Tai Si ( Chinese : 太姒 , c. 12th – 11th century BC) was the wife of King Wen of Zhou and is revered as a highly respected woman of ancient China . She was a descendant of Yu the Great – founder of the Xia dynasty – and was the mother of ten sons, including King Wu of Zhou – founder of the Zhou dynasty – and his younger brother the Duke of Zhou .
81-467: Particularly respected by Wu Zetian , China's only Empress regnant, Tai Si and King Wen were posthumously given the temple names "Shizu" ( Chinese : 始祖 ; lit. 'founding ancestor') in 690 AD. Tai Si is said to be born in the Youxin clan ( Chinese : 有莘氏 ) of the ancestral name Si, from what is now Heyang County , Shaanxi Province . Han dynasty historian Sima Qian wrote that she
162-643: A Han prince, Liu Sheng . During the Han dynasty , the Chinese associated jade with immortality to a point where some individuals attempted to drink jade in liquid form to gain eternal life. This association further complements the idea of the Mandate of Heaven and why the Seal was carved in jade, China's most valued material for thousands of years. At the death of the second Emperor of Qin , his successor Ziying proffered
243-492: A greater extent. From January 665 until the end of his reign, Wu would sit behind a pearl screen behind Gaozong at imperial meetings, and called her own orders "emperor edicts". She even wore the yellow robe of the empire like an emperor, which was extraordinary and unprecedented for an empress. Wu was effectively making the major decisions. After Shangguan Yi's execution, Gaozong increasingly relied on Wu's advice. When chancellors and officials discussed political affairs with him,
324-581: A key feature of the civil service. Wu also had an important impact upon the statuary of the Longmen Grottoes and the "Wordless Stele" at the Qian Mausoleum , as well as the construction of some major buildings and bronze castings that no longer survive. Besides her career as a political leader, Wu also had an active family life. She was a mother of four sons, three of whom also carried the title of emperor, although one held that title only as
405-497: A network of spies to build a strong intelligence system in the court and throughout the empire, delivering daily reports on current affairs of the empire or opposition to the central state. She also played a key role in reforming the imperial examination system and encouraging capable officials to work in governance to maintain a peaceful and well-governed state. Effectively, these reforms improved her nation's bureaucracy by ensuring that competence, rather than family connections, became
486-528: A posthumous honor. One of her grandsons became the controversial Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , whose reign marked the turning point of the Tang dynasty into sharp decline. In Chinese history and literature, Wu Zetian ( Mandarin pronunciation: [ù tsɤ̌ tʰjɛ́n] ) was known by various names and titles. Mention of her in the English language has only increased their number. A difficulty in English translations
567-417: A rebuke of Chancellor Ji Xu during her reign), she once impressed Taizong with her fortitude: Emperor Taizong had a horse with the name "Lion Stallion", and it was so large and strong that no one could get on its back. I was a lady in waiting attending Emperor Taizong, and I suggested to him, "I only need three things to subordinate it: an iron whip, an iron hammer, and a sharp dagger. I will whip it with
648-476: A secondary palace, Daming Palace ( 大明宮 ), into Penglai Palace ( 蓬萊宮 ). When Penglai Palace's main hall, Hanyuan Hall ( 含元殿 ), was completed in 663, Gaozong and Wu moved there. It was later renamed Hanyuan Palace. Empress Wang and Consort Xiao continued to appear in her dreams even after this, and therefore, late in Gaozong's reign, he and Wu were often at the eastern capital Luoyang , not at Chang'an. Over
729-424: A succession of senior ministerial posts, including the governorship of Yangzhou , Lizhou, and Jingzhou ( 荊州 ) (modern-day Jiangling County , Hubei ). Wu was encouraged by her parents to read books and pursue her education, an uncommon situation for the women at the time. She read and learned about many topics, such as music, calligraphy, literature, history, politics, and other governmental affairs. At age 14, she
810-613: Is said to have been an exceptional teacher and mother, such that all of the sons were men of upright virtue and wisdom. Guan ju , the famous opening song of the Book of Songs , with its opening description of a beautiful maiden plucking plants along a river bank who is loved by a young prince, is said by some to be originally about Tai Si and the prince's first meeting along the Wei River . Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao ,
