Chapter 1. To Hell with Boundaries
This article recounts the tales of two women you’ve probably not heard about before. One born royal and the other a concubine, both living in times when being a woman was considered a weakness, and women were seen as inferior beings to be used and controlled. These two badass ladies defied the traditions and politics of their respective times to rise to the very top, serve their countries and make two very large marks in history. Determined, bold and clever, Tamar dealt with greedy nobles, corrupt politicians, a traitorous husband and foreign enemies to bring about Georgia’s golden age. Wu Zetian, the intelligent, cunning and decisive concubine, ruthlessly crushed all opposition in her rise to power, and while many view her story with mixed feelings, there is no doubt that she was an effective ruler who brought prosperity, learning and expansion to China.
The Female King - Tamar the Great of Georgia
Well before Isabella of Castille or Elizabeth I of England showed Europe what a woman ruling in her own right could do, there was Tamar. Often called Tamar the Great, she brought Georgia to the peak of its power and glory.
A member of the Bagratoni dynasty, Tamar faced significant opposition from the aristocracy when she ascended the throne of Georgia in 1184, as the country’s first Queen Regnant. Wishing to be free of the repressive policies of Tamar’s father and utilize her gender, which they saw as a weakness, for their own benefit, the Georgian aristocracy presented a strong opposition against Tamar’s rule. In the early years of her reign, the young queen was forced to make significant concessions to the aristocracy and was even pressured into dismissing her father’s appointees who had helped the old king maintain strict control over the nobility. A husband was chosen for her – Yuri Bogolyubsky, who proved himself to be an incompetent drunkard among other things. But over the years, Tamar was becoming more and more assertive of her rights as Queen Regnant, and had begun to build and expand a power base of her own by cleverly elevating those most loyal and able, be they noble, clerical or commoner.
Two years into her marriage, Tamar divorced Yuri on the grounds of drunkenness and sodomy. However, Yuri did not go quietly. Aided by members of the aristocracy who wished to check Tamar’s growing, power he attempted two coups. Both of which failed and he was forced into obscurity. Soon, Tamar had by various means neutralized those of the aristocracy who had opposed her. Tamar’s next husband was of her own choosing. David Soslan was an able commander, and would become Tamar’s most trusted and ardent supporter. With David as the leader of her armies, Tamar sought to expand the Georgian empire further than ever before. Two of the most significant battles of Tamar’s reign were at Shamkori (1195) and Basiani (1202). Using the decline of the hostile Seljuq Turks, Tamar adopted an energetic foreign policy, the majority of which relied on the powerful military elite. Building upon the successes of her predecessors, Tamar succeeded in consolidating an empire, which dominated the Caucasus. She also played a crucial role in the formation of the Empire of Trebizond, which was made up of the northeastern corner of Anatolia and southern Crimea.
It was during Tamar’s rule that the principle of Georgian architecture underwent a significant change, this can be seen in the several large-scale domed cathedrals that were built during her reign. In art and architecture, the Byzantine-inspired presentation of royal power saw several modifications due to Tamar’s unique and unprecedented role as a female ruler (in her own right).
In medieval Georgian sources, Tamar is known as “Mepe” (king) and as such, is sometimes called King Tamar, rather than Queen. Her line continued through her son and daughter, both of whom ruled Georgia after her. But none of her successors ever measured up to the greatness of Tamar. The empire she worked so hard to build would crumble a mere twenty years after her death, but her legacy lives on to this very day, not only in Georgia, but the rest of the world as well. Today, despite not being one of the most universally well-known historical figures, Tamar the Great joins the ranks of the greatest rulers in history, as a bold, clever and dedicated leader, who showed the world that a queen could achieve just as much greatness as any king. The epitome of a leading lady, she was canonized as the Holy Righteous Queen Tamar by the Georgian Orthodox Church and is also a saint of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.
Concubine to Conqueror - Wu Zetian
Some consider her a villainous tyrant, others an effective ruler. Whatever one may believe, there is no dispute to the fact that Wu Zetian made her mark in history and played a key role in the development of her country.
Wu hailed from a wealthy family and her father ensured that she received a much more extensive education than what was required for women of that time. Beginning as a concubine of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty, Wu rose to become the de facto ruler of China, first through her husband Emperor Gaozong, and then through her sons the Emperors Ruizong and Zhongzong. She subsequently became Empress Regnant and founder of the Zhou dynasty, ruling China with an iron fist from 690-705.
Following the death of Emperor Taizong, Wu became a consort of the late emperor’s son and successor, Emperor Gaozong. Charismatic and well-educated, she enjoyed the absolute interest of her husband, resulting in her becoming the leading lady of the emperor’s court. Far more decisive and proactive than her husband, she was the most powerful and influential woman at court during a period when the Tang dynasty was at the zenith of its power, and as such, she enjoyed honors and privileges never enjoyed by any other Chinese Empress in history. Unlike any other woman before or after her, Wu was present whenever the emperor held court and even held court independently on occasions when the emperor was ill. She was even given charge of the imperial seal, which meant that no document or order could receive validity without her knowledge and permission.
When her baby daughter died in 654, Wu accused the empress at the time, Empress Wang of murdering her child. What really killed the baby girl is unknown, however history gives us three primary possibilities.
1. According to folklore, Wu is portrayed as a power-hungry woman who murdered her own child to implicate Wang.
2. The childless Wang did murder the Wu’s child out of jealousy.
3. The girl died of asphyxiation or crib death, likely brought about by the poor ventilation systems of the time.
Wu’s accusation marked the first step in the downfall of Empress Wang, who in 655 was replaced as empress by Wu. Wang and another consort named Xiao were the first victims to be killed by order of Empress Wu. Chancellors, officials, in-laws, step-sons, nephews, and even her own sons, grandsons and granddaughters were not safe from Wu, if they aroused her suspicion or invoked her disfavor.
After the death of her husband, her youngest son became emperor under the temple name Ruizong. However, Wu was the true ruler of the country in substance and appearance. The new emperor was kept under her strict control. No officials were allowed to see the emperor without her permission and neither was the emperor allowed to make any decisions when it came to matters of state. In 690 however, Wu had Emperor Ruizong relinquish the throne to her. Thus, the Zhou dynasty was born with Wu as imperial ruler.
Wu consolidated her power through her influence at court, a system of spies and her secret police force, which she used to eliminate any of her real, potential or perceived enemies by means of execution, forced suicide, murder, demotion or exile.
However, despite her bloody rise to power, Wu’s political and military leadership ensured the major expansion of the Chinese empire, extending well beyond its previous borders and deep into Central Asia. Wu used both the military and diplomacy to enhance her international position.
Wu’s reign also saw Taoism, Buddhism, education and literature receive an unprecedented extent of state support. Her court was a center of literary creativity. The Chinese people were to a great extent satisfied with her rule as apart from court intrigue and corruption, the administration was run well and the economic situation brought about a rise in living standards.
"To the horror of traditional Chinese historians, all members of the shih class, the continued success of the T'ang was in large measure due to an ex-concubine who finally usurped the throne itself...Though she was ruthless towards her enemies, the period of her ascendency was a good one for China. Government was sound, no rebellions occurred, abuses in the army and administration were stamped out and Korea was annexed, an achievement no previous Chinese had ever managed." - Yong Yap Cotterell and Arthur Cotterell.
