# Dugu sisters

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Part-Xianbei, part-Han Chinese sisters of the Dugu clan

The **Dugu sisters** were part-[Xianbei](/source/Xianbei), part-[Han](/source/Han_Chinese) sisters of the [Dugu](/source/Dugu_(surname)) clan who lived in the [Western Wei](/source/Western_Wei) (535–557), [Northern Zhou](/source/Northern_Zhou) (557–581) and [Sui](/source/Sui_dynasty) (581–618) dynasties of China. All were daughters of the Western Wei general [Dugu Xin](/source/Dugu_Xin). The [eldest sister](/source/Empress_Dugu_(Northern_Zhou)) became a Northern Zhou empress, the [seventh sister](/source/Dugu_Qieluo) became a Sui dynasty empress, and the [fourth sister](/source/Duchess_Dugu) was posthumously honored as empress of the [Tang dynasty](/source/Tang_dynasty) (618–907). The seventh sister Dugu Qieluo, in particular, was one of the most influential women in ancient Chinese history, owing to her closeness to her husband [Emperor Wen of Sui](/source/Emperor_Wen_of_Sui), throughout their 45-year monogamous marriage. Some authors have written that the three sisters "married emperors"[1] or "married into imperial families".[2] However, at the time of their marriages, none of their husbands were members of an imperial family (yet): each of the three sisters became an empress or a posthumous empress after a dynastic change. Out of the three dynastic transitions, only the first — the usurpation of the Western Wei throne by the [Yuwens](/source/Yuwen) — is considered a long time coming, in which the Dugus played no role. In both Yang Jian's[3] and Li Yuan's ([Emperor Gaozu of Tang](/source/Emperor_Gaozu_of_Tang)) rise to power, family ties to the ruling house (through the sisters and Dugu Qieluo's daughter [Yang Lihua](/source/Yang_Lihua)) were important.[4]

## Family tree

- – Dugu sisters

- – [Western Wei](/source/Western_Wei) (535–557) emperors

- – [Northern Zhou](/source/Northern_Zhou) (557–581) emperors

- – [Western Liang](/source/Western_Liang_(555%E2%80%93587)) (555–587) emperors

- – [Sui dynasty](/source/Sui_dynasty) (581–618) emperors

- – [Tang dynasty](/source/Tang_dynasty) (618–907) emperors

Family of Dugu sisters Yuan Baoju Yuwen Tai Dugu Xin Yuan Kuo Yuan Qin Empress Yuwen Yuwen Yong Yuwen Yu 1. Empress Dugu 7. Empress Dugu Yang Jian Dugu Luo Empress Yuan Yuwen Jue Princess Xiangyang Li Bing 4. Duchess Dugu Xiao Kui Yuwen Yun Duchess Dou Li Yuan Empress Yang Yang Guang Empress Xiao Xiao Cong Xiao Yu Duchess Dugu

## Basic information

Sister Personal name Mother Husband Posthumous name Birth year Death year Issue 1st Unknown Lady Guo (郭氏) Yuwen Yu (宇文毓) Empress Mingjing (明敬皇后) Unknown 558 1 4th Unknown Unknown Li Bing (李昞) Empress Yuanzhen (元貞皇后) Unknown Unknown 2 7th Dugu Qieluo Lady Cui (崔氏) Yang Jian (楊堅) Empress Wenxian (文獻皇后) 544 602 10

## See also

- [Two Qiaos](/source/Two_Qiaos)

- [Soong sisters](/source/Soong_sisters)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Abramson, Marc S. (2008). *Ethnic Identity in Tang China*. [University of Pennsylvania Press](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania_Press). p. 152. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8122-4052-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8122-4052-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Lewis, Mark Edward](/source/Mark_Edward_Lewis) (2009). *China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty*. The Belknap Press of [Harvard University Press](/source/Harvard_University_Press). p. 201. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-674-03306-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-03306-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-sui_3-0)** [Wright, Arthur F.](/source/Arthur_F._Wright) (1979). "The Sui dynasty (581-617)". In [Twitchett, Denis](/source/Denis_Twitchett); [Fairbank, John K.](/source/John_K._Fairbank) (eds.). *[The Cambridge History of China](/source/The_Cambridge_History_of_China), Volume 3, Sui and T'ang China, 589–906, Part 1*. [Cambridge University Press](/source/Cambridge_University_Press). pp. 57–58, 63–66. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-521-21446-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-21446-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Wechsler, Howard J. (1979). "The founding of the T'ang dynasty: Kao-tsu (reign 618-26)". In [Twitchett, Dennis](/source/Denis_Twitchett) (ed.). [*The Cambridge History of China, Volume 3: Sui and T'ang China, 589–906 AD, Part 1*](https://books.google.com/books?id=idu6-Ie1MhwC). Cambridge: [Cambridge University Press](/source/Cambridge_University_Press). pp. 151–152. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-521-21446-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-21446-9).

- [Li Dashi](/source/Li_Dashi); Li Yanshou (659). *[Bei Shi](/source/History_of_the_Northern_Dynasties)*(北史) [*History of the Northern Dynasties*] (in Chinese).

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