891-653: Is that they tend to specify gender (as in the case of "emperor" versus "empress" or "prince" versus "princess"), whereas, in Classical Chinese , words such as hou ( 后 , "sovereign", "prince", "queen") or huangdi (皇帝 , "imperial supreme ruler", "royal deity") are of grammatically indeterminate gender . In Wu's time, women's birth names were rarely recorded. She changed her name to Wu Zhao after rising to power, often written as 武曌 , ( 曌 has also been written as 瞾 on occasion, and both are derivatives of 照 , which may be her original name), with 瞾 being one of
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#1732766200583972-430: The Mandate from Heaven , may (the emperor) lead a long and prosperous life." ( 受命 於 天 , 既 壽 永昌 ) were written by Prime Minister Li Si , and carved onto the seal by Sun Shou. The Seal was carved from jade because, in ancient China, jade was symbolic of the inner beauty within humans. Many tombs and burials from ancient China contained decorative jade, including a jade burial suit unearthed in 1968 that belonged to
1053-526: The Sui dynasty . During the final years of Emperor Yang of Sui , Li Yuan ( 李淵 ) (who went on to become Emperor Gaozu of Tang) stayed in the Wu household many times and became close to the Wu family while holding appointments in both Hedong and Taiyuan. After Li Yuan overthrew Emperor Yang, he was generous to the Wu family, giving them grain, land, clothing and wealth. Once the Tang dynasty was established, Wu Shihou held
1134-489: The Zizhi Tongjian : "Emperor Gaozong sat enthroned before his ministers as usual while they counseled him, Wu would be parked behind a screen, listening in. It does not matter how vital or insignificant the issue is. The great power of the empire all devolved on the empress. Promotion or demotion, life or death, were settled by her word, the emperor sat with folded arms." She and Gaozong were thereafter referred to as
1215-495: The empress dowager and regent and power fell completely and solely into her hands. She proceeded to depose Emperor Zhongzong for displaying independence and held onto power even more firmly thereafter. She then had her youngest son, Ruizong, made emperor. She was absolute ruler not only in substance but in appearance. She presided alone over imperial gatherings, prevented Ruizong from taking any active role in governance, and forbade all meetings with him. In 690, she had Ruizong yield
1296-414: The eunuch Wang Fusheng ( 王伏勝 ) reported this to Gaozong, angering him further. He consulted the chancellor Shangguan Yi , who suggested that he depose Wu. He had Shangguan draft an edict. But as Shangguan was doing so, Wu received news of what was happening. She went to the emperor to plead her case just as he was holding the edict that Shangguan had drafted. Gaozong could not bear to depose her and blamed
1377-514: The fall of the Qing Empire in 1912, the Republic of China government likewise adopted a set of square-shaped official seals. The People's Republic of China initially adopted a similar square seal, but this fell out of use by 1954. Several seals have since been claimed as the lost Heirloom Seal, but none have held up under scrutiny. In at least one case, the seal concerned was found to be
1458-573: The "Two Saints" ( 二聖 , Er Sheng ) both inside the palace and in the empire. The Later Jin historian Liu Xu , in Old Book of Tang , commented: Heirloom Seal of the Realm 受命 於天 既壽 永昌 The Heirloom Seal of the Realm ( traditional Chinese : 傳國玉璽 ; simplified Chinese : 传国玉玺 ; pinyin : chuán guó yù xǐ ), also known in English as the Imperial Seal of China ,
1539-915: The Great Qing " (大清國寶), "The Seal of the Great Qing Emperor" (大清皇帝之寶), "The Great Seal of the Great Qing Empire" (大清帝國之璽), and "The Seal of the Emperor of the Great Qing Empire" (大清帝國皇帝之寶). Of these, the Great Seal of the Great Qing Empire represented the official, modern "replacement" for the lost heirloom seal. The seal dies are in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, and none show signs of use. After
1620-524: The Lady Yang, wept bitterly when saying farewell to her, but she responded, "How do you know that it is not my fortune to meet the Son of Heaven ?" Lady Yang reportedly then understood her ambitions, and therefore stopped crying. But Consort Wu did not appear to be much favored by Emperor Taizong, though it appears that she did have sexual relations with him at one point. According to her own account (given in
1701-508: The Seal to the new emperor of the Han dynasty , whereafter it was known as the "Han Heirloom Seal of the Realm". At the end of the Western Han dynasty in 9 CE, Wang Mang , the usurper, forced the Han empress dowager to hand over the Seal. The empress dowager, in anger, threw the Seal on the ground, chipping one corner. Later, Wang Mang ordered the corner to be restored with gold . This Seal passed on even as dynasties rose and fell. It
