How Did The Tang Empress Wu Zetian, The First Female Ruler In China?

The Chinese possessed strong beliefs about astrology, so when it was prophesised that a women ruler would soon ascend the throne word quickly spread throughout the common people. It was predicted that within 30 years this woman known as ‘The Prince of Wu’ would rule over China. Whether or not Empress Wu’s rise to power was due to ‘heaven ordained fate’, she fulfilled the prophecy and became China’s first woman ruler in the 7th century. Historians, scholars and common people alike have long debated Wu’s reign. She is commonly referred to as an evil usurper due to the way she took power. However whether she fully deserves this reputation is to be examined. As the only female Chinese ruler, Wu challenged traditional gender roles and

In the history of imperial China, The Tang dynasty Empress Wu Zetian occupies a unique place. She is the only one Empress that ruled a dynasty in China with its thousand years of history. For almost 50 years she enjoyed the supreme power, first she was in partnership with Tang Gaozong, a ruler usually considered weak and ineffectual, later as de facto regent for her youngest son and finally, from 690 to 705 A.D., as China’s sole female emperor. Her rise from the obscurity of Tang Taizong’s harem was dramatic and her pursuit of power was ruthless. Her political policies were controversial and her lifestyle flamboyant.

In most societies, women were only needed to tend to children, however that did not apply to how things were ran in the Tang dynasty. From 618-907, the Tang dynasty ran China, but it was ran by a woman. Then, China greatly appreciated women and trusted them enough to run their society. However,

Wu Zetian was born in 624 in Wenshui County, Shanxi Province. In 655 Wu was promoted to the position of Empress. In their time having a woman ruler was unnatural, it was said that Empress Wu was a successful ruler. The Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) was a time of freedom for women. After five years of Wu marriage she took an active part in state affairs and took over the administration after her husband's stroke.

Throughout history, there is absolutely no doubt that women, (whether they be royalty, revolutionaries, or regular citizens,) tend to be erased by the men that were recording at that time. The gender was, and still continues to be, suppressed and discriminated against. Therefore, when a powerful woman happened to be in the position where she could make a difference, she might adapt masculine tendencies and presentation. This is the case of the ancient Egyptian queen Hatshepsut, who was the second historically confirmed female pharaoh of Egypt, and the first to rule with full authority, according to The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson. In this paper I will explain how Hatshepsut presented herself as a pharaoh by blending

Women’s role in Ancient Chinese civilisation was always vital to society due to their role in the family and during the Tang and Song dynasty significant changes occurred, changing Chinese women’s lives forever. While it is no secret women were inferior to men in the history of China, not many are aware of the major differences of the status of women from dynasty to dynasty. The Tang-Song dynasties ruled from 618AD to 1279 AD and many distinct differences between these two dynasties can be observed. Women’s role in these dynasties primarily included domestic duties, with the introduction of new roles to the female gender. Their role was very important to society as the woman of the family ran the household and as that was the most important

Cleopatra and Empress Wu Zetian were two very powerful women of their time. Cleopatra, Last Pharaoh of Egypt. As queen of Egypt, Cleopatra is one of the most famous female rulers in history. Cleopatra’s family ruled Eygpt for more than 100 years before she was born around 69 BC.

During the Tang dynasty, women had achieved some semblance of equality with men that had not been seen in prior dynasties. Of course, men were still the dominant of the two genders, but women were given similar opportunities. Depending on social status, they could conduct business, own properties of land, and receive an education. The Tang dynasty even saw the rise of a female emperor, Empress Wu, who reigned for most of her life until old age forced her to pass on her throne (116 cambridge ebrey tang). However, the Song dynasty was very different. Unlike the other cultural shifts presented, this change does not stem from outside social factors, but rather from the changes themselves. For example, women were believed to belong inside of the home and out of sight, where they could manage the household, while men belonged outside, where they could conduct business or receive an education (ebrey separating the genders 21). This view reflects the Confucian values that had been reintroduced during the Song dynasty. This Confucian viewpoint takes the inner and outer spheres and relates them to yin and yang (s.t.g 23). Because of Confucian ideals, yang is believed to be superior to yin, meaning the man and his outer sphere are superior to the woman and her inner sphere. Furthermore, these ideals enforced the belief that men and women should generally avoid each other, and

Yes, I believe a woman could be a successful pharaoh. Why? Back in Ancient Egypt most women were considered equal to men, they worked at the peasantry carrying out agricultural work alongside their husbands and sons. While the upper class women worked as perfume-makers or in courts and temples dancing and entertaining guests, and noblewomen could be members of the priesthood linked to either a god or goddess. Even though there was equality in this period of time women could not exercise all powers of a king particularly those of high priest of Egypt. Hatshepsut was one of the several women pharaohs to rule Egypt and probably the most successful woman pharaoh. With not having the same power as men would have, during her reign Hatshepsut depicted

In the ancient history of Egypt, Hatshepsut had been a controversial figure. She was born in the New Kingdom at around 1500 BCE. She was the fifth pharaoh in the 18th dynasty and her reign lasted for about 20 years, making her the longest reigning female pharaoh in the ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and Ahmose. She was married to Thutmose II, whom they had the same father. There were generally two theories: Old Egyptologists in 1920’s who believed Hatshepsut was evil and power hungry, while the Modern Egyptologists disagreed with many concepts of the Old Egyptologists. However, neither of these theories are wholly true. It is more logical to conclude that Hatshepsut ascended the throne

The Great King’s Wife’ was one of the most important females at the time. “She was able to use her feminine influence over one of the most powerful monarchs in the ancient Near East” (173). This is a great example of how a Great Kings Wife was able to use her honorary tittle and impressive privileges, to be able to take a high position in sacred features of monarchy. During the 18th Dynasty, a group of successful and empowering women played a crucial role during a political expansion involving military and economics. One of the most high-ranking political pharaohs at this time was Hatshepsut.

The Tang Empire lasted 618-907 CE (Reading 8), which was enough time to bring many changes in how the monarchy and society dealt with gender roles. Over the years that this empire held power, most of the time women were put back in society as being not important. They were put back because the main religion in the Tang Empire was Confucianism, which was enforced throughout the Tang period. In the Tang Dynasty, women were deprived of power in society, which were enforced by societal beliefs caused by Confucianism.

So it is no surprise that Wu, born into a rich and noble family, was taught to play music, write, and read the Chinese classics. By thirteen years of age she was known for her wit, intelligence, and beauty. She was a woman doing a man’s job. She ruled during peaceful times. She was also mother of

Wu Zetian is known to be the first empress in China to have ruled in her own right. However, to get to the position of an empress, Wu Zetian did many unpleasant things but nonetheless, I still believe that she ended up did many good things for China that made up for all the bad she did. As an empress,Wu did a lot to help China. Some things she did was she stabilized and consolidated the Tang Dynasty, she began a campaign to elevate the position of a woman, she found the best people to run the government, she lowered oppressive taxes, raised agricultural production, and strengthen public works. Empress Wu did many great things but she was also very cruel at times. For instance, Wu arranged series of murders within her own family, smothered

In conclusion, Wu Zetian can be recognized as a strong and solid leader because she introduced effective government reforms, removed those who opposed reforms and restructuring, thus showing her strength and keeping China at peace. Most importantly she expanded China’s territory greatly, helped the economy and quality of life by having successful military conquests. Therefore after reviewing these three points, we can say that Wu Zetian was not only the first and last Woman emperor, but also, to a great extent, she was one of the greatest and most successful leaders in Chinese