empress wu primary sources. In her new position, she was constantly involved in affairs of state at the highest level and must have performed her duties well because she became a favorite of Taizong. Every Chinese emperor had concubines, and most had favorites; few came to power, or stayed there, without the use of violence. Lady Wang had no children and Lady Xiao had a son and two daughters. Naples: Institute Universitario Orientale, 1976. His son Li Longji succeeded him, ruling as Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756 CE). The earliest sources on Wu Zetian already contained rumors of sex scandals in her court. Wuplayed here by Li Lihuawas depicted as powerful and sexually assertive in the Shaw Brothers 1963 Hong Kong movie Empress Wu Tse-Tien. Anticipating Wu Zetian's political ambitions, 60,000 flatterersincluding Confucian officials, imperial relatives, Buddhist clergy, tribal chieftains, and commonerssupported the petition to proclaim the Zhou Dynasty with herself as the founding emperor. There was a sense of trying to keep up with ones rivals by building something bigger than they had. is held up in Chinese histories as the prototype of all that is wicked in a female ruler. Mike Dash is a contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com. (February 23, 2023). Last modified March 17, 2016. Su, Tong. The only woman ever to rule as emperor of China, Wu Zhao (Wu ZeTian) was born in 624 C.E. When Empress Wu was the empress of the Tang Dynasty, she created a system of secret police to watch her opponents and killed or put anyone in . Mutsuhito https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/empress-wu-wu-zhao, "Empress Wu (Wu Zhao) Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian's SteleI, (GJGY.com) (CC BY-SA). . Her one mistake had been to marry this boy to a concubine nearly as ruthless and ambitious as herself. RELIGION AS A PERCENTAGE OF WORLD POPULATION: 0.1 percent The reversal of gender roles was nowhere more objectionable than Wu Zetian's sexuality, in the eyes of the traditional historians. Nevertheless, court intrigues still greatly influenced the recruiting of civil servants. One of the most powerful champions of Buddhism in China was the Empress Wu Zetian. ." Two brothers, known as the Zhang Brothers, were her favorites and she spent most of her time in closed quarters with them. The cambridge history has a fascinating take on this period - the author of the chapter on Wu's reign keeps reminding the reader that the imperium was peaceful; the economy was booming; government was rational, efficient and effective; and a parade of highly qualified top officials presided. disadvantages of food transportation. Her Buddhist supporters interpreted the Madamegha (Great Cloud) sutra to predict a maitreya Buddha (Buddha-to-come) in female form, presumably Wu Zetian herself, who would embody the concept of the cakravartin (wheel-turner, universal emperor, or the ideal man who is king). Unknown, . She also dealt ruthlessly with a succession of rivals, promoted members of her own family to high office, succumbed repeatedly to favoritism, and, in her old age, maintained what amounted to a harem of virile young men. Edward Schafer, The Divine Women: Dragon Ladies and Rain Maidens in Tang Literature (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973). 1, 1993, pp. When Gaozong died in 683 CE, Wu took control of the government as empress dowager, placing two of her sons on the throne and removing them almost as quickly. 1 minutes de lecture . unified China in 221 B.C. When she was an infant dressed in boy's clothes, Wu Zetian's potential for emperorship was predicted by an official. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Empress Wu, the first and only female emperor of Imperial China. As an effective woman ruler, she challenged the traditional patriarchical dominance of power, state, sovereignty, monarchy, and political ideology. In her seventies, Wu showered special favor on two smooth-cheeked brothers, the Zhang brothers, former boy singers, the nature of whose private relationship with their imperial mistress has never been precisely determined. "Empress Wu and the Historians: A Tyrant and Saint of Classical China," in Nancy Auer Falk and Rita M. Gross, eds., Unspoken Worlds: Religious Lives of Women. Economic considerations also played a role in this relocation. The emperor's concubines could not be passed on to be used by others but were forced to end their time at court and start a new life of chastity in a religious order. 