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#17327662005831782-488: The Wei River was not bridged, Chang set out to build one by constructing a number of boats that were arranged end-to-end to form a floating path across the river. Tai Si was impressed, and they were married. After Tai Si joined her husband's family, she is said to have quickly gained favor with the other women of the royal family through her diligent work ethic and demeanor. She and the king had ten sons together, and Tai Si
1863-404: The child. Wang lacked an alibi and was unable to clear her name. Scientifically credible forensic pathology information about the death of Wu's daughter does not exist, and scholars lack concrete evidence about her death. However, scholars have many theories and speculations. Because traditional folklore tends to portray Wu as a power-hungry woman unconcerned about whom she hurt or what she did,
1944-461: The emperor's affection, and eventually expelled and killed them. After her wedding to Gaozong in 655, her rise to power was swift. A strong, charismatic, vengeful, ambitious, well-educated woman who enjoyed her husband's absolute affection, Wu was the most powerful and influential woman at court during a period when the Tang dynasty was at the peak of its glory. Wu was more decisive and proactive than her husband, and historians consider her to have been
2025-603: The emperor's sole use, as a monarch or co-ruler in their own right. The Wu family clan originated in Wenshui County , Bingzhou (an ancient name of the city of Taiyuan , Shanxi ). Wu Zetian's birthplace is not documented in preserved historical literature and remains disputed. Some scholars argue that Wu was born in Wenshui , some that it was Lizhou ( 利州 ) (modern-day Guangyuan in Sichuan ), while others insist she
2106-528: The emperor. But the cause of death of her first two children is still in question. Gaozong became emperor at the age of 21. He was not the first choice, as he was inexperienced and frequently incapacitated with a sickness that caused him spells of dizziness. Gaozong was made heir to the empire only due to the disgrace of his two older brothers. On or after the anniversary of Emperor Taizong's death, Gaozong went to Ganye Temple to offer incense to Buddha. When he and Consort Wu saw each other, they both wept. This
2187-604: The emperors' official use. In the early 20th century, as the Qing Empire pursued reforms to modernise its system of government, a series of official seals were created for use on documents and instruments of the imperial government. Although square in shape following the traditional design, the seal dies themselves were made of wood, in imitation of western government precedents and, contrary to earlier Qing imperial seals which were bilingual ( Chinese and Manchu ), had only Chinese text . Four seal dies were carved: " The Seal of
2268-548: The episode on Shangguan. As both Shangguan and Wang had served on Li Zhong's staff, Wu had Xu falsely accuse Shangguan, Wang, and Li Zhong of planning treason. Shangguan, Wang, and Shangguan's son Shangguan Tingzhi ( 上官庭芝 ) were executed, while Li Zhong was forced to commit suicide. Shangguan Tingzhi's daughter Shangguan Wan'er , then an infant, and her mother, Lady Zheng, became slaves in the inner palace. After Shangguan Wan'er grew up, she became Empress Wu's trusted secretary. After that point, Gaozong accepted Wu's participation to
2349-566: The evacuated Han imperial capital Luoyang , in the course of the campaign against Dong Zhuo , giving it to his chief, warlord Yuan Shu . The Romance of the Three Kingdoms says that one of Sun Jian's men betrayed him and told about the Seal to the coalition leader Yuan Shao who asked him for the seal, but Sun Jian refused. He swore that if he had the Seal, he might die a violent death, and set out for his home. Nevertheless, Yuan Shao told Liu Biao to block his way; Liu Biao did so, though he
2430-499: The execution order reached his location. It was said that after this time, no official dared to criticize the emperor or empress. In order to complete the social promotion of her family, she had the Wu clan listed among those of first importance in the registers of the "Great Families" ( 姓氏錄 , xìngshìlù) by changing the "Book of Clans" to "Books of Names"; against imperial traditions. In late 659, she proposed to Emperor Gaozong that Palace Exam be opened to establish talented people from
2511-577: The extraordinary and unprecedented title of Chenfei (宸妃, meaning the Cosmic Consort), and promote her over all other imperial consorts directly under Wang herself. Han and fellow chancellor Lai Ji both opposed on the grounds that the title was unprecedented, and so Gaozong did not carry it out. Of course, the evidence shows that he probably granted this title, but it is still unclear. In the summer of 655, Wu accused Wang and her mother, Lady Liu, of using witchcraft. In response, Gaozong barred Liu from
