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5 Famous Chinese Empresses

China has had numerous in kingdoms and empires, their consorts holding the title of either ‘Queen’ or ‘Empress’. Chinese scholars often refer to Chinese Empresses as 鈥渟econdary monarchs鈥�. Many empresses played substantial parts, good or bad, in various dynasties and influenced the course of Chinese history. Here is a list of five of the most famous empresses in Chinese history.

1. Empress L眉 Zhi听 (241 BC 鈥� 180 BC)

The Forbidden City in Beijing, home to emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, image sourced from Pixabay

听Empress Lv Zhi was the empress of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, who founded the Han Dynasty. Lv Zhi had a reputation for being a ruthless and brutal empress. When Emperor Gaozu died, she put her most loathed concubine Qi to death, in a deeply savage manner. She also poisoned Qi鈥檚 son Liu Ruyi to death.

When it came to legislating the country, however, Lv Zhi was a competent leader. She commandeered the political scene in China for 15 years. Lv Zhi adopted the policy of 鈥淕overning by Doing Nothing鈥�, which saw to it that rulers would be peaceful and less self-driven.听 It did away with deceit in order to focus on, and meet the needs of the people they serve.听

She also motivated the people she ruled to accumulate and read books. Lv Zhi restored many old books in China during her rule. Her policy laid the basis for the success that came during the reigns of emperors of Wen and Jing.听

2. Empress Jia Nanfeng (257鈥�300)

Empress Jia Nanfeng , fondly known by her people as “Shi”, was a Chinese empress consort. Jia Nanfeng was born in 257 to Jia Chong and the first wife of Emperor Hui of the Jin dynasty, and was their oldest daughter.

听This Empress is typically seen as a wicked figure in Chinese record. She is thought to be the person who inflicted the War of the Eight Princes, that led to the Wu Hu uprisings and the Jin Dynasty’s loss of northern and central China.

Her emperor was said to be weak in character, and she used cunning means to manipulate state affairs. She is said to have plotted to kill many people in violent ways during her tenure.

3. Empress Zhangsun (601 鈥撎� 636)

Chinese cherry blossom, image sourced from Pixabay

She was formally called Empress Wendeshunsheng, which in Chinese literally means “the civil, virtuous, serene, and holy empress”. Empress Zhangsun was a Chinese novelist and empress of the Tang Dynasty. She was the wife of Emperor Taizong and the mother of Emperor Gaozong. She was said to be academic and decent in her actions.

Empress Zhangsun听 tied the knot with Li Shimin at the age of 13. He was 15.听 She was wise and helped Li Shimin succeed in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. After Li Shimin ascended the throne, she often ammended听 his shortcomings in the management of state affairs and protected him and their loyal ministers. She contributed greatly to the dynasty鈥檚 prosperity and strength.听

Empress Zhangsun was said to be economical and modest, using only the things that she needed without living extravagantly.

4. Wu Zetian (625-705)

Wu Zetian was both a famous empress and the only female emperor in Chinese feudal history. She was the empress of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. She was in power for 47 years but ruled the empire as emperor for only 16 of those years.

After her marriage to emperor Gaozong in 655, Empress Wu’s advancement to power was quick. A sharp, charismatic, and well-educated woman who enjoyed the deepest interest of her husband, Empress Wu was the most influential and powerful woman at court during a period when the Tang Empire was at the pinnacle of its power and glory.

Despite her heinous actions to attain and maintain power in a Male-Supremacy Society, Wu Zetian was still widely regarded as a highly capable ruler who effectively ruled China and made the dynasty prosper.听

More assertive and foreseeing that her husband, she is considered by historiographers to have been the true power behind the throne. She was the ruling figure for more than Eighteen years. Empress Wu was awarded certain privileges and honors听 which were not enjoyed by any Chinese empresses before or after her.

5. Empress Wei (710)

Will, Allen S.

Empress Wei was the second empress of Emperor Zhongzong, who reigned twice. In the year 705, Zhongzong returned to the throne, and she tried to seize power and follow the example of Wu Zetian to obtain great power. She was suspected to poison Zhongzong in 710 together with her daughter Li Guo鈥檈r. After the emperor鈥檚 death she became the empress dowager but was soon killed by Emperor Zhongzong鈥檚 nephew Li Longji.

Empress Wei was an empress of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Zhongzong, who reigned twice, and in his second reign,听 Empress Wei tried to follow the example of her mother-in-law Wu Zetian and seize power.听

She was in charge of nation affairs during her husband’s reign. After Emperor Zhongzong’s death in 710鈥攁 death traditionally suspected to be a poisoning she performed in unison with her daughter Li Guo’er, the Princess Anle. This is said to have given her the power to become the empress dowager and regent, but she was overthrown and killed in a coup led by Emperor Zhongzong’s nephew Li Longji and Emperor Zhongzong’s sister Princess Taiping.