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| Posthumous name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 諡號/謚號 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 谥号 | ||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | thụy hiệu | ||||||||||
| Chữ Hán | 諡號 | ||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||
| Hangul | 시호 | ||||||||||
| Hanja | 諡號 | ||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||
| Kanji | 諡号 | ||||||||||
| Hiragana | しごう / おくりごう | ||||||||||
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Aposthumous name is an honoraryname given mainly to revered dead people inEast Asian culture. It is predominantly used in Asian countries such asChina,Korea,Vietnam,Japan,Malaysia andThailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or reputation, the title is assigned after death and essentially replaces the name used during life. Although most posthumous names are given to royalty, some posthumous names are given to honor significant people withouthereditary titles, such ascourtiers ormilitary generals.
To create a posthumous name, one or more adjectives are inserted before the deceased's title. The name of the state or domain of the owner may be added to avoid ambiguity.
Early mythological rulers such asEmperor Yao were known to have posthumous names.[1]Archaeological discoveries have shown that the titles of kings as far back as theZhou dynasty (c. 1046 to 256 BC) are posthumous names, as in the cases ofKing Wu andKing Wen. Posthumous names commonly made tracing lineargenealogies simpler and kept a bloodline apparent.
In the Zhou dynasty, the posthumous name was usually only one character, such asWen ('cultured') orWu ('martial'). Over time, rulers began adding more characters to their ancestors' posthumous names. By the time of thefirst emperor of Tang, the length had grown to seven characters, which was taxing to pronounce or write. Therefore, emperors after the Tang dynasty are commonly referred to by either theirtemple name (Tang through Yuan dynasties) orera name (Ming and Qing dynasties), both of which are always two characters long.
The use of posthumous names temporarily stopped when emperorQin Shi Huang of theQin dynasty proclaimed it disrespectful for the descendants of emperors to judge their elders by assigning them descriptive titles. TheHan dynasty resumed using posthumous names after the fall of the Qin.
Posthumous names were used by non-Han rulers of theSixteen Kingdoms,Nanzhao,Liao dynasty,Western Xia,Jin dynasty,Yuan dynasty,Qing dynasty,Silla, Japan, and Vietnam. King names ofHồng Bàng dynasty andMahan followed the posthumous naming but are considered later works. Some rulers, such asWu Zetian or rebel leaders, had similarly styledregnal names when they were alive.
Most monarchs inherited the throne and did not give negative posthumous names to the previous monarch. Later monarchs lengthened or changed some names.Emperor Aizong of Jin and theChongzhen Emperor were referred to by different names by different people.Qin Hui of theSong dynasty had a name with a positive connotation, was then given a negative one, and later had the positive name restored.[2] After the Song dynasty, few received negative names.[3] In Korea, the disfavored monarchs of theJoseon dynasty did not receive posthumous names.
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Posthumous names can be praises (褒字) or deprecations (貶字). There are more praises than deprecations, so posthumous names are also commonly calledrespectful names (尊號;zūnhào) in Chinese.Sima Qian'sRecords of the Grand Historian extensively outlines the rules behind choosing the names. Most qualifications for a given name are subjective, repetitive, and highlystereotypical, meaning posthumous names are often chosen arbitrarily. Court historians usually provide such names according to the deceased's notable deeds.
When combining an emperor's temple name and posthumous name, thetemple name is placed first. For example, theShunzhi Emperor, whose full posthumous title would be "Shizu, Emperor Zhang" (世祖章皇帝), combines his temple name and the last three characters of his posthumous reputation, which is the form most commonly seen in formal documents. Some monarchs' and royal members' posthumous names were extended, such asHongwu Emperor,Nurhaci,Crown Prince Hyomyeong,Sunjo of Joseon, andEmpress Dowager Cixi.
Some monarchs did not follow these guidelines; for example, monarchs ofJu,Chu, andQi used place names, while some monarchs ofYue had Chinese transliterated posthumous words, and some monarchs ofGoguryeo,Silla, andBaekje had differently styled posthumous names. Some early Japanese monarchs also had Japanese-style posthumous names (和風諡号).
Shihao (traditional Chinese:諡號;simplified Chinese:谥号;pinyin:shì hào) is a Chinese term that means posthumous name and title.[4] The names of living Chinese people may be any combination of characters. Most often, posthumous names are chosen from a relatively small list, with their literal meaning eroding as a result.[5]
The Chinese language format for posthumous names is "[state] [adjective] [title]". When translated into English, they take on the format "[title] [adjective] of [state]", such asKing Wen of Zhou ('Cultured King of Zhou'),Duke Mu of Qin ('Solemn Duke of Qin'), andKing Cheng of Chu ('Accomplished King of Chu'). The literal meaning of the adjective usually needs to be translated.[5]
All Chinese posthumous names for rulers end in one or two of thecharacters for "emperor",huángdì (皇帝), which can be shortened toDì, except about a dozen less-recognized ones who have had onlyDì and notHuáng.