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2592-536: The faithfulness of Han and Lai in opposing the unprecedented Chenfei title. The real purpose was to show that she remembered that they had offended her, and it made Han and Lai apprehensive that she was aware of their opposition of her. Han offered to resign soon thereafter, an offer that Emperor Gaozong did not accept. In 656, on the advice of Xu Jingzong, Emperor Gaozong deposed Consort Liu's son Li Zhong from being his heir apparent. He changed Li Zhong's status to Prince of Liang and designated Empress Wu's son, Li Hong as
2673-460: The first thing he asked was: "Have you discussed this with Empress Wu? What is her opinion?" If she had clear opinions, he would make a decision based on them, and when he was feeling unpleasant, he told the chancellors and officials, "I'm not feeling well. Go to the Empress for work." As a result, imperial powers primarily fell into her hands. According to Song dynasty historian Sīmǎ Guāng 司马光 in
2754-421: The girl's death, and as a result, tried to remove Wang from her position. Because of the child's death, an angry Gaozong also wanted to depose Wang and replace her with Wu. But first he needed to make sure that he had the support of the government chancellors. So Gaozong met with his uncle Zhangsun Wuji , the head chancellor. During the meeting, Gaozong repeatedly brought up Wang's childlessness. Childlessness
2835-680: The hands of Wei dynasty emperors until the last emperor Cao Huan was forced to abdicate in Sima Yan 's favor, passing the Seal from Cao to Sima and establishing the Jin dynasty in 265. The Seal was passed through the Cao Wei dynasty , Jin dynasty , Sixteen Kingdoms period, Southern and Northern dynasties period, Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty , but was lost to history in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960). The fate of
2916-420: The highest-ranking of the wives, in 655. Wu had considerable political power even before becoming empress consort, and began to control the court after her appointment. After Gaozong's debilitating stroke in 660, she became administrator of the court, a position with similar authority to the emperor's, until 683. As a young woman entering Gaozong's harem, Wu competed with Empress Wang and Pure Consort Xiao for
2997-519: The history of China widely regarded as legitimate . Under her 45-year reign, China grew larger, becoming one of the great powers of the world, its culture and economy were revitalized, and corruption in the court was reduced. She was eventually removed from power during a coup and died a few months later. In early life, Wu was the concubine of Emperor Taizong . After his death, she married his ninth son and successor, Emperor Gaozong, officially becoming Gaozong's huanghou ( 皇后 ), or empress consort,
3078-507: The imperial consorts' titles were temporarily changed to be devoid of feminine and superficial quality. Her motive was probably to eliminate female rivals. In the same year, Wu selected military generals to attack Goguryeo. During these years, due to favors from Gaozong and Wu, her ally Li Yifu had been exceedingly powerful, and grew particularly corrupt. In 663, after reports of Li Yifu's corruption were made to Gaozong, Gaozong had Liu Xiangdao and Li Ji investigate. They found him guilty. Li Yifu
3159-591: The invented characters by Wu. Wu was her patronymic surname, which she retained, according to traditional Chinese practice, after marriage to Gaozong, of the Li family. Emperor Taizong gave her the art name Wu Mei ( 武媚 ), meaning "glamorous". Thus, Chinese people often refer to her as Wu Mei or Wu Meiniang ( 武媚娘 ) when they write about her youth, as Wu Hou ( 武后 ) when referring to her as empress consort and empress dowager, and as Wu Zetian ( 武則天 ) when referring to her as empress regnant. During her life, and posthumously, Wu
3240-428: The iron whip. If it does not submit, I will hammer its head with the iron hammer. If it still does not submit, I will cut its throat with the dagger." Emperor Taizong praised my bravery. Do you really believe that you are qualified to dirty my dagger? When Taizong died in 649, his youngest son, Li Zhi, whose mother was the main wife Wende , succeeded him as Emperor Gaozong . Li Zhi had had an affair with Wu when Taizong
3321-433: The low-level officials Wei Jifang ( 韋季方 ) and Li Chao ( 李巢 ). Zhangsun was exiled and, later in the year, was forced to commit suicide in exile. Xu further implicated Chu, Liu, Han, and Yu Zhining in the plot as well. Chu, who had died in 658, was posthumously stripped of his titles, and his sons Chu Yanfu ( 褚彥甫 ) and Chu Yanchong ( 褚彥沖 ) were executed. Orders were also issued to execute Liu and Han, although Han died before
