Whenever we come to the idea of studying strong women who made the difference in the societies they lived, it is not unusual we deal with female royals who are mostly favoured by historiography. This, however, is neither a criticism or a fault on the part of historians. It's understood that a personal interest is mostly what motivates them in search of comprehend the role of a Queen, duchess, or any female whose royal status is entwined with historical events and the facility which sources may provide. And whilst historiography usually gives a great focus to British, French, Spanish or Portuguese ladies of noble birth, we here humbly attempt to do otherwise by telling the story of Wu Zetian of China.
Born Wu Zhao in Wenshui County, Shanxy Province with some sources claiming the birth date being February 17th, 624. She was raised within a wealthy family, with her father apparently being one of the Emperor Taizong's ministers, and was given a good education for a girl of her status, in which she "was taught to read, write, and to play music. Wu was an intelligent and ambitious girl who learned all she could about politics and how the government worked."
At the age of 13, she was summoned to the palace to become the Emperor's concubine, a title used to the monarch's lesser wives, due to her beauty and intelect she would later be praised for. But "it is said that her mother wept when they came to take her away, but Wu consoled her by saying that this was her destiny." In the next paragraph, we can have a better observation of how was her life at court:
"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. Taizong was surprised that his latest concubine could read and write and became fascinated by her beauty and wit in conversation. Taizong was so impressed by her intellectual abilities, he took her out of the laundry and made her his secretary. 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."
However, with the death of Taizong around the year of 649, as she did not deliver him a son, she was sent to a Buddhist nunnery, a place reserved to the Emperor's widows. There, those who were once the concubines of the Emperor had to follow an ancient chinese custom which involved having their "heads shaved and (...) thrown into a convent." But, if in the past she captivated the then prince Li Zhi with her charms, when he became Emperor Gaozong, she would not be forgotten and, in fact, was summoned to court by Empress Wang, who sought to distract Gaozong from a concubine with whom she was disputing the attentions of her husband.
"Attaining that position first required Wu to engineer her escape from a nunnery after Taizong's death--the concubines (...) 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 them--and to return to the palace under Gaorzong's 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 husband's equal. By 666, the annals state, Wu was permitted to make offerings to the gods beside Gaozong and even to sit in audience with him--behind a screen, admittedly, but on a throne that was equal in elevation to his own."
"In time she became a favorite concubine of the new emperor, giving birth to the sons he wanted. As mother of the future emperor of China, she grew in power. She managed to eliminate (...) Empress Wang, by accusing her of kiling (...) newborn daughter."
Many historians believe that it was Wu who strangled her own daughter, in order to destitute Empress Wang of her title and so thus become Empress herself. Once she managed to do so, "many of the state affairs were up to her for final decision since Emperor Gaozong was weak-minded. In that period of time, Wu managed to remove a group of political enemies thus clearing away all the obstacles in her political career. Beginning in 660 when Emperor Gaozong caught an eye disease, Wu began to grasp all the real power in the guise of assisting the Emperor in dealing with state affairs"
Concerning the nature of Wu, there can be only speculations as, according to historians, most of sources praise her deeds whilst her enemies accuse her of plenty of murderers. However, even surrounded by so many controversials, it seems possible to say, based on the degree of her actions that leaded her to the Chinese throne, that she was indeed a very clever and ambitious woman who was wise enough to keep herself behind the curtains of power and laterwards, knew how to use it for herself and her family. Her mother, "Lady Yang had been created the Lady of Rong, and her older sister, now widowed, the Lady of Han. Her brothers Wu Yuanging and Wu Yuanshuang and cousins Wu Huaiyun, despite the poor relationships that they had with lady Yang, were promoted".
When Lady of Rong died, the Emperor, perhaps attracted to the beauty of the deceased Lady's daughter or moved by a compassionate feeling, wanted to keep her in the court and this may have displeased the Empress greatly for it was said she poisoned her niece, only to blame her brothers later. It is from such events that she is claimed by her enemies to have been a murderer, possibly a sorcerer and a merciless woman who would do anything to be where she is. Some historians agree with that image, which might explain why the only Empress of China has been so controversial throughtout the centuries.
However, it is wise to remember that "as a leader, Emperor Wu ruled beningly over 50 million people. Under Confucian philosophy, an emperor's primary job is to promote stability and care for his (or her) subjects, which Wu managed spectacularly. She promoted Buddhism during her reign, and without her support, it would probably never have become such a profound influence on Chinese culture. She avoided major wars, and expanded Chinese territory to stretch into present-day Xinjiang to promote trade along the Silk Road. She also introduced an updated form of the civil service exams that were merit-based-hypotheticallly, anyone could be an adviser to the emperor of they were driven and intelligent enough, and aspects of this system lasted well into the 20th century."
From concubine, to Empress consort, Empress dowager until she finally became Empress herself. The methods perhaps were a little too bloody, but which Emperor or King in those days were not possible to do the same thing? In the last paragraph, we saw how the ruler and the person she was were divided. She managed a realm and was the only woman for doing so. Some might think she was merely doing what any men would in her position, whilst others stick to the view she was a blood-thirsty women who had no scruples to rise. But who was she? Was the Empress a good ruler and yet a tyrannical to those who opposed her? Or was she only a woman who did what she could to survive?
To those questions, we have no answers, though. A most important question rises, nevertheless: if she was cold, brutal and bloody as ruler, and her figure laterwards is seen with suspicious and dislike for the next generations, why was her reign successful? If we take a look deep inside her reign, we will find there was little opposition: she took the crown from her sons, causing the exile of one, the deposition of other, but to keep it, how successful she was? An exerpt on the next paragraph will better explain of how successful her deeds were.
"Remembering her peasant roots, Wu reformed agricultural laws to lessen the tax burden on peasant farmers across China, instituted some of the world's first labor laws, streamlined the bloated military into a more efficient fighting force, and cut the fat in her own government by forcing any government administrator to complete a ridiculously-difficult civil service examination to prove they were smart enough to have the job. She kicked out useless politicians, brought in well-trained scholars, built irrigation systems to improve farming (...)"
The Empress was also reported to have enjoyed a few number of favourites, especially towards the end of her reign. She did not remarry, and one assumes she refused doing so not to share the crown she struggled to keep. So "in the early eight century, Wu fell ill, and shortly before her death in 705 political maneuvering and fighting amongst her rivals forced her to abdicate the throne to Li Xian, thus ending her Zhou dynasty and restoring the Tang. She died soon afterwards."
Bibliography:
http://totallyhistory.com/empress-wu-zetian/
http://www.headstuff.org/2014/08/wu-zetian-female-emperor-china/
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/historyofchina/fl/Wu-Zetian.htm
http://www.warriortours.com/intro/history/tang/wuzetian.htm
http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2014/09/badass-ladies-of-chinese-history-wu-zetian/
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/index.cgi?id=52787309381
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Zetian
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine6.html
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-demonization-of-empress-wu-20743091/?no-ist
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https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/tang/emperor_wuzetian.htm
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