Wu Zetian(武则天), the only Chinese Empress is a series of articles focused on the only Empress of China: Wu Zetian. These articles will appear every Monday, so stay tuned!
-Wu Zetian
Part I: Introduction
The history of the dynasties of Ancient China is great, known for its different emperors, wars, and culture. However, while the position of emperors was mostly held by men, they were not the only sex to rule over the country. Chinese people saw, during the Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D.), the rise to the power of a cunning and intelligent woman in a male-dominated society who would become their own empress: Wu Zetian.
-The Chinese dynasties
Wu Zetian came from a relatively prosperous family. Her father started off as a timber merchant, and soon became an army commander (during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui dynasty) and Minister of Revenue and superintendent of Jingzhou City (under Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, after Emperor Yang). Wu Zetian had 2 brothers and 3 sisters (the sisters being from the noblewoman her father later remarried). However, the family’s wealth did not ensure Wu Zetian’s own success nor happiness, especially in the patriarchal society of the Tang Dynasty.
Wu Zetian’s father passed away in 635 CE, leaving the power to his two sons. Wu Zetian’s stepbrothers were not known to be kind to the women in their family, disrespecting their stepmother and sisters. Knowing that her sex would prevent her from accessing the riches and the opportunities her father had previously earned, Wu Zetian decided to then leave the family to become an Imperial concubine.
She first became a concubine of Emperor Taizong but was not highly favoured due to his preference for women. Taizong’s taste in women could be shown through the personality of his wife, Empress Zhangsun, who was humble and modest, refusing to live the life of luxury and instead only taking the resources she needed. She was patient, obedient and inspired Taizong to rule better. In fact, it was told that she would often plead with Taizong to reduce his punishments on his servants and eunuchs.
Empress Zhangsun even visited her husband’s concubines when they were sick. The most important part was that this Empress refused to take part in matters of state, stating that it was not her position to do so. In fact, she even denied her husband’s suggestion to promote her brother Zhangsun Wuji to the chancellor in the imperial court, saying: “I have the opportunity to be here in the palace, reaching the highest of honours. I do not wish to see my brothers and nephews wield power. What happened to the households of the Han Dynasty's Empress Lü Zhi and Huo Guang are cruel examples of what might happen. I pray that Your Imperial Majesty will not make my brother chancellor.”
Empress Zhangsun was the polar opposite of Wu Zetian: she played the role of the obedient, non-ambitious wife of that time quite well. Wu Zetian, however, was an ambitious, crafty person with a fiery personality that Zhangsun had no particular care for, and so she stayed as a lowly concubine for most of his reign. But the journey was not over: father or son, it did not matter. Wu Zetian was also having an affair with the person next in line to the throne: Emperor Zhangsun’s son, Gaozong.
Her photo is kinda scary ngl 🙂