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3402-610: The lower classes as government officials. This reduced the power of the aristocracy. In 660, Li Zhong, Gaozong's first-born son (to consort Liu) also was targeted. Li Zhong had feared that he would be next and had sought out advice of fortune tellers. Wu had him exiled and placed under house arrest. After removing those who opposed her rise, she had more power to influence politics, and Emperor Gaozong took full advantage of her advice on petitions made by officials and talking about state affairs. In 660, Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu toured Bian Prefecture (modern-day Taiyuan), and Empress Wu had
3483-724: The major expansion of the Chinese empire, extending it far beyond its previous territorial limits, deep into Central Asia , and engaging in a series of wars on the Korean Peninsula , first allying with Silla against Goguryeo , and then against Silla over the occupation of former Goguryeo territory. Within China, besides the more direct consequences of her struggle to gain and maintain power, Wu's leadership resulted in important effects regarding social class in Chinese society and in relation to state support for Taoism , Buddhism , Confucianism , education and literature. Wu developed
3564-691: The meeting, Chu vehemently opposed deposing Wang, while Zhangsun and Yu showed their disapproval by silence. Chancellors Han Yuan and Lai Ji also opposed the move. When Gaozong asked Li Ji again he responded, "This is your family matter, Your Imperial Majesty. Why ask anyone else?" Gaozong therefore became resolved. He demoted Chu to commandant at Tan Prefecture (roughly modern Changsha , Hunan ), and then deposed both Wang and Xiao. He placed them under arrest and made Wu empress. Later that year, Gaozong showed signs of considering their release. Because of this, Wang and Xiao were killed on Empress Wu's orders. After their deaths, they often haunted Wu's dreams over
3645-482: The most popular theory is that Wu killed her own child in order to accuse Wang. Other schools of thought argue that Wang indeed killed the child out of jealousy and hatred of Wu. The third argument is that the child died of asphyxiation or crib death . The ventilation systems of the time were nonexistent or of poor quality, and the lack of ventilation combined with using coal as a heating method could have led to carbon monoxide poisoning . In any case, Wu blamed Wang for
3726-750: The opportunity to invite her old neighbors and relatives to a feast. Later that year, Emperor Gaozong began to suffer from an illness that carried the symptoms of painful headaches and loss of vision, generally thought to be hypertension-related. He began to have Empress Wu make rulings on daily petitions and proposals made by officials. It was said that Empress Wu had quick reactions and understood both literature and history, and therefore, she made correct rulings, and Emperor Gaozong, with her ability, no longer paid much attention to governmental affairs, and over time became more and more dependent on her advice, delegating his duties to her. Thereafter, her authority rivaled Emperor Gaozong's. From this point on, Empress Wu became
3807-421: The palace and demoted Wang's uncle, Liu Shi. Meanwhile, a faction of officials began to form around Wu, including Li Yifu , Xu, Cui Yixuan ( 崔義玄 ), and Yuan Gongyu ( 袁公瑜 ). Once in the autumn of 655, Gaozong summoned the chancellors Zhangsun, Li Ji , Yu Zhining , and Chu Suiliang to the palace. Chu had deduced that the summons were about changing the empress. Li Ji claimed illness and refused to attend. At
3888-439: The palace. (Some modern historians dispute this traditional account. Some think that Wu never left the imperial palace and might have had an affair with Gaozong while Taizong was still alive.) Wu soon overtook Xiao as Gaozong's favorite. In 652, she gave birth to her first child, a son named Li Hong . In 653, she gave birth to another son, Li Xián . Neither of these sons was in contention to be Gaozong's heir, because Gaozong, at
3969-537: The position of emperor. Since the time of Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BC), the Emperor of China using the title huangdi ( 皇帝 , translated as "emperor" or "empress (regnant)" as appropriate), Wu was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title huangdi . Her tenure as de facto ruler of China and official regent of the Tang dynasty (first through her husband and then through her sons, from 665 to 690)
4050-405: The real power behind the throne during Gaozong's reign for more than 20 years until his death. She was partially in control of power from November 660, and totally from January 665. History records that she "was at the helm of the country for long years, her power is no different from that of the emperor." Wu presided over the court with the emperor, and even held court independently when the emperor
