Consort kin

The consort kin or outer kins () were the kin or a group of people related to a consort or mother of a ruler in the Sinosphere. The leading figure of the faction was either a (usually male) sibling, cousin, or parent.

While consort kins can be seen as a manifestation of nepotism in Sinospheric court politics, it is a moot point in a system where most positions were inherited via male primogeniture. The majority of the criticism lobbied against consort kins comes from the Confucian gentry class, who were often their political rival. In certain periods of Chinese history (such as the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin), consort kins were empowered by emperors in order to create political balance or to garner support for policies or actions unpopular among the Confucian elites. In other cases, emperors relied on their consort kins to hold onto power at the beginning of their reigns, because they lacked the political network a more established ruler may have had.

The perception of their outsized role in dynastic decline may be due to a bias in official historical texts, mostly written by Confucian scholars. They considered the political involvement of consort kins (and eunuchs) a disruption of the proper order, while downplaying their own negative contribution. For example, Fan Ye's Book of the Later Han focuses primarily on court corruption and eunuchs as a major factor in the fall of the Eastern Han, leaving out the social and political stagnation caused by the Confucian gentry class.

China

Zhou dynasty

The Marquis of Shen — father of the wife of King You of Zhou; his participation in a succession struggle after the king's attempt to depose his grandson and replace him with Bao Si's son Bofu led to the fall of the Western Zhou and beginning of the Spring and Autumn period

Han dynasty

Lü clan — natal family of Empress Gao (Lü Zhi) (wife of Emperor Gaozu)
Wei Qing — younger half-brother of Empress Xiaowusi (Wei Zifu) (second wife of Emperor Wu)
Huo Guang — "kingmaker"; younger half-brother of Huo Qubing, maternal grandfather of Empress Xiaozhao (wife of Emperor Zhao), and father of Empress Huo (Huo Chengjun) (second wife of Emperor Xuan)
Ma Yuan — father of Empress Mingde (wife of Emperor Ming of Han); passed away before his son-in-law's ascension
Dou Xian — brother of Empress Zhangde (first wife of Emperor Zhang of Han)
Liang Ji — deposed two emperors; brother of Empress Shunlie (Liang Na) (wife of Emperor Shun) and Empress Yixian (Liang Nüying) (first wife of Emperor Huan)
Dou Wu — father of Empress Huansi (Dou Miao) (third wife of Emperor Huan)
He Jin — brother of Empress Lingsi (second wife of Emperor Ling)
Dong Cheng — father of Consort Dong (consort of Emperor Xian)
Cao Cao — father of Empress Xianmu (Cao Jie) (second wife of Emperor Xian)

Three Kingdoms

Mi Fang, a brother of Lady Mi (Mi Furen) served under Liu Bei, the future Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han. His betrayal of Liu Bei partially led to its loss of Jing Province and the death of general Guan Yu. However, in this case, Lady Mi likely died several decades before Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor. Mi Fang also defected from Liu Bei's army about a year before he became emperor.
Mi Zhu, another brother of Lady Mi, also served under Liu Bei and (briefly) Shu Han.
Wu Yi was a general of Shu Han. He was the brother of Empress Wu of Shu Han.
Cao Pi deposed Emperor Xian of Han and declared himself emperor of Cao Wei. Two of Emperor Xian's daughters became consorts of Cao Pi, although it is unclear which one of them was emperor at the time this occurred. Cao Pi was himself the half-brother of Emperor Xian's consort Empress Cao.
Lady Xie's brother Xie Cheng and some of her other relatives held positions in the government of Eastern Wu, although Lady Xie died long before her husband Sun Quan became emperor. Some of Lady Xu's relatives were also officials but Lady Xu herself was both a blood relative and a concubine of Sun Quan.
Eastern Wu official Bu Zhi was a relative of Empress Bu and in-law of Sun Quan.

