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Text/Jin Laoxi
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Wu Zetian is the only female emperor in Chinese history who has undergone many changes and rose to the throne. She has a unique place in history, not only because of her female ruler, but also because of the way she recognizes and responds to gender and power. This essay aims to delve into Wu Zetian's life and political experiences, exploring how Wu Zetian embodies and expresses her feminine consciousness as a female emperor, and how she copes with sexism and power struggles in a male-dominated feudal society. Through the analysis of historical documents and research results, this paper argues that Wu Zetian has a strong sense of women, and shows the way of thinking and dealing with gender and power in various ways, which provides a useful reference for the study of ancient Chinese women's history and contemporary gender issues.
Keywords: Wu Zetian, female consciousness, gender, power, feudal society
I. Introduction
Wu Zetian (624–705), an important political figure in the mid-Tang Dynasty, was the only female emperor. She was born into an ordinary Shi family, but with her intelligence and political skills, she rose from a court official to the throne, becoming the only female ruler in Chinese history. During Wu Zetian's reign, he implemented a series of political, economic, and cultural reforms that promoted the prosperity and stability of the Tang Dynasty. However, her reign was also fraught with controversy and opinions of her were divided.
As a female emperor, Wu Zetian faced many difficulties in the feudal society at that time. She had a low background, was not favored by her gender, and was suspected and ostracized by male rulers and officials; Her accession to the throne and reign was seen as breaking the gender norms of feudal society, sparking a series of controversies and opposition. However, Wu Zetian did not shrink from this, but instead showed a strong feminine consciousness and unique gender concepts. Through her words and actions and political decisions, she has shown independent thinking and coping with gender and power, making her a much-watched and studied female figure in Chinese history.
2. Wu Zetian's life and political experience
Wu Zetian was born in 624, the daughter of an ordinary Shi family in the early Tang Dynasty. It is rumored that she was brilliant since childhood, and was deeply favored by her father, and was elected to the court as a female official and became a member of the palace. Through his intelligence and wit, Wu Zetian gradually rose to prominence, and was made a noble concubine during the reign of Zhenguan by Emperor Taizong of Tang, and held important court positions.
With the deaths of Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Wu Zetian began to make his mark on the political stage. She used her ingenuity and political skills to win the appreciation of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, and was appointed empress regent before Emperor Gaozong of Tang's death, effectively becoming the de facto ruler of the Tang Dynasty. Subsequently, through a series of political means, including deposing the crown prince, weakening the powerful ministers, and eliminating political opponents, she finally ascended the throne in 690, becoming the only female emperor in Chinese history.
During her reign, Wu Zetian implemented a series of political, economic, and cultural reforms. She took a series of measures, such as weakening the power of the clan office, implementing lenient policies, strengthening military management, reforming the tax system, and building water conservancy projects, which promoted the prosperity and stability of the Tang Dynasty. At the same time, she pioneered a series of female-centered cultural and court reforms, which promoted the advancement of women in politics and society. She is personally involved in political decision-making and shows a strong sense of femininity in many ways.
Third, Wu Zetian's feminine consciousness embodiment
(1) Cognition of gender and power: Wu Zetian had a unique understanding of gender and power during his reign. She confidently and firmly believes that gender should not limit a person's abilities and powers. In her political decisions, she not only did not shrink because she was a woman, but showed a strong will and decisive decision-making ability. She believes that as a female emperor, she should lead the country without concession and show the political ability and wisdom of women. This awareness of gender and power led her to demonstrate a firm leadership style during her reign, defying the powerful and adhering to her own policies and decisions.
(2) Gender concepts in political decision-making: Wu Zetian showed his female consciousness in political decision-making. She emphasizes the strengths and characteristics of women, viewing women as a group of people with unique wisdom and abilities. She promoted a series of female-centered reforms of the court system, such as the establishment of a women's official school and the selection of female talents so that women could play a greater role in the court. She values women's participation and contribution, respects women's rights and status, and enables women to be reflected and respected in politics. At the same time, she has adopted policies that benefit women in her political decision-making, such as reducing taxes on women, improving the status of women, and promoting women's education. These policies reflect Wu Zetian's concern and support for women and show her feminine consciousness.
