Posts Tagged Wu Zetian
Shangguan Wan’er – First Female Premier in Chinese History
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Notable Figures on June 1, 2010
Shangguan Wan’er was one of the most famous female in ancient China. She was the granddaughter of Shangguan Yi, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty and the premier to Emperor Gaozong of Tang. She was also a writer, poet, and female politician of the Tang Dynasty, as well as an imperial concubine of Emperor Zhongzong.
She became the personal secretary of Wu Zetian, the first and the only female monarch in Chinese history, when she was 14. Later, she became the de facto Premier of the female monarch. For several decades, the destiny of the Tang Empire was in the hands of the two extraordinary women.
However, failed in the politics struggle, in 710 AD., she was killed by Li Longji, a grandson of Wu Zetian, in a palace coup. Her colorful life came to a tragic end at the age of 46.
Nevertheless, no one would deny her talents and after her death, Li ordered her poems to be compiled into a 20-volume anthology after her death.
The Wordless Tablet
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Unsolved Mystery on August 5, 2009
Wu Zetian, as the only female Emperor in Chinese history, died in 705 A.D at the age of 82. She was buried alongside Emperor Gaozong in the Qianling Mausoleum, located in the Liangshan Mountain in Qianxian Country.
It is the only mausoleum that holds two emperors and due to its strong and secure construction, it is also notable as the only mausoleum to escape the unwelcome attention of tomb robbers.
However, Wu’s Wordless Tablet makes it more mystical. As it known to all, emperors liked erecting tablets with articles to eulogize their achievements. The inscription on the tablet of Emperor Gaozong contains over 8,000 words, singing the praises of Gao Zong’s political achievements and military exploits. However, dedicated to Wu, it had no carved characters when it was erected. Why did she set up an empty tablet for herself?
Some people believed that Wu wanted the later generations to give her a just and fair appraisal. Some said that her achievements were beyond the description of any high-sounding words. Some others thought that it was probably set up by her son Emperor Zhong Zong, who was dissatisfied with her arbitrary decisions and peremptory actions and unwilling to flatter her. But as a son of hers, it was inappropriate for him to reproach her. So he set up the Wordless Tablet to let people of later generations appraise her. The real reason for the tablet is still a mystery. Anyhow, she was the only emperor in Chinese history had a tablet with no word.
Wu Zetian- the Only Female Emperor in Chinese History
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Notable Figures on July 23, 2009
She was the concubine of two Emperors; she was the mother of the next two successive Emperors; she was once a nun. However, she was also the only female emperor in Chinese history. Her name was Wu Zetian, also known as Tian Hou or Empress Consort Wu in China.
She was born in 625 in a noble family. At the age of 14, she was selected as a concubine of Emperor Taizong. She didn’t become a favorite of the Emperor. However, she managed to catch the eye of Prince Li Zhi who later became Emperor Gaozong. After Taizong’s death, she was expected to spend the rest of life as a nun as other childless concubines. However, the new Emperor Gaozong soon had her back to the palace.
She was quite successful in the struggle in the palace and became the Empress of Gaozong. After Emperor Gaozong’s death, she grabbed the power from his son, the new Emperor Ruizong, and in 690, she had the Emperor yield the throne to her and established Zhou Dynasty.
As an emperor, she was quite successful. The measures she took greatly improved agriculture production. A large number of talented people, regardless of their family status, had been appointed as officials. However, she was also condemned for her bad behaviors, such as killing her sons and baby daughters to achieve political aims.
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