Princess - Koushu

In China, this is an honorific title given to the daughters of the emperor. This title dates back to the Qin and Han dynasties, and is said to have come from the fact that the highest officials, the Three Dukes, were in charge of the weddings of princesses. During the Han dynasty, the princesses of feudal lords were also called princesses, and the emperor's sisters were called eldest princesses. Princesses who married the lords of surrounding ethnic groups, such as the wife of the emperor and Wang Zhaojun, were called harmonious princesses. Under the system of the Tang dynasty, the scope of princesses was limited, with the emperor's mother-in-law called the Grand Eldest Princess, his sisters called the Eldest Princess, and his daughters called princesses, while the daughters of the crown prince were called district governors and the daughters of princes were called prefecture governors.

[Isamu Ogata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国で、皇帝の女(むすめ)の尊号。秦(しん)・漢(かん)時代からの称号であり、皇女の婚礼を最高官の三公がつかさどったことによるといわれる。漢代では諸侯王(しょこうおう)の王女も公主とよび、皇帝の姉妹は長公主(ちょうこうしゅ)と号された。細君(さいくん)や王昭君(おうしょうくん)のように周辺諸民族の君主に嫁した公主を和蕃公主(わばんこうしゅ)という。唐代の制度では公主の範囲は限定されており、皇帝の姑(おば)を大長公主(だいちょうこうしゅ)、姉妹を長公主、女を公主と称し、皇太子の女は郡主、親王(しんのう)の女は県主とされた。

［尾形　勇］

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