Wu Zhao, for many years, Empress of China

        

 Wu Zhao, at the age of 13, became one of Tang Taizong's (Tang Dynasty Emperor) secondary wife. After Taizong's death, she became a favored wife of his son and succesor. Wu Zhao soon rose above rival wives. She became the emperor's chief wife, or empress. She "ruled" China while her husband was sick. He then died, and the throne was held by two of there sons. At the age of 65, around the year 690, she took the throne to herself. She was frustrated by the lack of ability of her sons. She claimed herself to be Empress and continued what Taizong begun, which was to build and expand China. She managed to do so and also to extend China's influence over other cuntries, such as Korea. She was the only woman to ever claim herself to be China's emperor, or empress in this case. Thanks to Wu Zhao taking over control, China was able to expand and the Tang Dynasty became a powerful empire, until 907.

 Information source: McDougal Littell World History Patterns of Interaction text book

My Opinion:

        I think that it is amazing how a woman at that time (when women where considered inferior to men) took control over the power of China and instead of overusing that power for herself she did something good for her empire. She even governed better than past emperors, which were men. Now i'm not saying that men do not know how to govern, they do, but women also know how to govern and should have been given at least a little more respect than they received at that time.