242289. Wu's rise to power was ruthless and her reign no less so, as she continued to eliminate rivals and opponents using tactics that were sometimes brutal. Thank you! This particular minister was silenced but that did not silence the rest; they just were more careful not to speak their mind in front of her. No contemporary image of the empress exists. Please support World History Encyclopedia. Their antagonism toward a female ruler eventually would find its way into the histories which recorded her reign and become the 'facts' which future generations would accept as truth. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994, pp. Ruizong was also a disappointment to her and so she forced him to abdicate in 690 CE and proclaimed herself Emperor Zeitan, ruler of China, the first and only woman to sit on the Dragon Throne and reign in her own name and by her own authority. Wu also took back lands which had been invaded by the Goturks under the reign of Taizong and distributed them so that they were not all held by the aristocrats. She ordered farming manuals to be written and distributed. She was the daughter of a minor general called Duke Ding of Ying, and came to the palace as a concubine in about 636an honor that suggests that she was very beautiful, since, as Jonathan Clements remarks, admission to the ranks of palace concubines was equivalent to winning a beauty contest of the most gorgeous women in the medieval world. But mere beauty was not sufficient to elevate the poorly connected teenage Wu past the fifth rank of palace women, a menial position whose duties were those of a maid, not a temptress. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1989, pp. Empress Wu Zetian (Empress Consort Wu, Wu Hou, Wu Mei Niang, Mei-Niang, and Wu Zhao, l. 624-705 CE, r. 690-704 CE) was the only female emperor of Imperial China. Justinian. Empress Wu used the intelligence she gathered to pressure some high-ranking officials who were not performing well to resign; others she simply banished or had executed. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Jennifer W. Jay , Professor of History and Classics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Gaozong had caught a disease which affected his eyes (possibly a stroke) and needed to have reports read to him. Neither of these boys was a threat to Lady Wang or Lady Xiao because Gaozong had already chosen a successor; his chancellor Liu Shi was Lady Wang's uncle, and Gaozong appointed Liu Shi's son, Li Zhong, as heir. China during Wu Zetian's ReignIan Kiu (CC BY-SA). She maintained a stable economy and a moderate taxation for the peasantry. Creating overpowering statues, like the one at Longmen, was important. 1, 1990, pp. Five Historical Plays. Originally published/produced in China, 18th century. Her last name, "Wu" is associated with the words for 'weapon' and 'military force' and she chose the name 'Zeitan' which means 'Ruler of the Heavens'. Why should you weep for me?" Emily Mark studied history and philosophy at Tianjin University, China and English at SUNY New Paltz, NY. and turned the, Wang Mang (45 B.C.-A.D. 23) was a Chinese statesman and emperor. But 28 other consorts still stood between her and the throne. A woman in the most powerful position in government threatened the traditional patriarchy and the court counselors, ministers, and historians claimed Wu had upset the balance of nature by assuming a power which belonged to a man. McMullen, David. Wu was now raised to the position of first wife of Gaozong and empress of China. The Story Of Wu Zetian, China's First Female Emperor, The Demonization of Empress Wu by Mike Dash, The Karmic Retribution of Pei Huaigu by Kelly Carlton (University of Florida), Wu Zetian: China's One and Only Woman Emperor by Jim Down. Taizong was surprised that his latest concubine could read and write and became fascinated by her beauty and wit in conversation. As we know, the truth is somewhere in the middle. True, Taizongan old warrior-ruler so conscientious that he had official documents pasted onto his bedroom walls so that he would have something to work on if he woke in the nighthad lost his empress shortly before Wu entered the palace. They are regarded as important by historians because they show how far Wu went in trying to create a new world in China under her reign: she even wanted to change the words they used. The system of Neo-Confucianism of which Chu Hsi is regarded as the spo, Mutsuhito If it still won't be tamed, I'll cut its throat with the knife. Her mother ne Yang was of aristocratic birth with mixed Chinese and Turkic blood, the result of generations of intermarriage when five nomadic tribes overran north China and founded dynasties in the 4th to 6th centuries. She has published historical essays and poetry. The most spectacular are the stone temples and statues chiseled into grottoes at Longmen, near her capital. The other statues (still seen in the Longmen Grottoes) were also made to elevate her status as a divine ruler who knew what was best for the people and was divinely appointed to apply whatever laws or policies she saw fit. License. Although Wu's account claims that Lady Wang murdered her daughter, later Chinese historians all agree that Wu was the murderer and she killed her child to frame Lady Wang. