Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers

Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers PDF Author: N. Harry Rothschild
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231539185
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 382

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Book Description
Wu Zhao (624–705), better known as Wu Zetian or Empress Wu, is the only woman to have ruled China as emperor over the course of its 5,000-year history. How did she—in a predominantly patriarchal and androcentric society—ascend the dragon throne? Exploring a mystery that has confounded scholars for centuries, this multifaceted history suggests that China's rich pantheon of female divinities and eminent women played an integral part in the construction of Wu Zhao's sovereignty. Wu Zhao deftly deployed language, symbol, and ideology to harness the cultural resonance, maternal force, divine energy, and historical weight of Buddhist devis, Confucian exemplars, Daoist immortals, and mythic goddesses, establishing legitimacy within and beyond the confines of Confucian ideology. Tapping into powerful subterranean reservoirs of female power, Wu Zhao built a pantheon of female divinities carefully calibrated to meet her needs at court. Her pageant was promoted in scripted rhetoric, reinforced through poetry, celebrated in theatrical productions, and inscribed on steles. Rendered with deft political acumen and aesthetic flair, these affiliations significantly enhanced Wu Zhao's authority and cast her as the human vessel through which the pantheon's divine energy flowed. Her strategy is a model of political brilliance and proof that medieval Chinese women enjoyed a more complex social status than previously known.

Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers

Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers PDF Author: N. Harry Rothschild
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231539185
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 382

Get Book Here

Book Description
Wu Zhao (624–705), better known as Wu Zetian or Empress Wu, is the only woman to have ruled China as emperor over the course of its 5,000-year history. How did she—in a predominantly patriarchal and androcentric society—ascend the dragon throne? Exploring a mystery that has confounded scholars for centuries, this multifaceted history suggests that China's rich pantheon of female divinities and eminent women played an integral part in the construction of Wu Zhao's sovereignty. Wu Zhao deftly deployed language, symbol, and ideology to harness the cultural resonance, maternal force, divine energy, and historical weight of Buddhist devis, Confucian exemplars, Daoist immortals, and mythic goddesses, establishing legitimacy within and beyond the confines of Confucian ideology. Tapping into powerful subterranean reservoirs of female power, Wu Zhao built a pantheon of female divinities carefully calibrated to meet her needs at court. Her pageant was promoted in scripted rhetoric, reinforced through poetry, celebrated in theatrical productions, and inscribed on steles. Rendered with deft political acumen and aesthetic flair, these affiliations significantly enhanced Wu Zhao's authority and cast her as the human vessel through which the pantheon's divine energy flowed. Her strategy is a model of political brilliance and proof that medieval Chinese women enjoyed a more complex social status than previously known.

Empress Wu Zetian in Fiction and in History

Empress Wu Zetian in Fiction and in History PDF Author: Dora Shu-fang Dien
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
In the dynastic history of China, Wu Zetian was the one woman who attained the status of emperor in her own right. A stone tablet marking her mausoleum was left blank, reportedly at her request because she wanted the future world to assess her. And her rise in the patriarchal system supported by Confucianism did later inspire many novelists and playwrights. Dien's slim study looks at the rise and achievements of the historical empress, her influence in the form of defiant woman who appear in legend and fiction, and (very briefly) the state of urban gender equality today. Annotation : 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Empress Wu Zetian 1

Empress Wu Zetian 1 PDF Author: Nangong Bo
Publisher: via tolino media
ISBN: 375793864X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
In the great dynasties of China there are many tales of corruption, espionage, and intrigue, but perhaps no tale is more intriguing than the rise of China’s first and only female Emperor, Wu Zetian (624-705) . In the hierarchies of Imperial China, there are many who call themselves empress, and there are many who held sway over their weak-minded emperor husbands, but only Wu Zetian reached the pinnacle when at the age of 65 she usurped her son and became the undisputed Empress of Tang Dynasty China. Empress Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in Chinese history, honored as the Holy and Divine Emperor of Wu Zhou ( 武周圣神皇帝) . Her original name was Wu Mei Niang, and she changed her name to Wu Zhao( 武瞾) after ascending the throne. She entered the palace as a concubine of Emperor Taizong of Tang, but she had a close relationship with the future Emperor Gaozong, Li Chih. After Emperor Taizong's death, she entered the Gan Ye Temple and became a nun. The power struggle in the harem brought her back to the palace, where she successfully eliminated her rivals and was made Empress in 655. She participated in politics and was known as the "Two Saints" along with Emperor Gaozong. After Emperor Gaozong's death, she controlled the government. In 690, she ascended to the throne and proclaimed herself the Holy Emperor, changing Luoyang to the Divine Capital and the country's name to Zhou. This period is known as the Southern Zhou or Wu Zhou in history. This book starts its plot from the time when Wu Zetian was constrained in Gan Ye Temple after the former Emperor (Taizong) was deceased and how the new Emperor (Gaozong) brought her to the court again. Later, she gradually realized her dream of becoming the most powerful woman in the palace through bloody struggles and bold strategies. She had outstanding abilities in governing the country, but in the power struggle within the palace, she showed an extremely cruelty, being ruthless and killing innocent people. In order to clear obstacles and eliminate political enemies in the struggle for imperial power, she carried out bloody killings time and time again, not even sparing her own descendants.