Jin dynasty

Yang Jun — father-in-law of Emperor Wu of Jin
Yu Liang, Yu Shuyu, Yu Bing, Yu Yi — brothers of Empress Dowager Yu
Chu Pou — father of Chu Suanzi
Wang Gong — brother-in-law of Emperor Xiaowu of Jin

Sixteen Kingdoms

Jin Zhun — father of Jin Yueguang and Jin Yuehua and known for his violent coup d'etat against Liu Can of the Han-Zhao dynasty
Cheng Xia — brother-in-law of Shi Le of the Later Zhao dynasty
Lan Han — father-in-law of Murong Sheng of the Later Yan dynasty

Northern and Southern dynasties

Dugu Xin — father of Empress Mingjing (wife of Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou), Empress Wenxian (Dugu Qieluo) (wife of Emperor Wen of Sui), and Empress Yuanzhen (wife of Li Bing and mother of Emperor Gaozu of Tang); the only recorded consort kin of three dynasties
Yang Jian — dynastic usurper; father of Grand Empress Tianyuan (Yang Lihua) (wife of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou)

Tang dynasty

Zhangsun Wuji — elder brother of Empress Wende (wife of Emperor Taizong)
Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi — nephews of Empress Zetian (Wu Zetian)
Yang Guozhong — cousin of Noble Consort Yang (Yang Yuhuan) (favored consort of Emperor Xuanzong)

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period

Fu Yanqing — father of Empress Xuanyi and Empress Fu (wives of Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou), and Empress Yide (second wife of Zhao Guangyi, the future Emperor Taizong of Song)

Song dynasty

Jia Sidao — younger brother of Noble Consort Huishun (favored consort of Emperor Lizong)

Yuan dynasty

Khongirads — tribe of Börte (first wife of Genghis Khan) and Chabi (second wife of Kublai Khan)

Qing dynasty

Songgotu — paternal uncle of Empress Xiaochengren (first wife of the Kangxi Emperor)
Fuheng — younger brother of Empress Xiaoxianchun (first wife of the Qianlong Emperor)

Japan

Asuka period

Ōmiwa clan
Mononobe clan
Owari clan
Katsuragi clan
Ōtomo clan
Soga clan — consort kin during the reigns of Empress Suiko and Emperor Sushun
Soga no Umako and — assassinated Emperor Sushun

Heian period

Fujiwara clan — consort kin during the reigns of emperors Kanmu, Saga, Montoku, Seiwa, Murakami, Reizei, En'yū, Ichijō, Sanjō, Go-Ichijō, Go-Suzaku, and Go-Reizei
Fujiwara no Yoshifusa — father-in-law of Emperor Montoku
Fujiwara no Kaneie — son-in-law of Emperor Murakami, father-in-law of three emperors, and maternal grandfather of two emperors
Fujiwara no Michinaga — father-in-law of four emperors
Fujiwara no Yorimichi — married one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter of Emperor Murakami, father-in-law of Emperor Go-Suzaku and Emperor Go-Reizei
Taira clan — consort kin during the reigns of emperors Takakura and Antoku
Taira no Kiyomori — father of Kenreimon'in

Korea

Joseon

Cheongju Han clan — natal family of Queen Sinui (first wife of King Taejo), Queen Sohye (wife of Crown Prince Uigyeong), Queen Jangsun (first wife of King Yejong), Queen Ansun (second wife of King Yejong), Queen Gonghye (first wife of King Seongjong) and Queen Inyeol (first wife of King Injo); especially influential during the 15th century
— natal family of Queen Jeonghyeon (third wife of King Seongjong), Queen Janggyeong (second wife of King Jungjong) and Queen Munjeong (third wife of King Jungjong); especially influential during the first half of the 16th century
— father of Concubine Hui(favored consort of King Jungjong)
Andong Kim clan — natal family of Queen Sunwon (wife of King Sunjo), Queen Hyohyeon (first wife of King Heonjong) and Queen Cheorin (wife of King Cheoljong); especially influential during the 19th century
Pungyang Jo clan — natal family of Queen Sinjeong (wife of Crown Prince Hyomyeong); especially influential during the 19th century
Yeoheung Min clan — natal family of Queen Wongyeong (wife of King Taejong), Queen Inhyeon (second wife of King Sukjong), Empress Myeongseong (wife of Emperor Gojong) and Empress Sunmyeonghyo (first wife of Emperor Sunjong); there is a Korean saying that "Joseon was founded with the Yeoheung Min clan (Queen Wongyeong's family), and Joseon was destroyed by the Yeoheung Min clan (Empress Myeongseong's family)"

Vietnam

Dương Tam Kha — brother-in-law of Ngô Quyền
Lý Thái Tổ — son-in-law of Lê Hoàn
Trần family — in-law family of Lý Chiêu Hoàng
Hồ Quý Ly — maternal grandfather of Trần Thiếu Đế
Mạc Đăng Dung — had his adopted daughter marry Lê Chiêu Tông
Trịnh lords — consort kin of several Lê emperors