Princess Yan

Princess Yan (嚴王后, personal name unknown) was the wife of the Chinese state Former Liang's ruler Zhang Jun. It is not known when Zhang Jun married her, but it is known that she carried the title of princess even though Zhang, for most of his reign, used the Jin Dynasty (265-420)-created title of Duke of Xiping, and only late in his reign used the title "Acting Prince of Liang" (假涼王). After Zhang Jun's death in 346, his son and heir Zhang Chonghua honored her as "Grand Princess Dowager" and his own mother Lady Ma as "Princess Dowager." (The fact that Zhang Chonghua was not her son but yet was made heir implies that she had no sons.) No further reference was made to her, and by the time that Zhang Chonghua died in 353, she appeared to have died, because only Zhang Chonghua's mother Princess Dowager Ma was mentioned, not she.

• ^1 The first recognized ruler of Former Liang, Zhang Jun's uncle Zhang Mao, was not mentioned as having had a princess; he might have had one, but if he did, her name is lost to history.