| Reign-Type2: | 2nd tenure |
| Reign2: | Late 1622/early 1623 – 30 September 1626 |
| Predecessor2: | herself |
| Successor2: | Empress Xiaoduanwen (in Qing) |
| Succession3: | Empress Dowager of the Later Jin dynasty |
| Reign-Type3: | Tenure |
| Reign3: | 30 September 1626- 1 October 1626 |
| Predecessor3: | Empress Dowager Rensheng (in Ming) |
| Successor3: | Empress Dowager Xiaoduanwen (in Qing) |
| Abahai | |
| Khatun of Great Jin | |
| Succession: | Khatun of the Later Jin dynasty |
| Reign: | 17 February 1616 – 1620 |
| Reign-Type: | 1st tenure |
| Predecessor: | Empress Xiaoduanxian (in Ming) Empress Xiaocigao (posthumously) |
| Successor: | herself |
| Birth Name: | Ula Nara Abahai (烏拉那拉·阿巴亥) |
| Birth Date: | (萬曆十八年) |
| Birth Place: | Jilin City |
| Death Date: | (天命十一年 八月 十二日) |
| Death Place: | Mukden Palace |
| Burial Place: | Fu Mausoleum |
| Issue: | Ajige, Prince Ying of the First Rank Dorgon, Prince Ruizhong of the First Rank Dodo, Prince Yutong of the First Rank |
| Full Name: | Ula Nara Abahai (烏拉那拉 阿巴亥) |
| Posthumous Name: | Empress Xiaolie Gongmin Xianzhe Renhe Zantian Lisheng Wu (孝烈恭敏獻哲仁和讚天儷聖武皇后) (revoked in 1653) |
| House: | Ula Nara (烏拉那拉; by birth) Aisin Gioro (by marriage) |
| Father: | Mantai |
| T: | 孝烈武皇后 |
| S: | 孝烈武皇后 |
| P: | Xiàolièwǔ Huánghòu |
Empress Xiaoliewu (1590 – 1 October 1626), of the Manchu Plain White Banner Ula Nara clan, personal name Abahai, was a consort of Nurhaci.[1] [2] She was 31 years his junior.
Abahai was erroneously identified with Hong Taiji, Nurhaci's eighth son and successor, in earlier sources.
In November or December 1601, Lady Ula Nara married Nurhaci, becoming one of his multiple wives.[3] Following the death of Empress Xiaocigao on 31 October 1603, Lady Ula Nara was elevated to Nurhaci's primary consort. She gave birth on 28 August 1605 to Nurhaci's 12th son, Ajige, on 17 November 1612 to his 14th son, Dorgon, and on 2 April 1614 to his 15th son, Dodo.
In early 1620, Lady Abahai was regularly spotted visiting Daišan, the Emperor's eldest son's chambers. She also prepared dishes for him. A lady-in-waiting reported those incidents to Nurhaci, who was outraged. However, wanting to protect the royal family's reputation, Nurhaci berated her for another matter, stealing gold and jewels. Lady Abahai was banished from the palace by Nurhaci, who then deposed her.[4]
After Lady Abahai's banishment, the Emperor started to miss her. By 1622, he was considering bringing her back. Around late 1622 to early 1623, Nurhaci brought back Lady Abahai to the palace, as she was restored to her titles as Empress and returned to her royal duties.
When Nurhaci died on 30 September 1626, Lady Ula Nara was forced to commit suicide by her stepson, Hong Taiji. According to legend, Lady Ula Nara was forced to be buried alive beside Nurhaci to prove her love for him. Other sources claim that she was strangled by Hong Taiji's servants as she stood as a threat to his ascension. Either way, Lady Ula Nara committed suicide on 1 October 1626, the day after Nurhaci's death, on the order of Hong Taiji. She was 36.
During the early reign of the Shunzhi Emperor, Dorgon served as Prince-Regent for the underage emperor. In 1650, Lady Ula Nara was posthumously elevated to "Empress Xiaoliewu". In 1653, the Shunzhi Emperor revoked Lady Ula Nara's posthumous title.