsun in charge, was completed, and

12927-456: The time of Otto the Great onward, much of the former Carolingian kingdom of Eastern Francia became the Holy Roman Empire . The prince-electors elected one of their peers as King of the Romans and King of Italy before being crowned by the Pope . The emperor could also pursue the election of his heir (usually a son) as King, who would then succeed him after his death. This junior king then bore

13066-590: The title " Emperor of India " by the British monarch , but this was not executed by King George VI until a royal proclamation on 22 June 1948. Despite this, George VI continued as king of India until 1950 and as king of Pakistan until his death in 1952. The last Empress of India was George VI's wife, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother . Under the guise of idealism giving way to realism, German nationalism rapidly shifted from its liberal and democratic character in 1848 to Prussian prime minister Otto von Bismarck 's authoritarian Realpolitik . Bismarck wanted to unify

13205-612: The title "Emperor of the Romans" ( basileus tōn Rōmaiōn ), was eventually recognized, as "Emperor of the Bulgarians" ( basileus tōn Boulgarōn ) by the Byzantine Emperor Romanos I Lakapenos in 924. Byzantine recognition of the imperial dignity of the Bulgarian monarch and the patriarchal dignity of the Bulgarian patriarch was again confirmed at the conclusion of permanent peace and a Bulgarian-Byzantine dynastic marriage in 927. In

13344-463: The title of Taishang Huang (retired emperor)) at his Da'an Palace (大安宮), they personally served a feast to him. Emperor Taizong, for several years, had often suffered from severe illnesses, and Empress Zhangsun often attended to him day and night, carrying poison within her belt and resolving to commit suicide if the emperor should die. Empress Zhangsun herself was said to suffer from severe asthma , and her conditions were exacerbated in 634 when she

13483-430: The title of King of the Romans. Although technically already ruling, after the election he would be crowned as emperor by the pope. The last emperor to be crowned by the pope was Charles V ; all emperors after him were technically emperors-elect , but were universally referred to as emperor . The Holy Roman emperor was considered the first among those in power. He was also the first defender of Christianity. From 1452 to

13622-561: The title of commandant at Yang Prefecture, he instead exiled Zhangsun to Qian Prefecture (黔州, modern southeastern Chongqing ) under house arrest. Zhangsun's sons were also exiled. In fall 659, Emperor Gaozong further reopened the investigations, putting Li Ji, Xu, Xin Maojiang , Ren Yaxiang , and Lu Chengqing in charge of investigating the alleged plot. Xu took this opportunity to send Yuan Gongyu to Qian Prefecture, where Yuan by order of Empress Wu forced Zhangsun to commit suicide. His wealth

13761-408: The title. Napoleon I's nephew, Napoleon III , resurrected the title of emperor on 2 December 1852, after establishing the Second French Empire in a presidential coup , subsequently approved by a plebiscite. His reign was marked by large scale public works, the development of social policy, and the extension of France's influence throughout the world. During his reign, he also set about creating

13900-583: The treatment of His Imperial and Royal Majesty under the 1825 Treaty of Rio de Janeiro , by which Portugal recognized the independence of Brazil. The style of Titular Emperor was a life title, and became extinct upon the holder's demise. John VI held the imperial title for a few months only, from the ratification of the Treaty in November 1825 until his death in March 1826. During those months, however, as John's imperial title

14039-405: The ultimate holder of all imperium . ( Imperium is Latin for the authority to command, one of a various types of authority delineated in Roman political thought.) Beginning with Augustus, Imperator appeared in the title of all Roman monarchs through the extinction of the Empire in 1453. After the reign of Augustus' immediate successor Tiberius , being proclaimed imperator was transformed into

14178-684: The west with the rise of Roman Catholicism . The Byzantine Empire also produced three women who effectively governed the state: the Empress Irene and the Empresses Zoe and Theodora . In 1204 Constantinople fell to the Venetians and the Franks in the Fourth Crusade . Following the tragedy of the horrific sacking of the city, the conquerors declared a new "Empire of Romania", known to historians as

