Consort clan - Definition and Overview

The consort clan (外戚 Pinyin: waichi) is the family, clan or a group related to a spouse or a empress dowager of the Chinese dynastic ruler or a warlord. The leading figure of the clan was either a sibling, cousin, or parent of the consort or concubine.

Famous leading figures

Han Dynasty

• Wang Mang - nephew of Empress Dowager Wang, cousin of Emperor Cheng of Han China and founder of the Xin Dynasty.
• Dou Xian - brother of Empress Dowager Dou and brother-in-law of Emperor Zhang of Han China.
• Liang Ji (simplified and traditional Chinese: 梁冀 liang2 ji4) - brother of Empress Dowager Liang, deposed two emperors and later killed in a coup d'etat plotted by eunuchs against him.
• Dou Wu (simplified Chinese: 窦武 dou4 wu3) father of another Empress Dowager Dou and killed in his abortive coup d'etat against eunuchs.
• He Jin - brother of Empress Dowager He and killed after his plot agianst eunuchs was exposed

Three Kingdoms

• Dong Cheng (simplified and traditional Chinese: 董承 dong3 cheng2) - father of Concubine Dong of Emperor Xian of Han China and known for his abortive coup d'etat with Liu Bei against Cao Cao.
• Cai Mao (simplified and traditional Chinese: 蔡瑁 cai4 mao4) - brother-in-law of the warlord Liu Biao.

Jin Dynasty (265-420)

• Yang Jun (simplified Chinese: 杨骏 yang2 jun4) - father-in-law of Emperor Wu of Jin China
• Yu Liang (simplified and traditional Chinese: 庾亮 yu3 liang4) - brother of Empress Dowager Yu

Tang Dynasty

• Yang Guozhong -- cousin of Yang Guifei
• Wu Sansi -- nephew of the Empress Wu