Empress Duan (died 400), formally Empress Huide (惠德皇后, literally "the benevolent and virtous empress"), was an empress of the Chinese

History of China

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

/Xianbei

Xianbei

The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...

 state Later Yan

Later Yan

The Later Yan was a Murong-Xianbei state, located in modern day northeast China, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.All rulers of the Later Yan declared themselves "emperors". Later Yan fell to the Goguryeo dynasty.-Rulers of the Later Yan:...

. Her husband was Murong Bao

Murong Bao

Murong Bao , courtesy name Daoyou , formally Emperor Huimin of Yan , temple name Liezong or Liezu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan...

 (Emperor Huimin).

Empress Duan was, based on her family name, in all likelihood from the same Duan

Duan (tribe)

The Duan was a pre-state tribe of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. The reason the tribe adopted the Han Chinese family name Duan is unknown. Duan Wuwuchen was given in 303 a hereditary title— the "Duke of Liaoxi" —by the Jin Dynasty...

 tribe royal line that a number of Former Yan

Former Yan

The Former Yan was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.Initially, Murong Huang and his son Murong Jun claimed the Jin Dynasty -created title "Prince of Yan," but subsequently, in 352, after seizing most of the former Later Zhao territory, Murong Juan would...

 and Later Yan empresses and imperial consorts came from. Murong Bao created her empress in 396 after he became emperor. Little is known about her life during the next few years, when Murong Bao saw his empire collapse in light of attacks by Northern Wei

Northern Wei

The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...

 and internal rebellions, and he was killed in a rebellion by Lan Han

Lan Han

Lan Han was an official of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan, who killed the emperor Murong Bao in 398 and briefly took over the regime before being killed by Murong Bao's son Murong Sheng ....

 in 398, along with her son Murong Ce (慕容策) the crown prince. Lan spared her, however, and after Murong Bao's son by his concubine Consort Ding

Empress Dowager Ding

Empress Dowager Ding , formally Empress Xianyou was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan...

, Murong Sheng

Murong Sheng

Murong Sheng , courtesy name Daoyun , formally Emperor Zhaowu of Yan , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao , and after Murong Bao was killed by Lan Han avenged his father in a coup and took the throne...

, killed Lan and became emperor, he honored her as empress dowager

Empress Dowager

Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...

. She died in early 400.
|- style="text-align: center;"
|-

|-
|-

|-