14317-507: Was Tuoba , later changed to Zhangsun. During her tenure as empress, she served as a loyal assistant and honest advisor to her husband, Emperor Taizong. The future Empress Zhangsun was born on 15 March 601. Her father was the Sui dynasty general Zhangsun Sheng (長孫晟), and her mother was Zhangsun Sheng's wife Lady Gao, the daughter of the official Gao Jingde (高敬德). She had at least four older brothers—Zhangsun Sheng's oldest son Zhangsun Xingbu (長孫行布, who

14456-429: Was cesaropapism , the assertion that the emperor (or other head of state) is also the head of the Church. Although this principle was held by all emperors after Constantine, it met with increasing resistance and ultimately rejection by bishops in the west after the effective end of Imperial power there. This concept became a key element of the meaning of "emperor" in the Byzantine and Orthodox east, but went out of favor in

14595-645: Was "King" in Greek, essentially equivalent with the Latin Rex . Byzantine period emperors also used the Greek word "autokrator", meaning "one who rules himself", or "monarch", which was traditionally used by Greek writers to translate the Latin dictator . Essentially, the Greek language did not incorporate the nuances of the Ancient Roman concepts that distinguished imperium from other forms of political power. In general usage,

14734-431: Was a major dispute between Fang Xuanling's oldest son and heir Fang Yizhi (房遺直) and his younger brother Fang Yi'ai (房遺愛), as well as Fang Yi'ai's wife, Emperor Taizong's daughter Princess Gaoyang. Princess Gaoyang accused Fang Yizhi of assaulting her, while Fang Yizhi accused Fang Yi'ai and Princess Gaoyang of treason. Emperor Gaozong ordered Zhangsun to investigate, and Zhangsun discovered that Fang Yi'ai, Princess Gaoyang,

14873-411: Was a major strategist who contributed much to his victory over Li Jiancheng, he wanted to make Zhangsun Wuji a chancellor , and Empress Zhangsun declined on Zhangsun Wuji's behalf, stating: Emperor Taizong initially disagreed and made Zhangsun Wuji chancellor anyway in fall 627, but with Zhangsun Wuji himself also repeatedly declining, Emperor Taizong relented in spring 628 and removed Zhangsun Wuji from

15012-547: Was also born of Empress Zhangsun and was Emperor Taizong's favorite son, was discovered to have plotted to overthrow Emperor Taizong, along with Hou Junji and Emperor Taizong's sons-in-law Zhao Jie (趙節) and Du He (杜荷, Du Ruhui's son). Emperor Taizong put the investigation in the hands of Zhangsun, Fang Xuanling, Xiao Yu, Li Shiji , and the officials in charge of the supreme court and the legislative and examination bureaus of government, and they determined that, indeed, Li Chengqian had plotted to overthrow Emperor Taizong. Li Chengqian

15151-411: Was also born of Lady Gao, while Zhangsun Anye was not; who Zhangsun Xingbu's and Zhangsun Heng'an's mothers were was not recorded in history.) Zhangsun Sheng died in 609, and Zhangsun Anye, instead of raising his younger brother and sister, expelled them, as well as his stepmother Lady Gao, from the Zhangsun household and sent them back to Lady Gao's brother Gao Shilian , and Gao Shilian raised them. It

15290-428: Was angry and yelled, "Let me find a chance to kill this country-bumpkin!" Empress Zhangsun asked whom he was referring to, and he replied, "I am referring to Wei Zheng. He always finds a way to insult me in front of everyone in the imperial hall!" Empress Zhangsun retreated to her bedchambers and put on the official empress gown; standing solemnly, she prepared to bow to Emperor Taizong. He was surprised, and asked her what

15429-526: Was ceded to the restored Grand Duchy of Tuscany by the Congress of Vienna. After his final defeat, Napoleon was treated as a general by the British authorities during his second exile to Atlantic Isle of St. Helena . His title was a matter of dispute with the governor of St Helena, who insisted on addressing him as "General Bonaparte", despite the "historical reality that he had been an emperor" and therefore retained

