She held power, in one guise or another, for more than half a century, first as consort of the ineffectual Gaozong Emperor, then as the power behind the throne held by her youngest son, and finally (from 690 until shortly before her death in 705) as monarch. She organized teams to survey the land and build irrigation ditches to help grow crops and redistributed the land so that everyone had an equal share to farm. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. Although this system opened government positions to a wider group than ever before, in the final stages of the process candidates continued to be judged on their appearance and speech. For centuries she was excoriated by Chinese historians as an offender against a way of life. From 655, when she became the empress of Emperor GaoZong of Tang (son of Emperor TaiZong), until 683 . Empress Wu: Hero or Villain - Amped Up Learning The empress responded with both diplomacy and force, concluding a marriage alliance with the Turks and defeating the Qidan in battle. Seen from this perspective, Wu did in fact fulfill the fundamental duties of a ruler of imperial China; Confucian philosophy held that, while an emperor should not be condemned for acts that would be crimes in a subject, he could be judged harshly for allowing the state to fall into anarchy. The horrible deaths of empress Wang and the Pure Concubine, for example, are nowhere mentioned in Luo Binwangs fearless contemporary denunciation, which suggests that Wu was not blamed for them during her lifetime. Her travel writing debuts in Timeless Travels Magazine. A history known as the Comprehensive Mirror records that, during the 690s, 36 senior bureaucrats were executed or forced to commit suicide, and a thousand members of their families enslaved. 1 minutes de lecture . To ensure imperial male progeny, the Chinese emperor's harem was an elaborate organization of eunuchs who attended to hundreds of concubines, of whom one was appointed empress, the principal wife of the emperor. Economic considerations also played a role in this relocation. There are abundant signs that Wu was viewed with deep suspicion by later generations of Chinese. Buddhism was carried into East Asia by merchants and Buddhist monks traveling the Silk Road from Northern India, Persia, Kashmir and Inner Asia. Buddhists Support. An official under the former Han dynasty, he took the Han throne and founded his own, CHARLEMAGNE Gaozong fell for it and the Empress Wang was put to death. Her extravagant construction projects and expensive frontier campaigns had exhausted the treasury, which led to a financial crisis. Illustration. Yet it was this series of events that cleared the way for Gaozongs, and hence Wus, accession. But if she is observed in the context of the sexuality of male rulers, then the number of her favorites is insignificant. She did not ask any man's permission to lead these women to Mount Tai; she felt she knew what was best and did it. Books "Empress Wu Zetian." Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/empress-wu-wu-zhao. The Woman Who Discovered Printing. 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. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1975. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. . Wu Zetian is the only legitimatized Empress in Chinese history. 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. Although Carlton's observation is accurate, the box also did provide Wu with a number of ideas for reform which came directly from the people, not government officials who would have profited from them, and which Wu implemented efficiently. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979. Hong Kong: Cosmos, 1994. Wu Zetian established her dynasty - the Zhou dynasty. ." Empress Wu Zetian and the Spread of Buddhism - Women In World History Hailing from the Tang dynasty, Empress Wu made some great positive strives for the Tang dynasty, but also got caught up in scandals - a couple even involving murder! Carved in limestone, the colossal statue is reputed to have been carved in Wus own likeness. In promoting Buddhism over Confucianism and Daoism as the favored state religion, the Empress countered strongly held Confucian beliefs against female rule. Mark, Emily. Mutsuhito It is easier to take seriously the suggestion that Wu arranged a series of murders within her own family. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. Modern popular novels and plays, in Chinese, Japanese, and English, also exaggerate the sexual aspect of her rule. Forte, Antonino. "Wu Zetian." is held up in Chinese histories as the prototype of all that is wicked in a female ruler. She wanted to make it clear that a new kind of ruler had taken the throne of China and a new order had arrived. Please support World History Encyclopedia. So queens and empresses regnant were forced to rule like men, and yet roundly criticized when they did so. Han Emperor Wen, r. 180-157 BCE . She attracted the attention of many of the young men at court and one of these was the Prince Li Zhi, son of Taizong, who would become the next emperor, Gaozong. This opposition was formidable; the annals of the period contain numerous examples of criticisms leveled by civil servants mortified by the empresss innovations. Wu Zhao embarked on religious life as a nun in a convent after Li Shimins death in 649. The insurrections had received little popular support and in the years that she dominated politics as empress, empress dowager, and finally as emperor, there were no widespread military unrests. Most nations of note have had at least one great female leader. She was also the most important early supporter of the alien religion of Buddhism, which during her rule surpassed the native Confucian and Daoist faiths in influence within the Tang realm. 