Empress Taimu

Posthumous name
	Empress Taimu (太穆皇后)

Lady Dou
Lady Dou
	Portrait of Lady Dou from Qing-era collection Baimei xinyong Tuzhuan (百美新咏图传)
Duchess of Tang
Reign	581? - 613?
Born	569?
Died	613?
Spouse	Li Yuan
Issue	Li Jiancheng; Li Shimin; Li Xuanba; Li Yuanji; Princess Pingyang;
Posthumous name
Posthumous name
	Empress Taimu (太穆皇后)
Father	Dou Yi
Mother	Lady Yuwen, Princess Xiangyang

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Empress Taimu (Chinese: 太穆皇后; 569?–613?) was posthumously honored the first empress of the Chinese Tang dynasty. She was known as Duchess Dou or Lady Dou (竇氏) throughout her lifetime, and was the wife of Emperor Gaozu and mother of Emperor Taizong.

^ Historical sources did not indicate when Li Yuan and Lady Dou were wedded. However the date should be before Dou Yi's death on 3 Jan 583. ([开皇二年]十二月...甲戌，上柱国窦毅卒。) Sui Shu, vol.01.
^ Although the birth and death years of Lady Dou were not recorded in historical sources, it was recorded that she died at the age of 45 (by East Asian reckoning). According to Tangwen Shiyi (唐文拾遗), her death anniversary was the 21st day of the 5th lunar month. According to her biography in the Old Book of Tang, Lady Dou died soon after giving her husband the advice of gifting the stallions in his possession to Emperor Yang; this event took place during the Daye era (605-618), while Li Yuan was Taishou (太守) of Fufeng (扶风). Li Yuan's biography in Old Book of Tang mentioned that he was Taishou of Xingyang and Loufan early in the Daye era, and in 613, he became Weiwei Shaoqing (大业初，为荥阳、楼烦二郡太守，征为殿内少监。九年，迁卫尉少卿。) Jiu Tang Shu, vol.01. If her death year is 613, it should be after her second son Li Shimin's wedding to Lady Zhangsun, as Lady Zhangsun's biography in Old Book of Tang recorded that she was 13 (by East Asian reckoning) when she wedded.

[1] Historical sources did not indicate when Li Yuan and Lady Dou were wedded. However the date should be before Dou Yi's death on 3 Jan 583. ([开皇二年]十二月...甲戌，上柱国窦毅卒。) Sui Shu, vol.01.

[2] Although the birth and death years of Lady Dou were not recorded in historical sources, it was recorded that she died at the age of 45 (by East Asian reckoning). According to Tangwen Shiyi (唐文拾遗), her death anniversary was the 21st day of the 5th lunar month. According to her biography in the Old Book of Tang, Lady Dou died soon after giving her husband the advice of gifting the stallions in his possession to Emperor Yang; this event took place during the Daye era (605-618), while Li Yuan was Taishou (太守) of Fufeng (扶风). Li Yuan's biography in Old Book of Tang mentioned that he was Taishou of Xingyang and Loufan early in the Daye era, and in 613, he became Weiwei Shaoqing (大业初，为荥阳、楼烦二郡太守，征为殿内少监。九年，迁卫尉少卿。) Jiu Tang Shu, vol.01. If her death year is 613, it should be after her second son Li Shimin's wedding to Lady Zhangsun, as Lady Zhangsun's biography in Old Book of Tang recorded that she was 13 (by East Asian reckoning) when she wedded.

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