15568-586: Was changed to Duke of Zhao, and he was given the post of prefect of Zhao Prefecture (趙州, roughly modern Shijiazhuang , Hebei ), to be inherited by his heirs. Many officials opposed the plan, with the strongest opposition coming from Zhangsun, who also had his daughter-in-law, Princess Changle (Emperor Taizong's daughter) submit oppositions on his behalf as well, and Emperor Taizong cancelled the scheme, although Zhangsun's title remained Duke of Zhao. In 642, Emperor Taizong changed Zhangsun's honorific from Sikong to Situ (司徒). In 643, when Emperor Taizong commissioned

15707-500: Was confiscated. (As part of the same reprisal transactions, Empress Wang's uncle Liu Shi was also executed in exile. Members of the Zhangsun and Liu households, as well as those of Han's, were forced to hard labor, while several relatives of Zhangsun's were also executed.) Later in Emperor Gaozong's reign, in 674, Emperor Gaozong restored Zhangsun's titles posthumously and allowed Zhangsun's great-grandson Zhangsun Yi (長孫翼) to inherit

15846-502: Was declared Empress of India . In Western Europe , the title of Emperor was used exclusively by the Holy Roman Emperor , whose imperial authority was derived from the concept of translatio imperii , i.e., they claimed succession to the authority of the Roman emperors , thus linking themselves to Roman institutions and traditions as part of state ideology. Although initially ruling much of Central Europe and northern Italy, by

15985-463: Was deposed, while his coconspirators were executed. A succession question immediately arose. Li Tai was Emperor Taizong's favorite son, and Emperor Taizong almost immediately promised to him that he would be created crown prince, an idea concurred by the chancellors Cen Wenben and Liu Ji . However, Zhangsun did not concur, and instead recommended that Emperor Taizong make his ninth son Li Zhi , also by Empress Zhangsun, crown prince instead; Zhangsun

16124-619: Was followed by the short-lived Severan dynasty . During the Crisis of the 3rd century , barracks emperors succeeded one another at short intervals. Three short lived secessionist attempts had their own emperors: the Gallic Empire , the Britannic Empire , and the Palmyrene Empire though the latter used rex more regularly. The Principate (27 BC – 284 AD) period was succeeded by what

16263-687: Was forced to withdraw. (The Song dynasty historian Hu Sanxing , the commentator to the Zizhi Tongjian , commented that overcautiousness was what cost Emperor Taizong the victory, indirectly blaming Zhangsun for opposing the strategy to attack Pyongyang directly.) As the army retreated, Zhangsun was responsible for building a temporary bridge over the Liao River to allow the army to cross. In 647, when Zhangsun's uncle Gao Shilian died, Emperor Taizong, who had just recently himself recovered from an illness, wanted to attend Gao's wake, but Zhangsun lay down in

16402-576: Was heavily criticized by Liu Xu , the lead editor of the Old Book of Tang , who commented that perhaps it was karmic that eventually Zhangsun himself would be falsely accused. Indeed, when Li Ke died, he cursed Zhangsun, stating: "Zhangsun Wuji has stolen imperial power and falsely accused the faithful. The imperial ancestral spirits are watching. Soon your own clan will be slaughtered.") By 654, Emperor Gaozong had become enamored with Consort Wu —whom he had, against Confucian definitions of incest, taken as

16541-677: Was ill, but nevertheless attended to Emperor Taizong when he was forced to wake up in the middle of the night and put on armor and weapons due to an emergency report by his brother-in-law, Chai Shao (柴紹) the Duke of Qiao. By 636, her conditions were severe, and Li Chengqian suggested to her that, as the doctors appeared to have done everything they could, Emperor Taizong declare a general pardon and encourage commoners to become Buddhist or Taoist monks, to try to gain divine favor. Empress Zhangsun, knowing that Emperor Taizong had long disapproved of Buddhism and Taoism and herself believing overuse of pardons to be improper, refused. Li Chengqian instead told

16680-496: Was killed in 604 while resisting the rebellion of Emperor Yang of Sui 's brother Yang Liang the Prince of Han), Zhangsun Heng'an (長孫恆安), Zhangsun Anye (長孫安業), and Zhangsun Wuji . (Zhangsun Wuji was also born of Lady Gao, while Zhangsun Anye was not; who Zhangsun Xingbu's and Zhangsun Heng'an's mothers were was not recorded in history.) Zhangsun Sheng died in 609, and Zhangsun Anye, instead of raising his younger brother and sister, expelled them, as well as his stepmother Lady Gao, from

