Empress Ma (Hongwu)

Empress Xiaocigao
孝慈高皇后
Empress Consort of the Ming Dynasty
Tenure23 January 1368 – 23 September 1382
SuccessorEmpress Xiaominrang
Born(1332-07-18)18 July 1332
Suzhou
Died23 September 1382(1382-09-23) (aged 50)
Yingtian Prefecture, Zhili (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China)
Burial
SpouseHongwu Emperor
Issue
Names
Ma Xiuying (馬秀英)
Posthumous name
Empress Xiaoci Zhenhua Zheshun Renhui Chengtian Yusheng Zhide Gao (孝慈貞化哲順仁徽成天育聖至德高皇后)
ClanMa (馬)
FatherLord Ma, Prince of Xu (徐王 馬公)
MotherZheng Ao, Consort of Prince of Xu (徐王夫人 鄭媼)

Empress Xiaocigao (Chinese: 孝慈高皇后, 18 July 1332 – 23 September 1382), commonly known as Empress Ma (Chinese: 馬皇后), was an imperial consort of the Ming dynasty. She was the principal wife of the Hongwu Emperor and acted as his adviser in politics, exerting a large amount of influence during his reign.