4131-493: The remainder of her life. After Taizong's death, Gaozong met her at the death anniversary of Taizong when he was offering incense . At the time, Consort Xiao and Empress Wang were fighting for favoredness of Gaozong, and Wang asked Gaozong to bring Wu back into the palace, hoping to divert Gaozong's attention. Gaozong agreed and gave Wu the title Lady of Bright Deportment ( 昭儀 ). Soon, Gaozong became enamored with Wu, and both Wang and Xiao lost favor. By early 650, Consort Wu
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#17327662005834212-500: The request of officials influenced by Wang and her uncle (the chancellor Liu Shi ), had designated his eldest son Li Zhong as his heir. Li Zhong's mother, Consort Liu, was of lowly birth. Wang did this in order to receive Liu's gratitude. By 654, both Wang and Xiao had lost favor with Gaozong, and these two former romantic rivals joined forces against Wu, but to no avail. For example, as a sign of his love for Wu, Gaozong conferred posthumous honors on her father, Wu Shiyue , in 654. In
4293-478: The rest of Gaozong's reign, he and Wu often took up residence at the eastern capital Luoyang and only infrequently spent time in Chang'an . In 655, Wu became Tang Gaozong's new empress consort ( 皇后 , húanghòu ). Empress Wu was a powerful force in the world of politics, and had great influence over the Emperor. After Empress Wu's ascension, one of the first things she did was to submit a petition ostensibly praising
4374-812: The retreating Yuan emperor. However, once more the Heirloom Seal was not found. By the beginning of the Ming dynasty , the Seal was known to be lost. Neither the Ming nor the Qing dynasties possessed it. Reducing the significance of the lost Heirloom Seal partly explains the Qing Emperors' obsession with creating numerous imperial seals — the Forbidden City in Beijing has a collection of 25 seals solely for
4455-423: The same year, Wu gave birth to a daughter. But her daughter died shortly after birth, with evidence suggesting deliberate strangulation . The evidence include allegations made by Wu herself, and she accused Wang of murder. Wang was accused of having been seen near the child's room, with corroborating testimony by alleged eyewitnesses. Gaozong was led to believe that Wang, motivated by jealousy, had most likely killed
4536-585: The seal during and after the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period is not known. Three theories exist as to when, and how, it was lost: When the Ming armies captured the Yuan capital in 1369, it captured just one out of the eleven personal seals of the Yuan emperors. The Heirloom Seal was not found. In 1370, Ming armies invaded the Northern Yuan dynasty and captured some treasures brought there by
4617-414: The sense of empress consort and empress regnant . Generally, the monarch was male and his chief spouse was given a title such as huanghou ( 皇后 ), often translated as "empress" or more specifically "empress consort". Upon the emperor's death, the surviving empress consort could become empress dowager , sometimes wielding considerable political power as regent during the minority of the (male) heir to
4698-497: The throne and began the Zhou dynasty, becoming the only empress regnant in Chinese history. On Emperor Gaozong's death in 683, rather than entering into retirement (as was customary for royal widows), or not interfering in the government (according to the emperor's law, when he reaches the age of 17, he must rule by himself); Wu broke with tradition and took acquisition of complete power, refusing to allow any of her sons to rule. She took
4779-437: The throne in 690 by officially changing the name of the country from Tang to Zhou, changing the name of the royal family from Li to Wu, and holding a formal ceremony to crown herself as emperor. Empress Wu is considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history due to her strong leadership and effective governance, which made China one of the world's most powerful nations. The importance to history of her tenure includes
4860-400: The throne to her and established the Zhou dynasty. She ruled as emperor until 705. She was regarded as ruthless in her endeavors to grab power, and was believed by traditional historians to have killed her own children. This was later proven false; these rumors seem to have surfaced 400 years after her death, likely due to the belief in ancient China that a woman was unsuited to hold the power of