16819-477: Was monopolizing power. Emperor Taizong publicly declared confidence in Zhangsun, but he himself feared that he was a target of resentment. He repeatedly offered to resign, both directly and through Empress Zhangsun, and in spring 628, Emperor Taizong accepted the resignation, although he conferred on Zhangsun the honorific position of Kaifu Yitong Sansi (開府儀同三司) and continued to consult Zhangsun on many important matters. In 633, Emperor Taizong conferred on Zhangsun

16958-582: Was never clear what territory constituted the " Empire of Austria ". When Francis took the title in 1804, the Habsburg lands as a whole were dubbed the Kaisertum Österreich . Kaisertum might literally be translated as "emperordom" (on analogy with "kingdom") or "emperor-ship"; the term denotes specifically "the territory ruled by an emperor", and is thus somewhat more general than Reich , which in 1804 carried connotations of universal rule. Austria proper (as opposed to

17097-486: Was no consistent title for the king of England before 1066, and monarchs chose to style themselves as they pleased. Imperial titles were used inconsistently, beginning with Athelstan in 930 and ended with the Norman conquest of England . Empress Matilda (1102–1167) is the only English monarch commonly referred to as "emperor" or "empress", but she acquired her title through her marriage to Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor . During

17236-483: Was not captured first, the general in command of Ansi (a capable general known in Korean popular legends as Yang Manchun , although whether that was his real name is unknown), might attack Tang forces from the rear. Emperor Taizong agreed, and therefore put Ansi under siege again. However, the commander at Ansi was a capable defender, and the resolve of the defenders was strengthened when Li Shiji, in anger, declared that after

17375-674: Was not exactly hereditary but self-proclaimed by those who had, wholly or partially, united the Christian northern part of the Iberian Peninsula , often at the expense of killing rival siblings. The popes and Holy Roman emperors protested at the usage of the imperial title as a usurpation of leadership in western Christendom. After Alfonso VII's death in 1157, the title was abandoned, and the kings who used it are not commonly mentioned as having been "emperors", in Spanish or other historiography. After

17514-473: Was not the first to hold it, but following his assassination the term was abhorred in Rome. Augustus , considered the first Roman emperor , established his hegemony by collecting on himself offices, titles, and honours of Republican Rome that had traditionally been distributed to different people, concentrating what had been distributed power in one man. One of these offices was princeps senatus , ("first man of

17653-427: Was personally made an appearance before the troops to encourage them. Her brother Zhangsun Wuji was one of Li Shimin's major strategists in this matter. Li Shimin was able to counter Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji at Xuanwu Gate and kill them, and then essentially forced Emperor Gaozu to appoint him crown prince. Princess Zhangsun was accordingly named crown princess. Two months later, on 4 September, Emperor Gaozu yielded

17792-492: Was promulgated by Emperor Gaozong. In 652, with Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wang being sonless, her uncle Liu Shi , also a chancellor, suggested to her that she propose that Emperor Gaozong's oldest son, Li Zhong , whose mother Consort Liu was of low birth, be made crown prince, believing that Li Zhong would be grateful to her. Liu Shi also lobbied Zhangsun to make the request for her. Emperor Gaozong agreed, and in fall 652 created Li Zhong crown prince. Late in 652, there

17931-706: Was purely honorific while his son, Pedro I, remained the sole monarch of the Brazilian Empire. Duarte Pio is the current head of the House of Braganza . In the late 3rd century, by the end of the epoch of the barracks emperors in Rome, there were two Britannic emperors , reigning for about a decade. After the end of Roman rule in Britain , the Imperator Cunedda forged the Kingdom of Gwynedd in northern Wales, but all his successors were titled kings and princes. There