Starting with EmperorXiaowen of Han (more commonly Emperor Wen), every single Han emperor, except the first of theEastern Han dynasty, has the character of 'filial' (孝;xiào) at the beginning of his posthumous name. 'Filial' is also used in the full posthumous names of virtually all emperors and empresses of theTang,Song,Ming andQing dynasties. For Qing emperors, the characterxiào is placed in various positions in the string of characters. For Qing empresses given posthumous names,xiào is always initial.
The number of characters in posthumous names increased over time. The emperors of the Tang dynasty have posthumous names between 7 and 18 characters, while most in the Qing dynasty have more than 20 characters. For instance, theShunzhi Emperor's posthumous name has 25 characters.[a] The woman with the longest posthumous name (also 25 characters) isEmpress Dowager Cixi;[b] the shortened version of the name was孝欽顯皇后 ('the Distinguished Empress who was Admirably Filial').[6]
According to the noble system since theZhou dynasty, the immediate family members of the emperor were given the titles like King, Prince, Duke, or Earl, with or without actual control over a region. After their death, they would be referred to by the same title, with the posthumous name (usually one character) inserted in the middle. The characters used are mainly those used for emperors. For example,Prince Gong of the Qing dynasty was posthumously named Zhong (忠) and thus is referred to as Prince Gongzhong (恭忠親王;Gōngzhōng qīnwáng).Prince Chun was posthumously named Xian (賢), and is therefore referred to as Prince Chunxian (醇賢親王;Chúnxián qīnwáng).
The posthumous name could include more than one character. For example, Prince Shuncheng Lekdehun was posthumously honoured as Prince Shuncheng Gonghui (多罗顺承恭惠郡王).Yinxiang, Prince Yi was granted a posthumous name consisting of 9 characters,Zhongjing chengzhi qinshen lianming xian (忠敬诚直勤慎廉明贤).
It was also common for people with no hereditary titles, primarily accomplishedscholar-officials or ministers, to be given posthumous names by the imperial court. The characters used are mainly the same as those used for emperors. The length, however, was restricted to one or two characters. The posthumous name is sometimes renderedcanonization in English, for the scholar-official toConfucianism is considered analogous to thesaint in theCatholic Church. However, the process is shorter.
Confucius has been given long posthumous names in almost every prominent dynasty; one of the most commonly used wasZhìshèngxiānshī (至聖先師). Sometimes a person is given a posthumous name not by the court, but by his family or disciples. Such names are private posthumous names (私諡;sīshì). For example, thesīshì given toTao Qian wasJìngjié (靖節).
The emperors of China continued to receive posthumous names of increasing length as a matter of ritual long after the naming convention had been abandoned in casual speech and writing. TheGuangxu Emperor, who died in 1908 and was the last emperor to receive a posthumous name, has a 21-character title: "Emperor Tongtian Chongyun Dazhong Zhizheng Jingwen Weiwu Renxiao Ruizhi Duanjian Kuanqin Jing".[c]Puyi, the last emperor of China, did not receive a posthumous name upon his death in 1967.
InSilla, every monarch was given the title ofwang (Korean: 왕;Hanja: 王;lit. king) with two characters in posthumous names fromJijeung of Silla. On the other hand, all posthumous names for kings ofBalhae were restricted to one character. Most of the kings ofGoryeo andJoseon were more often giventemple names than posthumous names, unlike in the dynasties of ancient Korea. All posthumous names for the rulers of Goryeo and Joseon end in two of the characters forDaewang (대왕;大王;lit. great king). This is a longer name made up of adjectives characteristic of the king's rule.[7][8][9]
Details of the system of posthumous names were recorded during the Joseon dynasty. During the Joseon dynasty, officials discussed and decided on the king's posthumous name five days after the king's funeral. Before his temple and posthumous names were chosen, the deceased king was calledDaehaeng daewang (대행대왕;大行大王). The Ministry of Rites (예조;禮曹) was in charge of the naming. The Ministry of Rites selected three candidates and reported them to the next king, who chose the name he liked best.
Deceased kings' names were made up of three parts: the temple name (묘호), eulogistic names (존호), and posthumous names (시호). A deposed king, on the other hand, was not given any posthumous names with temple names unless reinstated. They were degraded to the rank of agun (군;君;lit. prince);Yeonsan-gun andGwanghae-gun are notable examples. Some men did not ascend to the throne in their lifetime but were proclaimed kings after they died by their descendants who became kings. In Joseon, nine men were raised to the status of emeritus kings.
