She carefully eliminated any potential enemies from the court and had Lady Wang and Lady Xiao killed after they had gone into exile. She reigned during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) and was one of the most effective and controversial monarchs in China's history. Became concubine to Emperor Taizong (640); entered Buddhist nunnery (649); returned to the palace as concubine (654), then as empress (657) to Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong; became empress dowager and regent to her two sons (68489); founded a dynasty (Zhou, 690705) and ruled as emperor for 15 years. This institution became a political weapon in the hands of Empress Wu when she usurped the throne in 690. 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. Li Zhi was deeply in love with Wu but could not do anything about it because she belonged to his father and, besides, he was already married. Empress Lu Zhi (241-180 B.C.) and to pray for permanent world peace. 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. ." Abdication. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. She was painted as a usurper who was both physically cruel and erotically wanton; she first came to prominence, it was hinted, because she was willing to gratify certain ofthe Taizong emperors more unusual sexual appetites. Born: February 17, 624 Lizhou, China Died: December 16, 705 in Luoyang, China Reign: October 16, 690 to February 22, 705 Best known for: The only woman to be Emperor of China Biography: Empress Wu Zetian by Unknown [Public Domain] Growing Up Wu Zetian was born on February 17, 624 in Lizhou, China. Wu was now raised to the position of first wife of Gaozong and empress of China. Appears In speckle park bull sales 2021 847-461-9794; empress wu primary sources. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Barrett. "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. Mark, E. (2016, March 17). Historians have documented Wu Zetian's resort to slander, torture, and murders to reinforce the propaganda of omens. 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)." Wu (she is always known by her surname) has every claim to be considered a great empress. Kumarajiva's influence on Chinese Buddhist thought was crucial. The court followed Empress Wus example by creating an enormous statue of the Vairocana Buddha in gold and copper at the Todaiji monastery in Nara, Japans capital. It was customary, when a dynasty changed, to re-set history. Having risen to be empress in Wangs stead, Wu ordered that both womens hands and feet be lopped off and had their mutilated bodies tossed into a vat of wine, leaving them to drown with the comment: Now these two witches can get drunk to their bones., As if infanticide, torture and murder were not scandalous enough, Wu was also believed to have ended her reign by enjoying a succession of erotic encounters which the historians of the day portrayed as all the more shocking for being the indulgences of a woman of advanced age. It was used for religious rites supervised by her lover Xue Huaiyi. The efficiency of her court declined as she spent more and more time with the Zhang brothers and became addicted to different kinds of aphrodisiacs. She changed the compulsory mourning period for mothers who predeceased fathers from the traditional one year to three yearsthe same length as the mourning for fathers who predeceased mothers. Wu Zetian's first two sexual partners were emperors and related to each other as father and son. Encyclopedia.com. As early as 660 CE, Wu had organized a secret police force and spies in the court and throughout the country. Functioning in a male-oriented patriarchy, Wu Zetian was painstakingly aware of the gender taboos she had to break in political ideology and social norm. The historians always portray Wu as ruthless, conniving, scheming, and bloodthirsty, and she may have been all of these things, she may have even murdered her daughter to gain the throne, but any of these claims should only be accepted after considering their source. Unknown, . Beginning in 660 CE, Wu was effectively the emperor of China. "Wu Zetian (624705) Empresas ICA Sociedad Controladora, S.A. de C.V. Empresa Brasileira de Aeronutica S.A. (Embraer), Emporia State University: Narrative Description, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/empress-wu-wu-zhao. Controversial ruler of Tang China who dominated Chinese politics for half a century, first as empress, then as empress-dowager, and finally as emperor of the Zhou Dynasty (690705) that she founded . Gaozong fell for it and the Empress Wang was put to death. These criteria no doubt favored the aristocratic families. (3). disadvantages of food transportation. Even her gravesite is remarkable. What role, if any, the undeniably ambitious concubine played in the events of the early Tang period remains a matter of controversy. While functioning and surviving in the male-ruled and power-focused domain, she exhibited strengths traditionally attributed to men, including political ambition, long-range vision, skillful diplomacy, power drive, decisive resolve, shrewd observation, talented organization, hard work, and firm dispensal of cruelty. In death, as in life, then, Wu remains controversial. All in all, Wus policies seem less scandalous to us than they did to contemporaries, and her reputation has improved considerably in recent decades. By 655 she had consolidated her position after her son inherited the throne. 