18070-560: Was retaliating for his ill treatment of her and Zhangsun Wuji when they were little. Emperor Taizong agreed and spared Zhangsun Anye, only exiling him to Xi Prefecture (巂州, roughly modern Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture , Sichuan ). In 632, Emperor Taizong was about to marry the Princess Changle to Zhangsun Wuji's son Zhangsun Chong (長孫沖). As the princess was born of Empress Zhangsun and was his favorite daughter, Emperor Taizong ordered that her dowry had to exceed that for his sister,

18209-562: Was returned to Chang'an. Li Zhi then took the throne (as Emperor Gaozong). After Emperor Gaozong took the throne, he changed Zhangsun's honorific title to Taiwei (太尉), also one of the Three Excellencies, and ordered that he continued to be in charge of all three bureaus, although Zhangsun declined the responsibility over the executive bureau. Emperor Gaozong also gave him the chancellor de facto designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品). Early in Emperor Gaozong's reign, it

18348-410: Was said that Zhangsun Wuji was studious, and that he was both intelligent and full of strategies. When his sister later married Li Shimin , the second son of the general Li Yuan , he and Li Shimin became great friends. When Li Yuan, at Li Shimin's instigation, rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui in 617 and attacked the capital Chang'an , Zhangsun Wuji went to meet Li Shimin, then serving as

18487-434: Was said that by that time, of Li Shimin's closest confidants, only Zhangsun remained, and that Zhangsun, his uncle Gao Shilian, Hou Junji , and Yuchi advocated acting first against Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. They persuaded Li Shimin to take action. Li Shimin thereafter set up an ambush for Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, killing them at Xuanwu Gate , and then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to create him crown prince. Zhangsun

18626-496: Was said that, while there were other men with chancellor designations, Zhangsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang controlled the government, but that they served faithfully and were extending the efficient governance that Emperor Taizong instituted during his "Reign of Zhen'guan." However, perhaps challenging Zhangsun's authority and/or faithfulness, the Tufan king Songtsän Gampo wrote a letter to Zhangsun, stating, "The Son of Heaven has just taken

18765-522: Was specifically accused of improperly using the imperial title by his neighbor, the Latin Emperor Henry of Flanders . Nevertheless, the Bulgarian imperial title was recognized by its neighbors and trading partners, including Byzantium, Hungary, Serbia, Venice, Genoa, Dubrovnik. 14th-century Bulgarian literary compositions saw the Bulgarian capital ( Tarnovo ) as a successor of Rome and Constantinople . After Bulgaria obtained full independence from

18904-557: Was supported in this suggestion by Chu Suiliang . Further, when Emperor Taizong interrogated Li Chengqian personally, Li Chengqian admitted guilt but blamed Li Tai's machinations for leading him to fear for his own safety and thus plot rebellion. Emperor Taizong thereafter resolved to create Li Zhi crown prince—a decision that he initially secretly informed only Zhangsun, Fang, Li Shiji, and Chu, in addition to Li Zhi himself—and he exiled both Li Chengqian and Li Tai. Subsequently, Zhangsun, along with Fang and Xiao, were made senior advisors to

19043-434: Was the Sui dynasty general Zhangsun Sheng ( 長孫晟 ), and his mother was Zhangsun Sheng's wife Lady Gao, the daughter of the official Gao Jingde (高敬德). He had at least three older brothers—Zhangsun Sheng's oldest son Zhangsun Xingbu (長孫行布, who was killed in 604 while resisting the rebellion of Emperor Yang of Sui 's brother Yang Liang the Prince of Han), Zhangsun Heng'an (長孫恆安), and Zhangsun Anye (長孫安業). (Empress Zhangsun

19182-402: Was the wife of the reigning German Emperor ). Hence, "Queen Victoria felt handicapped in the battle of protocol by not being an Empress herself". The Indian Imperial designation was also formally justified as the expression of Britain succeeding the former Mughal Emperor as suzerain over hundreds of princely states . The Indian Independence Act 1947 provided for the abolition of the use of

19321-420: Was thereafter made the minister of civil service affairs. Two months later, Emperor Gaozu yielded the throne to Li Shimin, who took the throne as Emperor Taizong. Late in 626, when Emperor Taizong personally ranked the contributions of the generals and officials in order to grant them fiefs, Emperor Taizong ranked five of them—Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Yuchi Gong, and Hou Junji to be contributors of

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