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. A brother or a clan grandson at times ascended the throne during usurpation or when the emperor died without issue, but female succession through descent from a daughter was never permitted. It was used for religious rites supervised by her lover Xue Huaiyi. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. While serving as his concubine, she risked a death penalty in engaging in an incestuous affair with the crown prince and her stepson, the later Emperor Gaozong (r. 649683). She was also able to re-open the Silk Road, which had been closed because of the plague of 682 CE and later raids by nomads. She appears in influential plays as a feminist and champion of the lower classes while her male rivals are shown to be aristocrats, landlords, and conservatives against the tide of history. Modern popular novels and plays, in Chinese, Japanese, and English, also exaggerate the sexual aspect of her rule. With her exceptional intelligence, extraordinary competence in politics, and inordinate ambition, she ruled as the "Holy and Divine Emperor" of the Second Zhou Dynasty (690-705) for fifteen years. Forte, Antonino. Empress Wu Zetian. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Gaozongs third son succeeded to the throne in 683 after his death, but Empress Wu became the empress dowager in a few months, after forcing the young emperor to abdicate. Reign of Terror. Wu Zhao embarked on religious life as a nun in a convent after Li Shimins death in 649. by Unknown. It may be helpful to consider that there were in effect two empressesthe one who maintained a reign of terror over the innermost circle of government, and the one who ruled more benignly over 50 million Chinese commoners. Wu Zhao listened to her minister and considered his argument and then, Rothschild writes, "Wu Zhao, with no intention whatsoever of 'leading the quiet life of a widow', rejected this interpretation and promptly exiled the man to the swampy, disease-ridden, Southland" (109). In the reign of Empress Wu, persons who entered government through the examinations were able for the first time to occupy the highest positions, even that of chief minister. Removing the legitimate heir, she took the name of Emperor Zetian and founded the Zhou dynasty in 690, becoming the first and only female emperor in Chinese history. She had the mountain named Mount Felicity and claimed it had risen to honor her and her reign. Historians have documented Wu Zetian's resort to slander, torture, and murders to reinforce the propaganda of omens. Her success in the campaigns against Korea inspired confidence in her generals and Wu's decisions on military defense or expeditions were never challenged. However, when Li Zhi became emperor and took the name Gaozong, one of the first things he did was send for Wu and have her brought back to court as the first of his concubines, even though he had others and also a wife. She ordered the executions of several hundred of these aristocrats and of many members of the imperial family of Li. Wills, John E., Jr. "Empress Wu," in Mountain of Fame: Portraits in Chinese History. Wu: the Chinese Empress Who Schemed, Seduced and Murdered Her Way to Become A Living God. Woodbridge Bingham, The Founding of the Tang Dynasty: The Fall of Sui and Rise ofTang, a Preliminary Survey (New York: Octagon, 1975). You're hard-pressed to find any historical documents that don't have some sort of bias, especially when dealing with a controversial figure like Wu Zetian. One example of her clout was in 666 CE when she led a group of women to Mount Tai (an ancient ceremonial center), where they conducted rituals which traditionally were performed only by men. A Japanese example: In the late 7th century, Japans Emperor Shomu and Empress Komyo both were involved in Buddhist buildings. Yet contemporaries thought that there was more to her than this. Your Majesty may take this as 'Mount Felicity', but your subject feels there is nothing to celebrate. Mike Dash "Empress Wu and Proto-Feminist Sentiments in T'ang China," in Frederick P. Brandauer and Chn-chieh Huang, eds., Imperial Rulership and Cultural Change in Traditional China. One reason, as we have already had cause to note in this blog, is the official nature and lack of diversity among the sources that survive for early Chinese history; another is that imperial history was written to provide lessons for future rulers, and as such tended to be weighted heavily against usurpers (which Wu was) and anyone who offended the Confucian sensibilities of the scholars who labored over them (which Wu did simply by being a woman).