Empress Pan (Da)
Encyclopedia
Empress Pan personal name unknown, was an empress of Eastern Wu
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. She was the only empress of the founding emperor, Sun Quan
, even though he had a succession of wives before her.
Empress Pan was from Kuaiji Commandery (會稽, in modern northeastern Zhejiang
). Her father was a low-level official who was executed for reasons unknown. Both she and her older sister were confiscated to be workers for the imperial textile factory. Once, Sun Quan saw her and was surprised by her beauty. He took her as a consort, and she gave birth to his youngest son Sun Liang
in 243. In 250, in the aftermaths of the struggles between Crown Prince Sun He
and his brother Sun Ba (孫霸) the Prince of Lu, Sun Quan deposed Crown Prince He and created Prince Liang crown prince
instead. In 251, he created Consort Pan empress.
In 252, as Sun Quan neared death, Empress Pan was murdered — but how she was murdered remains a controversy. Eastern Wu officials claimed that her servants, unable to stand her temper, strangled her while she was asleep, while a number of historians, including Hu Sansheng
, the commentator to Sima Guang
's Zizhi Tongjian
, believed that top Eastern Wu officials were complicit, as they feared that she would seize power as empress dowager after Sun's death. After Sun Quan died later that year, they were buried together.
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
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...
. She was the only empress of the founding emperor, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, even though he had a succession of wives before her.
Empress Pan was from Kuaiji Commandery (會稽, in modern northeastern Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
). Her father was a low-level official who was executed for reasons unknown. Both she and her older sister were confiscated to be workers for the imperial textile factory. Once, Sun Quan saw her and was surprised by her beauty. He took her as a consort, and she gave birth to his youngest son Sun Liang
Sun Liang
Sun Liang was the second emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the founding emperor Sun Quan's youngest son and heir...
in 243. In 250, in the aftermaths of the struggles between Crown Prince Sun He
Sun He
Sun He , style name Zixiao , formally known as Emperor Wen , was a son and crown prince of Eastern Wu's founding emperor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
and his brother Sun Ba (孫霸) the Prince of Lu, Sun Quan deposed Crown Prince He and created Prince Liang crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
instead. In 251, he created Consort Pan empress.
In 252, as Sun Quan neared death, Empress Pan was murdered — but how she was murdered remains a controversy. Eastern Wu officials claimed that her servants, unable to stand her temper, strangled her while she was asleep, while a number of historians, including Hu Sansheng
Hu Sansheng
Hu Sanxing , born Hu Mansun , courtesy names Shenzhi , Meijian , and Jingcan , was a Chinese historian and commentator who lived during the late Song Dynasty and early Yuan Dynasty....
, the commentator to Sima Guang
Sima Guang
Sīmǎ Guāng was a Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty, jinshi 1038.-Life, profession, and works:...
's Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
, believed that top Eastern Wu officials were complicit, as they feared that she would seize power as empress dowager after Sun's death. After Sun Quan died later that year, they were buried together.