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. 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. 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. Every Chinese emperor had concubines, and most had favorites; few came to power, or stayed there, without the use of violence. She reformed the structure of the government and got rid of anyone she felt was not carrying out their duties and so reduced government spending and increased efficiency. Wu Zetian's tough character and good equestrian skills were perceived by observers even when she was a teenager. Image taken from An 18th-century album of portraits of 86 emperors of China, with Chinese historical notes. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. "The Real Judge Dee: Ti Jen-chieh and the T'ang Restoration of 705," in Asia Major. 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. Mike Dash Setting up a new dynasty meant installing a new imperial family to replace the Li-Tang imperial house, from which she had married two emperors who were father and son, Taizong and Gaozong. In her last years Wu lost influence, although she remained energetic and cruel. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. ." Thank you for your help! Her daunting task was convincing the Confucian establishment about the legitimate succession of a woman who was the widow of the deceased emperor and the mother of the currently legitimate ruler. The primary and secondary sources on Wu Zetian are abundant and problematic, reflecting an almost exclusively male authorship that has portrayed her as a beautiful, calculating, brutal woman who ruled China as the only woman emperor in name and in fact. Terms of Use It was Taizong who called her 'Mei-Niang' meaning 'beautiful girl' (one of the names commonly, and wrongly, attributed to her as her birth name). 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. 3, no. 31, no. Empress Theodora. "Empress Wu Zetian." Wu began her life at court taking care of the royal laundry but one day dared to speak to the emperor when they were alone and talked about Chinese history. Encyclopedia.com. The Chinese Bell Murders. empress wu primary sources. Her reforms and policies lay the foundation for the success of Xuanzong as emperor under whose reign China became the most prosperous country in the world. Replacing the dynasty and imperial house through Confucian ideology still could not legitimize a woman on the throne. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/empress-wu-wu-zhao. Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty (The Greenwood Press Wu: The Chinese Empress who schemed, seduced and murdered her way to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Empress and emperor appear at the center of each scene, larger than the other figures to show their importance, bedecked in imperial purple, and sporting . Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 2007; Dora Shu-Fang Dien, Empress Wu Zetian in Fiction and in History: Female Defiance in Confucian China. provided her with a string of virile lovers such as one lusty, big-limbed lout of a peddler, whom she allowed to frequent her private apartments. Buddhism was carried into East Asia by merchants and Buddhist monks traveling the Silk Road from Northern India, Persia, Kashmir and Inner Asia. ." Pronunciation: Woo-jeh-ten. Explaining why the empress was so reviled, then, means acknowledging the double standard that existedand still existswhen it comes to assessing male and female rulers. After suppressing this revolt, the empress dowager began to purge her opponents at court. Barretts recent book even suggests (on no firm evidence) that the empress was the most important early promoter of printing in the world. "Empress Wu Zetian." She began her life at court as a concubine of the emperor Taizong. Wu also reformed the military by mandating military exams for commanders to show competency, which were patterned on her imperial exams given to civil service workers. . Wu Zetian is believed to have been born in Wenshi County, Shanxi Province around 624 CE. Zhou Dynasty. Japanese modern statue of Kannon commemorating Taizong forced the abdication of his own father and disposed of two older brothers in hand-to-hand combat before seizing the throne. 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. She particularly supported Huayan Buddhism, which regarded Vairocana Buddha as the center of the world, much as Empress Wu wished to be the center of political power. When the Turkic ruler asked for a marriage arrangement, she sent her nephew's son to become the groom to the chieftain's daughter. Although modern historians, both east and west, have revised the ancient depiction of Wu Zetian as a scheming usurper, that view of her reign still persists in much that is written about her. Buddhism was carried into East Asia by merchants and Buddhist monks traveling the Silk Road from Northern India, Persia, Kashmir and Inner Asia. Vol. Wu Zetian is the only legitimatized Empress in Chinese history. 