4941-806: The title of Prince of Dai and crown prince (that is, Heir Apparent). Soon after, Empress Wu became dominant at court, installing officials who favored her ascension in chancellor posts. In 657, Empress Wu persuaded Emperor Gaozong to split the empire into two capitals and make Luoyang the capital alongside Chang'an . In 657, Empress Wu and her allies began reprisals against officials who had opposed her ascension. She first had Xu and Li Yifu, who were by now chancellors, falsely accuse Han Yuan and Lai Ji of being complicit with Chu Suiliang in planning treason. The three of them, along with Liu Shi, were demoted to being prefects of remote prefectures, with provisions that they would never be allowed to return to Chang'an. In 659, she had Xu accuse Zhangsun Wuji of plotting treason with
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#17327662005835022-454: The undisputed power behind the throne until the end of his reign. Slowly, Gaozong became aware of Wu's increasing power, but he could not stop her. In 661, Empress Wu asked to forbid women from all over the empire to be haiku (entertainers who perform burlesque ), and Emperor Gaozong agreed and issued an edict. In April, Gaozong wanted to conquer Goguryeo himself, but surrendered at the urging of Wu and his ministers. In 662, at Wu's suggestion,
5103-470: The warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei , leading to several crushing defeats by each army. The other warlords, even after being issued with an imperial decree, refused to help Cao Cao and Liu Bei in defeating Yuan Shu. When Yuan Shu was defeated in 199 by Liu Bei, the Seal came into the hands of Cao Cao , whose son Cao Pi proclaimed the Wei dynasty as the legitimate successor state to Han in 220. The Seal remained in
5184-499: The years, Emperor Gaozong's illness had worsened, and Empress Wu's influence continued to grow and was fully established in the political arena. By 664, Wu was said to be interfering so much in the empire's governance that she was angering Gaozong with her controlling behavior. Furthermore, she had engaged the Taoist sorcerer Guo Xingzhen ( 郭行真 ) in using witchcraft—an act prohibited by regulations, which led to Empress Wang's downfall—and
5265-414: The years. Wu came to believe their spirits were after her. For this reason, Emperor Gaozong started remodeling a secondary palace, Daming Palace (大明宮), into Penglai Palace (蓬萊宮). When Penglai Palace's main hall, Hanyuan Hall (含元殿), was completed in 663, Gaozong and Wu moved there. It was later renamed Hanyuan Palace, yet Empress Wang and Consort Xiao still continued to appear in her dreams. Therefore, for
5346-466: Was Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as empress consort through her husband Emperor Gaozong and later as empress dowager through her sons Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong , from 660 to 690. She subsequently founded and ruled as empress regent of the Wu Zhou dynasty of China from 690 to 705. She was the only female sovereign in
5427-541: Was a Chinese jade seal allegedly carved out of the Heshibi , a sacred piece of jade . The Seal was created in 221 BC, shortly after Qin Shi Huang unified China and established the Qin dynasty , China's first imperial dynasty. The Heirloom Seal served as the imperial Chinese seal throughout the next millennium of Chinese history, and its possession was seen as a physical symbol of the Mandate of Heaven . The Heirloom Seal
5508-611: Was a concubine of Emperor Gaozong, and was given the title Zhaoyi ( 昭儀 ) (Lady of Bright Deportment, the highest-ranking of the nine concubines in the second rank). She progressed rapidly, earning the title of huanghou ( 皇后 ) (empress consort, the highest rank and position a woman held in the empire), and gradually gained immeasurable influence and unprecedented authority over the empire's governance throughout Gaozong's reign. Over time, she came to control most major and key decisions made during Gaozong's reign, and presided over imperial gatherings. After Gaozong died in 683, Empress Wu became
5589-476: Was a sufficient excuse to depose Wang, but Zhangsun repeatedly found ways to divert the conversation. Subsequent visits made by Wu's mother, Lady Yang, and an official allied with Wu, Xu Jingzong , to seek support from Zhangsun were met with disappointment. Early in 655 he wanted to give Wu (who carried the sixth-highest rank among imperial consorts, Zhaoyi (昭儀, meaning the lady of the Bright Section))
5670-463: Was awarded various official titles. Both hou ( 后 ) and huangdi ( 皇帝 ) are titles (modifications, or added characters to hou are of lesser importance). Born Wu Zhao, she is not properly known as "Wu Hou" (Empress Wu) until receiving this title in 655, nor is she properly known as "Wu Zetian", her regnal name, until 690, when she took the title Emperor. Various Chinese titles have been translated into English as "empress", including "empress" in both
5751-410: Was born in the imperial capital of Chang'an (today known as Xi'an ). Wu Zetian was born in the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Tang. In the same year, a total eclipse of the sun was visible across China. Her father, Wu Shiyue , worked in the timber business and the family was relatively well-off. Her mother was from the powerful Yang family, distant relatives of the imperial family of
