Wu Zhao: China's Only Woman Emperor
This new entry in the Longman Library of World Biography series offers the compelling story of Wu Zhao - one woman’s unlikely and remarkable ascent to the apex of political power in the patriarchal society of traditional China.\ Wu Zhao, Woman Emperor of China is the account of the first and only female emperor in China’s history. Set in vibrant, multi-ethnic Tang China, this biography chronicles Wu Zhao’s humble beginnings as the daughter of a provincial official, following her path to the...
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This new entry in the Longman Library of World Biography series offers the compelling story of Wu Zhao - one woman’s unlikely and remarkable ascent to the apex of political power in the patriarchal society of traditional China.Wu Zhao, Woman Emperor of China is the account of the first and only female emperor in China’s history. Set in vibrant, multi-ethnic Tang China, this biography chronicles Wu Zhao’s humble beginnings as the daughter of a provincial official, following her path to the inner palace, where she improbably rose from a fifth-ranked concubine to becoming Empress. Using clever Buddhist rhetoric, grandiose architecture, elegant court rituals, and an insidious network of “cruel officials” to cow her many opponents in court, Wu Zhao inaugurated a new dynasty in 690, the Zhou. She ruled as Emperor for fifteen years, proving eminently competent in the arts of governance, deftly balancing factions in court, staving off the encroachment of Turks and Tibetans, and fostering the state’s economic growth.
Editor's Preface viiAuthor's Preface ixGenealogies of the House of Tang and the House of Wu xviiWhat's in a Name? 1Historical Preconditions for the Ascent of a Woman Emperor: Steppe Culture, the Silk Road, and Buddhism 11From the Sichuan Countryside to the Inner Palace 17Empress Wu: A Changing of the Guard 37The Two Sages 49Celestial Empress and Grand Dowager 65Wu Zhao as Lover: Lady of Perfect Satisfaction 93Sage Mother Rising 103Queen of Terror 125Bodhisattva of Mercy 137Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty 157Octogenarian in Retreat: Succession, Factionalism, and Craneriding in the Final Years 181Conclusion: The Vain Quest for Wu Zhao 205A Note on the Sources 215Chronology 221Glossary 223Index 231