(3) Ways to deal with sexism and power struggles: Wu Zetian showed unique methods and strategies in the face of sexism and power struggles in a male-dominated feudal society. In the face of powerful ministers and political opponents, she did not show weakness, and stood by her position and decision-making. She protected her power and position by weakening the power of powerful ministers, eradicating political opponents. At the same time, she also showed her dexterity and wisdom in politics, and by using her feminine charm and wisdom, she established a force composed of female officials, forming a strong support force, thus maintaining relative stability and control in politics. She showed her tenacity and decisiveness in the power struggle, gave full play to the advantages of women, and faced and solved gender discrimination and power struggles through her female consciousness.
(4) Promote the reform of women's status and rights: As the only female emperor in history, Wu Zetian actively promoted the improvement of women's status and rights through a series of political reforms. She attached great importance to the education and training of women, established a school for female officials, and selected and trained a group of outstanding female officials. She had also taken measures to reduce the tax burden on women and to improve their status and treatment. She also paid attention to the status of women in the family and society, and promoted a series of reforms in the marriage, family and inheritance system so that women could be better treated and held in the family and society. These reform measures fully embody Wu Zetian's feminine consciousness, and while promoting social change, she also actively pays attention to and cares about women's rights and status.
(5) Pay attention to the rights and interests of vulnerable women: Wu Zetian also pays attention to the rights and interests of vulnerable women in political decision-making, especially prostitutes and palace maidens. During her reign, she implemented a series of policies to protect the rights and interests of prostitutes and palace maidens, such as the establishment of palace maid hospitals, the provision of medical and nursing services, and the improvement of the living conditions of palace maidens. She also took measures to combat sexual assault and harassment in the court and to protect the rights and dignity of palace maidens. These policies reflect Wu Zetian's concern and concern for vulnerable women, and show her feminine consciousness and humanitarian spirit.
(6) Pursuing a balance of self-worth and power: Wu Zetian also showed a balanced pursuit of self-worth and power during his reign. She focused not only on her own power and status, but also on her historical status and reputation. During her reign, she actively promoted the inheritance and development of history and culture, paying attention to the construction of temples and cultural buildings, and promoting the prosperity of Buddhism and cultural inheritance. She also focused on her reputation and image, demonstrating her majesty and dominance by building lavish palaces and majestic mausoleums. She pursues the balance of self-worth and power, paying attention not only to the stability of actual political power, but also to the historical status and the evaluation of her by the people, showing her feminine consciousness and leadership wisdom.
(7) Tenacity and courage in the face of difficulties: As a female emperor, Wu Zetian faced many dilemmas and challenges during her reign, including the struggle for political power, the suppression of national rebellions, and the response to economic difficulties. However, she showed extraordinary tenacity and courage, and through flexible political means and decisive decision-making, she successfully coped with various difficulties and maintained political stability and social tranquility. Her tenacity and courage fully demonstrated her feminine consciousness and leadership wisdom, allowing her to maintain a relative advantage and control in difficult situations.
IV. Summary
To sum up, Wu Zetian, as the only female emperor in Chinese history, showed a strong sense of femininity. Through her wisdom, courage and leadership, she successfully grasped political power in an era of patriarchal supremacy, maintaining political stability and social tranquility. She actively promotes the improvement of women's status and rights, pays attention to the rights and interests of vulnerable women, pursues the balance of self-worth and power, and shows a resilient, decisive and intelligent female leadership style. However, she has also faced criticism and controversy, being questioned about her methods and tactics, and even accused of brutality and dictatorship. Therefore, Wu Zetian's female consciousness has both positive and negative aspects, which needs to be objectively evaluated in the complex context of history and reality.
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