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Wu Zetian [note 8] (17 February 624 [note 9] [note 10] – 16 December 705), [3] [4] personal name Wu Zhao, was Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and then (from 690) in her own right. She ruled first as empress consort, through her husband Emperor Gaozong and then as an empress dowager, through her sons Emperors ...
- She started out as an imperial concubine. Wu Zetian was born into a rich family. Her father Wu Shiyue made sure that she was well-educated – a trait that was uncommon among women.
- She had an affair with the emperor’s son. While Emperor Taizong was still alive, Wu had an affair with his youngest son, Li Zhu (628-683). When Taizong died in 649, Li succeeded him as Emperor Gaozong.
- She may have murdered her own baby. In 654, shortly after she gave birth to a daughter, the baby died. Wu accused Empress Wang – the wife of Emperor Gaozong – of murder.
- She deposed her sons to become empress. Upon the death of Emperor Gaozong in 683, Wu became empress dowager and her son Li Zhe (656-710) took the throne as Emperor Zhongzong.
Mar 17, 2016 · 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. She reigned during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) and was one of the most effective and controversial monarchs in China's history. She began her life at court as a concubine of the ...
- Emily Mark
Wuhou (born 624 ce, Wenshui [now in Shanxi province], China—died December 16, 705, Luoyang) was the woman who rose from concubinage to become empress of China during the Tang dynasty (618–907). She ruled effectively for many years, the last 15 (690–705) in her own name.
- Charles Patrick Fitzgerald
Wu Zetian, the only female emperor to rule China, was born in 624 and was the de facto ruler of the Tang Dynasty from 665 to 705. However, Wu Zetian’s rise to power was long and complex. As a child, she received a good education so when she was selected to be a concubine of Emperor Taizong at the age of 14, she was able to use her intelligence to advance through the ranks and become his ...
Jan 31, 2023 · Learn how Wu Zetian rose from a concubine to the only woman who ruled China in her own right, and how she was hated for it. Explore her brutal rise, her reforms, her controversies and her death.
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Learn about Wu Zhao, the first and only woman emperor of China, who ruled as the “Holy and Divine Emperor” of the Second Zhou Dynasty for fifteen years. Explore her rise to power, her political achievements, and her controversial reputation in this online article.