6, no. At age 14 she became a concubine of Emperor TaiZong of the Tang Dynasty and was given the title of CaiRren (Guardian Immortal) and a new name, Wu Mei. She did not hold that title but she was the power behind the office and took care of imperial business even when pregnant in 665 CE with her daughter Taiping. Twitchett, Denis, and Howard J. Wechsler. unified China in 221 B.C. After Gaozongs death, in 683, she remained the power behind the throne as dowager empress, manipulating a succession of her sons before, in 690, ordering the last of them to abdicate and taking power herself. Wus later life was one long illustration of the exceptional influence she had come to wield. Japanese modern statue of Kannon commemorating Su, Tong. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Recent revisionist reappraisals have focused on the feminist slant of her rule and her record as an emperor rather than a woman, but no new primary sources have appeared to resolve conflicting information and gaps in her biography. She began her life at court as a concubine of the emperor Taizong. False: In fact, the Roman Empire was in decline at this time. 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. Although the function of the concubine in China is almost always associated with sex, a woman in this position could have a number of non-sexual responsibilities, from daily tasks like taking care of the laundry to more specialized skills like conversation, poetry reading, and playing music. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. C.P. 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. But already in 666 when Wu Zetian was empress to the reigning Gaozong, she had prepared for her imperial ambitions by defying tradition and mockery as she led the unprecedented procession of imperial ladies to sacrifice to earth, believed to be a female deity. China during Wu Zetian's ReignIan Kiu (CC BY-SA). Still, Xuanzong continued many of Wu's policies, including keeping her reforms in taxation, agriculture, and education. Jiu Tangshu [Old history of the Tang]. World Eras. Empress Wu Zetian (Illustration) - World History Encyclopedia Wu eliminated all the bureaucracy by establishing a direct line of communication between herself and the people. We care about our planet! 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. The odds that a girl of this low rank would ever come to an emperors attention were slim. In 652 CE, Wu gave birth to a son, Li Hong, and in 653 CE had another son, Li Xian. Lyn Reese is the author of all the information on this website Wu Zetian's collected writings include official edicts, essays, and poetry, in addition to a treatise to instruct her subjects on moral statecraft. Guisso, Richard W. Empress Wu Tse-t'ien and the Politics of Legitimation in T'ang China. Historians have documented Wu Zetian's resort to slander, torture, and murders to reinforce the propaganda of omens. On the question of succession after her death, Wu Zetian entertained notions of an heir from a Wu and Li marriage. These criteria no doubt favored the aristocratic families. 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). It was approached via a mile-long causeway running between two low hills topped with watchtowers, known today as the nipple hills because Chinese tradition holds that the spot was selected because the hills reminded Gaozong of the young Wus breasts. Wei had her father appointed Chief Minister to her husband and tried to push through other measures favoring her family. Carlton further notes, "While ostensibly for her great concern over the condition of her people, the box mainly served the purpose of obtaining information on seditious subjects (3)." History 100 Flashcards | Quizlet In 690 C.E., Zetian forced Li Dan to abdicate the throne to her, and declared herself the founding empress of the Zhou dynasty. Her giant stone memorial, placed at one side of the spirit road leading to her tomb, remains blank. She whispered slander from behind her sleeves, and swayed her master with vixen flirting and insisted that she was the arch manipulator of an unprecedented series of scandals that, over two reigns and many years, cleared her path to the throne. Unknown, . Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4558/empress-wu-zetian/. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Her courtiers, however, hatched a plot and afterward forced her to abdicate in 705; she died later that year. When Wu could no longer tolerate her daughter-in-law's antics and disrespect, and her son's refusal to discipline her and obey Wu's dictates, she had him charged with treason and banished along with his wife. Privacy Statement (It was common for poor Chinese boys to voluntarily undergo emasculation in the hope of obtaining a prestigious and well-remunerated post in the imperial service). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1994, pp. 1, Sui and T'ang, pp. Wu Zhao: Ruler of Tang Dynasty China - Association for Asian Studies One of the most powerful champions of Buddhism in China was the Empress Wu Zetian. The spirit road causeway to Wus still-unopened tomb lies between two low rises, tipped by watchtowers, known as the nipple hills.. Amherst : Prometheus Books, 1990; T.H. Wu Zetian is believed to have been born in Wenshi County, Shanxi Province around 624 CE. