WU HOU
Name: Wu Hou or Wu Zetian or Wu Chao
Born: 625
Death: December 16, 705
Wu Zetian (625 - December 16, 705), personal name Wu Zhao , often referred
to as Heavenly Empress during Tang Dynasty and Empress Wu in later
times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Emperor.
Ruling China first through her husband and her sons from 665 to 690, not
unprecedented in Chinese history, she then broke all precedents when she founded
her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled
personally under the name Emperor Shengshen and variations thereof from
690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian
historians but has been viewed under a different light after the 1950s.
Wu Zetian's time in the Tang palace started when she was 13 and made a concubine
of Emperor Tang. Despite her beauty, however, she did not become a favorite of
Emperor Taizong's, and after Emperor Taizong's death in 649, she might have
otherwise have been expected to spend the rest of her life as a Buddhist nun as
was the case of Emperor Taizong's other childless concubines. However, through
an unlikely fortuity -- that Empress Wang, the wife and empress of Emperor
Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong, wanted another beautiful concubine
to divert Emperor Gaozong's favors from Consort Xiao, with whom Empress Wang was
having a desperate struggle. Having been returned to the palace, Consort Wu
proceeded to defeat both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao in the struggle for
Emperor Gaozong's affection, and subsequently, both Empress Wang and Consort
Xiao were killed, and she was made empress. She progressively gained more and
more influence over the governance of the empire throughout Emperor Gaozong's
reign, and toward the end of Emperor Gaozong's reign, she was effectively making
most of the major decisions. She was regarded as ruthless in her endeavors to
grab power, and was believed by traditional historians to have even killed her
own daughter to frame Empress Wang, and her own oldest son Li Hong in a power
struggle. She subsequently had another son, Li Xian, deposed and exiled.
After Emperor Gaozong's death in 683, Empress Wu became empress dowager and
proceeded to depose yet a third son, Emperor Zhongzong, for displaying
independence. She then had her youngest son Emperor Ruizong made emperor, but
was ruler not only in substance but in appearance as well, as she presided over
imperial gatherings and prevented Emperor Ruizong from taking an active role in
governance. In 690, she had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her and
established Zhou Dynasty. The early part of her reign was characterized by
secret police terror, which moderated as the years went by. She was, on the
other hand, recognized as a capable and attentive ruler even by traditional
historians who despised her, and her ability at selecting capable men to serve
as officials was admired throughout the rest of Tang Dynasty as well as
subsequent dynasties.In 705, she was overthrown in a coup, and Emperor
Zhongzong was returned to the throne. She continued to carry the title of "emperor"
until her death later in the year.
In 706, Wu Zetian's son Emperor Zhongzong had Wu Zetian interred in a joint
burial with his father Emperor Gaozong at the Qianling Mausoleum, located near
the Tang capital on Mount Liang. Qianling is also the burial place of Emperor
Zhongzong's brother Li Xián, son Li Chongrun, and daughter Li Xianhui the
Lady Yongtai (posthumously honored as the Princess Yongtai) victims of Wu
Zetian's wrath.
Name: Wu Hou or Wu Zetian or Wu Chao
Born: 625
Death: December 16, 705
Wu Zetian (625 - December 16, 705), personal name Wu Zhao , often referred
to as Heavenly Empress during Tang Dynasty and Empress Wu in later
times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Emperor.
Ruling China first through her husband and her sons from 665 to 690, not
unprecedented in Chinese history, she then broke all precedents when she founded
her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled
personally under the name Emperor Shengshen and variations thereof from
690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian
historians but has been viewed under a different light after the 1950s.
Wu Zetian's time in the Tang palace started when she was 13 and made a concubine
of Emperor Tang. Despite her beauty, however, she did not become a favorite of
Emperor Taizong's, and after Emperor Taizong's death in 649, she might have
otherwise have been expected to spend the rest of her life as a Buddhist nun as
was the case of Emperor Taizong's other childless concubines. However, through
an unlikely fortuity -- that Empress Wang, the wife and empress of Emperor
Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong, wanted another beautiful concubine
to divert Emperor Gaozong's favors from Consort Xiao, with whom Empress Wang was
having a desperate struggle. Having been returned to the palace, Consort Wu
proceeded to defeat both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao in the struggle for
Emperor Gaozong's affection, and subsequently, both Empress Wang and Consort
Xiao were killed, and she was made empress. She progressively gained more and
more influence over the governance of the empire throughout Emperor Gaozong's
reign, and toward the end of Emperor Gaozong's reign, she was effectively making
most of the major decisions. She was regarded as ruthless in her endeavors to
grab power, and was believed by traditional historians to have even killed her
own daughter to frame Empress Wang, and her own oldest son Li Hong in a power
struggle. She subsequently had another son, Li Xian, deposed and exiled.
After Emperor Gaozong's death in 683, Empress Wu became empress dowager and
proceeded to depose yet a third son, Emperor Zhongzong, for displaying
independence. She then had her youngest son Emperor Ruizong made emperor, but
was ruler not only in substance but in appearance as well, as she presided over
imperial gatherings and prevented Emperor Ruizong from taking an active role in
governance. In 690, she had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her and
established Zhou Dynasty. The early part of her reign was characterized by
secret police terror, which moderated as the years went by. She was, on the
other hand, recognized as a capable and attentive ruler even by traditional
historians who despised her, and her ability at selecting capable men to serve
as officials was admired throughout the rest of Tang Dynasty as well as
subsequent dynasties.In 705, she was overthrown in a coup, and Emperor
Zhongzong was returned to the throne. She continued to carry the title of "emperor"
until her death later in the year.
In 706, Wu Zetian's son Emperor Zhongzong had Wu Zetian interred in a joint
burial with his father Emperor Gaozong at the Qianling Mausoleum, located near
the Tang capital on Mount Liang. Qianling is also the burial place of Emperor
Zhongzong's brother Li Xián, son Li Chongrun, and daughter Li Xianhui the
Lady Yongtai (posthumously honored as the Princess Yongtai) victims of Wu
Zetian's wrath.