5832-576: Was lost around the end of the Tang dynasty (618–907) or during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960). In 221 BC, the Seal was created when Qin Shi Huang destroyed the remaining Warring States and united China under the Qin dynasty . Heshibi was a famous piece of jade stone which previously belonged to the Zhao state . Passing into the hands of the new Emperor of China , he ordered it made into his Imperial seal. The words, "Having received
5913-537: Was not without precedent in Chinese history, but she broke precedent when she founded her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou ( 周 ) (interrupting the Tang dynasty ), ruling personally under the name Sacred and Divine Huangdi ( 聖神皇帝 ), and variations thereof, from 690 to 705. Wu Zetian and Empress Dowager Liu of the Song dynasty are said to be the only women in Chinese history to have worn a yellow robe, ordinarily reserved for
5994-499: Was originally from the older State of Qi or State of Zeng, both in and around modern-day Henan Province . The traditional story regarding Tai Si's rise to queen says that the future King Wen of Zhou, born Chang, was walking along the banks of the Wei River one day when he first met Tai Si. Her beauty so captivated Chang that he initially thought she was a goddess or angel. Tai Si proved a woman of benevolence, wisdom, and simple tastes, and Chang decided to take her as his wife. Because
6075-459: Was removed from his post, exiled, and never returned to Chang'an. Wu is said to have been reluctant to accept corruption and therefore did not defend Li Yifu and her only role in Gaozong's decision was to prevent Li Yifu's execution. Over the years, Empress Wu had repeatedly seen Empress Wang and Consort Xiao in her dreams as they were after death, and she came to believe their spirits were after her. For this reason, Emperor Gaozong started remodeling
6156-646: Was seen as a legitimizing device, signalling the Mandate of Heaven. During turbulent periods, such as the Three Kingdoms period, the seal became the object of rivalry and armed conflict. Regimes which possessed the seal declared themselves, and are often historically regarded, as legitimate. At the end of the Han dynasty in the 3rd century AD, General Sun Jian found the Imperial Seal when his forces occupied
6237-490: Was seen by Gaozong's wife, Empress Wang . At that time, Gaozong did not favor Wang. Instead, he favored his concubine Pure Consort Xiao . Furthermore, Wang had no children while Xiao had one son ( Li Sujie ) and two daughters (Princesses Yiyang and Xuancheng). Wang, seeing that Gaozong was still impressed by Wu's beauty, hoped that the arrival of a new concubine would divert the emperor from Xiao. Therefore, she secretly told Wu to stop shaving her hair and later welcomed her to
6318-420: Was still alive. Taizong had 14 sons, including three by his beloved Empress Zhangsun (601–636), but none with Consort Wu. Thus, according to the custom by which consorts of deceased emperors who had not produced children were permanently confined to a monastic institution after the emperor's death, Wu was consigned to Ganye Temple ( 感業寺 ) with the expectation that she would serve as a Buddhist nun there for
6399-420: Was taken to be an imperial concubine (lesser wife) of Emperor Taizong of Tang . It was there that she became a type of secretary. This opportunity allowed her to continue to pursue her education. She was given the title of cairen ( 才人 ), the title for one of the consorts with the 5th rank in Tang's nine-rank system for imperial officials, nobles, and consorts. When she was summoned to the palace, her mother,
6480-441: Was unable to defeat Sun Jian. This began a rivalry between them, and Sun Jian, according to his oath, died a violent death in an ambush while fighting Liu Biao later on. Sun Jian's son, Sun Ce inherited the seal and gave it to Yuan Shu so that he might lend him troops to take revenge for his uncle, who had been fighting Warlord Lu Kang. Yuan Shu then declared himself emperor under the short-lived Zhong dynasty in 197. This act angered
6561-642: Was unwell. She was given charge of the Heirloom Seal of the Realm , implying that her perusal and consent were necessary before any document or order received legal validity. Gaozong sought her views on all matters before making major decisions. Wu was also granted certain honors and privileges not enjoyed by any Chinese empresses before or since. After Gaozong's death, Wu as empress dowager and regent held power completely and solely, used absolute power more forcefully and violently than before, and suppressed her overt and covert opponents. Seven years later, Wu seized
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