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/wu-zetian-624-705. The Shiji Creating overpowering statues, like the one at Longmen, was important. In defiance of convention Emperor Gaozong started an affair with her, and she bore him a son in 652. Gaozong's wife, Lady Wang, and his former first concubine, Xiao Shufei, were jealous of each other but even more envious of the attention Gaozong paid to Wu. With a heart like a serpent and a nature like that of a wolf, one contemporary summed up, she favored evil sycophants and destroyed good and loyal officials. A small sampling of the empresss other crimes followed: She killed her sister, butchered her elder brothers, murdered the ruler, poisoned her mother. Hidden Power: The Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China. Even her gravesite is remarkable. Throughout 15 dismal years in exile, her sons consort had talked him out of committing suicide and kept him ready to return to power. As early as 660 CE, Wu had organized a secret police force and spies in the court and throughout the country. By 655 she had consolidated her position after her son inherited the throne. across from her husband, the emperor. Wu also learned to play music, write poetry, and speak well in public. Thus Wu Zetian's experience might have caused some redefinition of gender in her time, but this direction has not translated into enduring gains in the society and political organization that she left behind. All in all, Wus policies seem less scandalous to us than they did to contemporaries, and her reputation has improved considerably in recent decades. 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. "The Real Judge Dee: Ti Jen-chieh and the T'ang Restoration of 705," in Asia Major. Chu Hsi (1130-1200) was one of the greatest Chinese scholars and philosophers. She ordered the executions of several hundred of these aristocrats and of many members of the imperial family of Li. Empress Wu is the only female to have ever ruled in her own name in China. The Tang empire in 700, at the end of Wus reign. This institution became a political weapon in the hands of Empress Wu when she usurped the throne in 690. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/wu-zetian-624-705, "Wu Zetian (624705) 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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. It is also generally accepted that Ruizongs wife, Empress Liu, and chief consort, Dou, were executed at Wus behest in 693 on trumped-up charges of witchcraft. Ch'ien-lung (1711-1799) was the fourth emperor of the Ch'ing, or Manchu, dynasty in China. 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. . When Taizong died, Wu and his other concubines had their heads shaved and were sent to Ganye Temple to begin their lives as nuns. Wu was forced to abdicate in favor of her exiled son Zhongzong and his wife Wei. History Test 3 Inquizitive Flashcards | Quizlet 1, 1990, pp. 3rd Series. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. She killed her sister, butchered her elder brothers, murdered the ruler, poisoned her mother, the chronicles say. It seems possible that the fate ascribed to Wang and the Pure Concubine was a chroniclers invention, intended to link Wu to the worst monster in Chinas history. The Confucian dynastic system of government, based on the mandate of heaven, or the claim of heaven-sanctioned military conquest and benevolent rule, was first propounded by the Zhou Dynasty in 1045 bce and perpetuated by subsequent dynasties until 1911. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. In preparing for the legitimacy of her emperorship, she claimed the Zhou Dynasty (1045256 bce) and its founders among her own ancestors. Last modified March 17, 2016. Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. Wu Zetian: China's Only Female Emperor - ThoughtCo Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Princes and ministers loyal to the Tang Dynasty and princes suspected of rebellious motives against her were executed. 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). Shortly after she took the throne there was an earthquake which was interpreted as a bad omen. She contended with petitions against female dominance which argued that her unnatural position as emperor had caused several earthquakes to occur and reports being filed of hens turning into roosters. the empress, greatly weakened by infirmity and old age, would allow no one but the Zhang brothers by her side. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979. The critical Anderson concedes that, under Wu, military expenses were reduced, taxes cut, salaries of deserving officials raised, retirees given a viable pension, and vast royal lands near the capital turned over to husbandry.. The woman who believed she was as capable as any man to lead the country continues to be vilified, even if writers now qualify their criticisms, but there is no arguing with the fact that, under Wu Zetian, China experienced an affluence and stability it had never known before. Encyclopedia.com. Empress Wu is one of the most controversial leaders in Chinese history for her method of rule and the means she likely used to rise to power. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/empress-wu-wu-zhao, "Empress Wu (Wu Zhao) In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Historians remain divided as to how far Wu benefited from the removal of these potential obstacles; what can be said is that her third son, who succeeded his father as Emperor Zhongzong in 684, lasted less than two months before being banished, at his mothers instigation, in favor of the more tractable fourth, Ruizong. When he fell out of favor, he burned the building to the ground. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. These characters were supposed to replace between 10 and 30 of the older characters and were Wu's attempt to change the way her people thought and wrote. Guo, Moruo. 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. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. According to the histories of the period, Wu smothered her own week-old daughter by Gaozong and blamed the babys death on Wang, who was the last person to have held her. A third problem is that the empress, who was well aware of both these biases, was not averse to tampering with the record herself; a fourth is that some other accounts of her reign were written by relatives who had good cause to loathe her. Wu disposed of her enemies, first the former empress and then the high-ranking officials, who had strongly opposed her rise. ." 