How did she hold on to power? Wu placed her first son on the throne who took the royal title Zhongzong. At these pilgrimage sites, rituals were performed which established a link between the standing Buddha and the ruler. The Shiji 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. As early as 660 CE, Wu had organized a secret police force and spies in the court and throughout the country. 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'. Forte, Antonino. 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. Two brothers, known as the Zhang Brothers, were her favorites and she spent most of her time in closed quarters with them. Cambridge History of China. "Wu Zetian (624705) Historical Significance: Empress Wu was very significant in the Tang Dynasty. "Empress Wu (Wu Zhao) 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. When a mountain seemed to appear following the earthquake, this was also interpreted as nature itself revolting against the reign of Wu. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1975. In 690, she declared herself emperor after deposing her sons and founding her own dynastyZhou. Wu began an affair with Li Zhi, who was married at the time, while still attached to Taizong as concubine. Click for Author Information. womeninworldhistory.com. ." 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. 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. Lu Zhi was an instantly recognizable villain to the people of China, and linking Wu with her through the murders worked to destroy Wu's reputation. Emily Mark studied history and philosophy at Tianjin University, China and English at SUNY New Paltz, NY. There must also be some doubt as to whether Wu really was guilty of some of the most monstrous crimes that history has charged her with. She replaced Zhongzong with her second son, who became Emperor Ruizong. (February 23, 2023). Her courtiers, however, hatched a plot and afterward forced her to abdicate in 705; she died later that year. Wu Zetian died within a year. Such killings were not uncommon among emperors before and after her. He refused to cooperate well with his mother and his wife, Lady Wei, assumed too much power. 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. So much for the supposed facts; what about the interpretation? Beginning in 660 CE, Wu was effectively the emperor of China. 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. 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). Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Picking through the bias to try to get to the real story is always fascinating and - in my mind - fun. Theodora. Determining the truth about this welter of innuendo is all but impossible, and matters are complicated by the fact that little is known of Wus earliest years. Web. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1989, pp. Buddhism was carried into East Asia by merchants and Buddhist monks traveling the Silk Road from Northern India, Persia, Kashmir and Inner Asia. Gaozong fell for it and the Empress Wang was put to death. Princes and ministers loyal to the Tang Dynasty and princes suspected of rebellious motives against her were executed. Every Chinese emperor had concubines, and most had favorites; few came to power, or stayed there, without the use of violence. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Wu: the Chinese Empress Who Schemed, Seduced and Murdered Her Way to Become A Living God. (108). She not only created many different cultural and political policies, but she displayed what a women could do in government. Barrett. Mutsuhito While Confucian historians condemned her usurpation, extravagance, and scandal, Wu Zhao has been credited for providing strong leadership and ruling during an age of relative peace and prosperity. Any historian who has written on Lady Wu has followed the story set down by the later Chinese historians without question, but these historians had their own agenda which did not include praising a woman who presumed to rule like a man. Bellingham, WA: Center for Asian Studies, Western Washington University, 1978. Carved in limestone, the colossal statue is reputed to have been carved in Wus own likeness. The Tang empire in 700, at the end of Wus reign. Thereafter the empress favored Confucianism. Sexual Life in Ancient China: A Preliminary Survey of Chinese Sex and Society from ca.1500 BC till 1644 AD. Illustration. Historians have documented Wu Zetian's resort to slander, torture, and murders to reinforce the propaganda of omens. The Fall of Kaifeng [ edit] In 1126, Emperor Huizong abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Qinzong, the elder brother of Gaozong. Yet Wu has had a pretty bad press. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. 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. 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. In 704 CE, court officials could no longer tolerate Wu's behavior and had the Zhang brothers murdered. New Haven: YUP, 2008; Jonathan Clements. The answer was to proclaim another dynasty, not by military conquest, but by interpreting omens that favored her to carry out a change of dynasties and become enthroned as a woman emperor. Empress Wu Zetian ruled as Chinas only female emperor. "Wu Zetian (624705) This was a common practice after the death of the emperor. Mark, Emily. Pomacanthus imperator (emperor angelfish) See CHAETODONTIDAE. She ruled for 15 years during the Tang Dynasty and was one of China's most impactful and divisive emperors. Wu is said to have potentially killed her own. Empress Theodora. Wu Zhao embarked on religious life as a nun in a convent after Li Shimins death in 649. This mountain, so born of the sudden convulsion of earth, represents a calamity. 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. However, the date of retrieval is often important. 23 Feb. 2023
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