Wu Zetian: First Empress of China

Wu Zetian: First Empress of China PDF Author: Jeannie Meekins
Publisher: Learning Island
ISBN:
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Book Description
Wu Zetian was an intelligent and ambitious woman. She married Emperor Gaizong of the Tang Dynasty and became Empress. But Wu wasn’t satisfied. She wanted to rule in her own right. She was determined to become Emperor of China and killed anyone who stood in her way – even her own children. Find out more about this legendary ruler in this 15-minute children's biography. Ages 10 and up. Reading Level: 6.8 Learning Island believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

Queen Wu Zetian

Queen Wu Zetian PDF Author: Ji Lu
Publisher: DeepLogic
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
She has supremacy, she is only the history of China Yi Wei Queen; she, Harborside, Articles dignity, killing, informants, Ruthless was a sign that dynasty; she, intelligent and passionate, graceful and elegant, wife, lover, The male pet was a memorable one in her life. So who is she? How did she become a generation of empresses in the annals of history? She is Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian, a ruthless monarch, killed countless people in her 15 years in office; Wu Zetian, a gentle and affectionate woman , loved a lot during her 81 years of life . So, what kind of love has there been in her life? Why is there so many male pets in her later years? Wu Zetian ( 624-705 ), and the state Wenshui, the emperor of Tang Gaozong Li Zhi, the female politician of the Tang Dynasty. Sexuality , multi-powered. In 637 (11th year of Emperor Taizong's reign of Emperor Taizong), Wu was called into the palace with beauty, and he was a talented woman. He was awarded Wumei at the age of 14 . 649 years too were dead, the sense of industry, Temple shaved his head for Nepal. Empress Xiao Wang is working with Shu Fei rivalry, resolved to take advantage of the beauty of Wu Mei, transfer high were thick on Shaw's pet. The order was ordered to be secretly distributed to the Emperor Gaozong. The next year is the eldest son Li Hong, and he is promoted to Zhaoyi. After Wu's self-reliance as a queen, he began to participate in the political affairs, and Gao Zong also called "two holy." In 683 , Gaozong died, Li Xian was succeeded to Zhongzong, and Zunwu was the Empress Dowager. The following year, the waste is Luling Wang Li Xian, Li Li Dan was Rui Zong, Wu too hind paw power. In 690 , the waste Li Dan became the Emperor of Heaven, and the name of the country was changed to Zhou, and it was changed to Yuan Tian. The history was called " Wu Zhou " . After Wu Zetian called the emperor, he opened the imperial examination and used the people; rewarding the farmers and developing the economy; knowing people and doing things well. In the nearly half century of her administration of the political affairs, social stability and economic development laid the foundation for the later "King Yuan Sheng Shi". However, Wu Zetian murdered the Queen Xiao Yu, killed the parents, and the Dafeng Wushi kings, reusing the cool, severe punishment, and prisoners, was condemned by history. In 705 , the prime minister, Zhang Xingzhi , was dying of illness and was in danger of dying in the age of Zong, and Zunwu was " the Emperor of Heaven " . In the winter of the same year, Wu died, at the age of 82 , and the widow “ goed to the emperor, saying that it was the empress of the great emperor. ” Li Bai listed Wu Zetian as one of the “ seven holys ” of the Tang Dynasty .

Empress Wu Zetian

Empress Wu Zetian PDF Author: Laurel A. Rockefeller
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781523659869
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 70

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Book Description
The most hated woman in Chinese history! Born in 624 CE in Wenshui County in Shanxi province, very little was expected of the beautiful and bright Wu Zhao (reign title Wu Zetian)-- except that she would be trouble to any man unlucky enough to marry her. The very opposite of a virtuous maiden by most interpretations of the Analects of Confucius, Wu Zhao was not only bright, but highly educated and equally ambitious. Harshly judged by both contemporaries and generations of Chinese scholars since, the one thing everyone can agree upon about Empress Wu: the world is a vastly different place because she dared what no other woman of her time dreamed was possible. This is her true story, a truly legendary woman of world history.

Wu

Wu PDF Author: Jonathan Clements
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781909771109
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description


Rejected Princesses

Rejected Princesses PDF Author: Jason Porath
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062405381
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 653

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Book Description
Blending the iconoclastic feminism of The Notorious RBG and the confident irreverence of Go the F**ck to Sleep, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog. Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved . . . Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, Rejected Princesses turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place. An entertaining mix of biography, imagery, and humor written in a fresh, young, and riotous voice, this thoroughly researched exploration salutes these awesome women drawn from both historical and fantastical realms, including real life, literature, mythology, and folklore. Each profile features an eye-catching image of both heroic and villainous women in command from across history and around the world, from a princess-cum-pirate in fifth century Denmark, to a rebel preacher in 1630s Boston, to a bloodthirsty Hungarian countess, and a former prostitute who commanded a fleet of more than 70,000 men on China’s seas.

All Hail the Queen

All Hail the Queen PDF Author: Jennifer Orkin Lewis
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 1452166803
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 139

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Book Description
Discover twenty true stories of royal intrigue, power, and passion, brought to life through the gorgeous illustrations of Jennifer Orkin Lewis and the witty words of Shweta Jha. From Cleopatra to Empress Wu Zetian, Marie Antoinette to Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, these extraordinary female monarchs from all over the world have captured imaginations throughout the ages. With a deluxe foil-spangled two-piece case, this elegant and diverse celebration of women in charge makes the perfect Mother's Day or girlfriend go-to gift for the queen in our lives.

Wu Zhao

Wu Zhao PDF Author: N. Harry Rothschild
Publisher: Pearson
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
The story chronicles Wu Zhao's humble beginnings as the daughter of a provincial official and follows her path to the inner palace, where she improbably rose from a fifth-ranked concubine to emperor. Using Buddhist rhetoric, architecture, court rituals, and a network of "cruel officials" to cow her many opponents in court, Wu Zhao inaugurated a new dynasty in 690, the Zhou. She ruled as emperor for fifteen years, proving eminently competent in the art of governance, balancing factions in court, staving off the encroachment of Turks and Tibetans, and fostering the state's economic growth.