127148. At the same time, another political faction formed around Wu's other son, Ruizong, who was supported by Wu's daughter, Taiping. Please support World History Encyclopedia. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. One of the brothers, she declared, had a face as beautiful as a lotus flower, while it is said she valued the other for his talents in the bedchamber. ." The Empress Wu Zetian (690-704 CE) is the only female ruler in the history of China. She could not become an emperor under the Tang Dynasty because of the long tradition of male succession and the fact that she was not a member of the imperial family by birth. Abdication. Under Xuanzong's reign, China became the most affluent country in the world at the time. If it still won't be tamed, I'll cut its throat with the knife. . Xin Tangshu [New history of the Tang]. She gave titles of royalty to her own Wu family: her brothers and nephews became princes while her sisters, aunts, and nieces became princesses. License. Two years later, in 712 CE, Ruizong abdicated after he saw a comet one night and, following the interpretation suggested by Taiping, took it as a sign his rule was over. Wu Zetian came to the throne when she was 67, making her the oldest person ever be crowned. "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. Vol. And does she deserve the harsh verdict that history has passed on her? The Demonization of Empress Wu : r/history - reddit Meanwhile, the Turks invaded Gansu, and the Tibetans posed a threat to Chinese possessions in Central Asia. The emperor believed her story, and Wang was demoted and imprisoned in a distant part of the palace, soon to be joined by the Pure Concubine. Complete List of Included Worksheets Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document. Thank you for your help! In 683 CE, when Wu began manipulating events as a man would, one Confucian scholar wrote that nature had been reversed by the 'usurping woman' and "throughout the empire in every prefecture hens changed into roosters, or half changed" (Rothschild, 108). After this event Wu became Empress and shared Imperial power equally with her emperor. 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. 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. At the time of the murder, it was Lady Wu's word against Lady Wang's, and later historians decided to side with Lady Wang against Wu; but this does not mean they chose the right side. Wu Zetian's politics can be considered as feminist initiatives to reinforce the legitimacy of women in the political arena. She carefully eliminated any potential enemies from the court and had Lady Wang and Lady Xiao killed after they had gone into exile. The scholar N. Henry Rothschild writes, "The message was clear: A woman in a position of paramount power was an abomination, an aberration of natural and human order" (108). The three phases of the universe; These three phases were birth, existence, and destruction. Such killings were not uncommon among emperors before and after her. 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. McMullen, David. To consolidate her power, in 657 Wu designated Luoyang as a second capital. Lady Wang had no children and Lady Xiao had a son and two daughters. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. (February 23, 2023). The founding emperor of a dynasty and his descendants constituted the imperial family, which through male succession produced emperors who were normally the eldest son born to the empress. Guisso says, that empowered informers of any social class to travel at public expense. She also maintained an efficient secret police and instituted a reign of terror among the imperial bureaucracy. (2016, February 22). Web. On a similar tone, she ordered that the mother of the Daoist sage Laozi (Lao Tzu, c. 600 bce) be honored. Although she gave political clout to some women, such as her capable secretary, she did not go as far as challenging the Confucian tradition of excluding women from participating in the civil service examinations. World History Encyclopedia. Even today, Wu remains infamous for the spectacularly ruthless way in which she supposedly disposed of Gaozongs first wife, the empress Wang, and a senior and more favored consort known as the Pure Concubine. 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. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Although these characters were removed after her reign they still exist as a Chinese dialect in written form. 2231). 1996-2021 This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. To recruit a new class of administrators through competition, the examinations that had played only a secondary role in the recruitment and promotion of civil servants in Han times (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) She, like Lady Wei, had paid careful attention to the reign of Wu Zetian and thought she would be able to manipulate Xuanzong as her mother had Gaozong. by Unknown. She ordered farming manuals to be written and distributed. The practice of an emperor having young women as concubines was customary but when an empress decided to entertain herself with young men it was suddenly scandalous. emperor angelfish (Pomecanthus imperator) See CHAETODONTIDAE. No contemporary image of the empress exists. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Originally published/produced in China, 18th century. Sima, Guang. 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.
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