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. A 17th-century Chinese depiction of Wu, from Empress Wu of the Zhou, published c.1690. Most historians believe Wu became intimate with the future Gaozong emperor before his fathers deatha scandalous breach of etiquette that could have cost her her head, but which in fact saved her from life in a Buddhist nunnery. emperor angelfish (Pomecanthus imperator) See CHAETODONTIDAE. Wu Zhao viewed the situation differently: she claimed the mountain was a good omen which reflected the Buddhist mountain of paradise, Sumeru. Before coming to power, she was presented with three petitions containing sixty thousand names and urging her to ascend to the throne, which suggested that she had some popular support. However, the date of retrieval is often important. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Empress Wu Zetian and the Spread of Buddhism (625-705 C.E.) Wu, characteristically, admired the virtuosity of Luos style and suggested he would be better employed at the imperial court. At the age of fourteen, she was selected as a palace maid to Gaozong, then a Prince, and his first spouse and primary consort Xing, who had recently married. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. But in 705, when she was 81 years old, the combined forces of the Li-Tang family took advantage of her weakening grip on the state and removed her from power. 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. Your Majesty may take this as 'Mount Felicity', but your subject feels there is nothing to celebrate. In 690, she declared herself emperor after deposing her sons and founding her own dynastyZhou. 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. However they rose, though, it has always been harder for a woman to rule effectively than it was for a manmore so in the earlier periods of history, when monarchs were first and foremost military leaders, and power was often seized by force. Complete List of Included Worksheets Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document. The first thing she did was change the name of the state from Tang to Zhou (actually Tianzhou or Tiansou). 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. Empress Wu is the only female to have ever ruled in her own name in China. Political Propaganda and Ideology in China at the End of the Seventh Century. Quin Shi Huang-Di She was also assured that her sons would rule the country after the death of her husband. False: In fact, the Roman Empire was in decline at this time. Traders from the Mediterranean and Persia also came from both the overland and maritime trade routes, where Buddhism and Central Asian culture, dress, and music reached China. 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. She ordered the executions of several hundred of these aristocrats and of many members of the imperial family of Li. Wu could have murdered her daughter but her position as a female in a male role brought her many enemies who would have been happy to pass on a rumor as truth to discredit her. When Taizong died, Gaozong became emperor, and Wu Zetian joined a Buddhist nunnery, as required of concubines of deceased emperors. To respond properly to Heaven's censure, it is suitable that you lead the quiet life of a widow and cultivate virtue, otherwise I fear further disasters will befall us. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. 1, 1993, pp. Empress Wu (Wu Zhao) 627-705 First female monarch Sources Rise to Power. Her supposed method, moreoveramputating her victims hands and feet and leaving them to drownsuspiciously resembles that adopted by her most notorious predecessor, the Han-era empress Lu Zhia woman portrayed by Chinese historians as the epitome of all that was evil. Attaining that position first required Wu to engineer her escape from a nunnery after Taizongs deaththe concubines of all deceased emperors customarily had their heads shaved and were immured in convents for the rest of their lives, since it would have been an insult to the dead ruler had any other man sullied themand to return to the palace under Gaozongs protection before entrancing the new emperor, removing empress Wang and the Pure Concubine, promoting members of her own family to positions of power, and eventually establishing herself as fully her husbands equal. Mutsuhito Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Princes and ministers loyal to the Tang Dynasty and princes suspected of rebellious motives against her were executed. First emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Quin Shi Huang-di (259 B.C.-210 B.C.) We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. 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. It was Lu Zhi who, in 194 B.C., wreaked revenge on a rival by gouging out her eyes, amputating her arms and legs, and forcing her to drink acid that destroyed her vocal chords. The poet Luo Binwangone of the Four Greats of Early Tang and best known for his Ode to the Gooselaunched a virulent attack on the empress. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Yet it was this series of events that cleared the way for Gaozongs, and hence Wus, accession. Anyone she suspected of disloyalty, for any reason, was banished or executed. Wu Zetian was in effect taking the unprecedented step of transforming her position from empress dowager to emperor. Justinian. None of these actions, though, would have attracted criticism had she been a man. . There was a sense of trying to keep up with ones rivals by building something bigger than they had. 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). Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. 22 Feb. 2023
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