Gojong of Joseon proclaimed Korea an empire in 1897, receiving the title of emperor, thus the posthumous names of Gojong andSunjong end in two of the characters forHwangje (황제;皇帝;lit. emperor).Crown Prince Hyomyeong has been given the longest posthumous name in Korea. He was posthumously elevated in status and given the title Emperor Munjo with 117 characters in posthumous names in 1899.
| Ruler | Shortened name | Posthumous name | Posthumous name (romanized) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwangjong of Goryeo | Gwangjong | Korean:홍도 선열 평세 숙헌 의효 강혜 대성 대왕 Hanja: 弘道宣烈平世肅憲懿孝康惠大成大王 | Hongdo Seonyeol Pyeongse Sukheon Uihyo Ganghye Daeseong Daewang |
| Gojong of Joseon | Taehwangje | Korean:통천 융운 조극 돈륜 정성 광의 명공 대덕 요준 순휘 우모 탕경 응명 입기 지화 신열 외훈 홍업 계기 선력 건행 곤정 영의 홍휴 수강 문헌 무장 인익 정효 태황제 Hanja: 統天隆運 肇極敦倫 正聖光義 明功大德 堯峻舜徽 禹謨湯敬 應命立紀 至化神烈 巍勳洪業 啓基宣曆 乾行坤定 英毅弘休 壽康文憲 武章仁翼 貞孝太皇帝 | Tongcheon Yung-un Jogeuk Dollyun Jeongseong Gwang-ui Myeonggong Daedeok Yojun Sunhwi Umo Tanggyeong Eungmyeong Ipgi Jihwa Sinyeol Oehun Hong-eop Gyegi Seonryeok Geonhaeng Gonjeong Yeong-ui Honghyu Sugang Munheon Mujang Inik Jeonghyo Taehwangje |
In the Republic of Korea, theJeonju Lee Royal Family Association has issued posthumous names, without the recognition thegovernment, toEmpress Sunjeonghyo;Crown Prince Euimin; andGu, Prince Imperial Hoeun.
In Japan, posthumous names are divided into two types:shigō (Japanese:諡号) andtsuigō (追号).
In addition to the title,Tennō (天皇; 'heavenly sovereign', usually translated as 'emperor') is a part of all Japanese emperors' posthumous names, most of them consisting of twokanji characters, although a few have three. Some names are given several generations later—this is the case forEmperor Jimmu andEmperor Antoku, for example. Others are provided immediately after death, like thatEmperor Monmu.
Ashigō (諡号), orokuri-na (諡), name describes the accomplishments and the virtues of the rulers. There are two styles of emperors'shigō: Chinese or Han style (漢風諡号) and Japanese style (和風諡号).
Tsuigō names are derived from the name of locations andera names, among others. Those Japanese emperors are also sometimes calledteigō (帝号; 'emperor name(s)').
Those who were named after the place where the emperor was born, lived or frequented:
Those who were named after an emperor whose admirable characteristics resemble those of an earlier one by addingGo (後;lit. 'later') as a prefix to the earlier emperor's name:
The posthumous name of some emperors was derived from the combination of characters from two previous emperors' posthumous names:
Official posthumous names are still used in Japan. This tradition began withEmperor Meiji. Since the death of Emperor Meiji (明治天皇,Meiji Tennō) in 1912, the posthumous name of an emperor has always been the era name of his reign. In such cases, the posthumous names belong to the category oftsuigō. After his death,Hirohito was formally renamed Emperor Shōwa (昭和天皇,Shōwa Tennō) afterhis era; Japanese people now refer to him by only that name, and not by his given name Hirohito. Most Japanese people never refer to emperors by their given names, as it isconsidered disrespectful. A non-royal deceased person may be given a posthumousBuddhist name known askaimyō but is, in practice, still referred to by the living name.
In theMalay sultanates and other related sultanates and kingdoms of Southeast Asia, the posthumous names of the sultans and rulers always begin with the wordMarhum (Jawi:مرحوم), an Arabicloanword meaning 'the late ruler'. The wordMarhum is followed by either the place of death or the burial site.Mahmud II of Johor, who was killed while being carried on a royallitter in 1699, was posthumously known as Marhum Mangkat dijulang, which literally means 'the late ruler who died while being carried'.[10]
Other Malay posthumous names include:
Since the death ofKing Chulalongkorn in 1910, the king has been named for hisreigning era formally used in theRoyal Gazette. Some were given posthumous names to elevate their title, such as in the case ofKing Ananda, who was posthumously titled Phra Athamaramathibodin. Kings Ananda andBhumibol do not have specific reign names, and other kings, such as Chulalongkorn, are referred to using personal names. Most Thai people never refer to the king by their unique name or the informal Chula Chom Klao, as it is considered disrespectful. The personal name of KingVajiralongkorn will be regarded as casual until his death, when it will be replaced with the reign name Vajilaklao.[citation needed]
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The use of posthumous names ceased in Vietnam with theKhải Định Emperor (Tự Thiên Gia Vận Thánh Minh Thần Trí Nhân Hiếu Thành Kính Di Mô Thừa Liệt Tuyên Hoàng ĐếChu Han: 嗣天嘉運聖明神智仁孝誠敬貽謨承烈宣皇帝), who died in 1925.
...配天興聖顯皇后。后為穆宗聖母，故云「興聖」也。
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