Free Essay

All Odds Defied

In:

Submitted By deyshaun
Words 1453
Pages 6
All Odds Defied: Empress Wu Zetian
DeyShaun Shepherd All Odds Defied: Empress Wu Zetian “If a woman is sufficiently ambitious, determined and gifted - there is practically nothing she cannot do.” (Lawrenson, 2011) In a culture where women are still struggling to defend their traditional roles as child-bearers and home-makers, in addition to being subservient towards men, Empress Wu Zetian had proven herself to be in a league of her own when she succeeded the throne during the Tang Dynasty. She had been and still is the only female who had ruled China - no small feat despite the controversies of how she achieved that status. As it would apply to her, the ends did not justify the means. Empress Wu was born in 624 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. - 907 A.D.) to an aristocrat family in Wenshui County of the Shangxi province. As a young child, Wu was well educated by her father and was taught to read Chinese classics, write and play music. (Jiang, 2003) Not surprisingly, she was selected for her astuteness and beauty at the age of fourteen to be a concubine to Emperor Taizong. Traditionally, during this era, women from nobility had their foot bound to not only represent their wealthy background and their freedom from manual labor, it was also a symbolism of the women’s chastity as such women with bound foot was largely restricted to the confines of her home. With all its “charms”, bounded foot women were sexually desirable to men. These women were required to take small steps, which made it seemed as if they were swaying. These sways were also known as the Lotus Gait, and they were extremely sexually stimulating to the men. In addition, it was thought to be that the way in which the women with bound foot had to walk strengthened the walls of her vagina and made it more narrow, thereby making for a much more erogenous zone (Foot Binding, 2011). However even with the “pros” and beliefs of foot binding, Wu had successfully dodged the significantly painful process, but yet was still capable of capturing the attention of the Emperor Taizong, one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history. As a matter of fact, Emperor Taizong was so impressed with Wu, he not only favored her as his Meiniang (Charming Lady), he also assigned her as to assist as a secretary with the state affairs. Wu quickly submerged herself into its politics and gained tremendous knowledge of all that was going on with the state. In that process, she had managed to attract the attention of one of the emperor’s younger sons Crown Prince Li Zhi, who later ascended the throne as Emperor Gaozong. During the summer of 649 A.D., Emperor Taizong fell ill and never recovered from his sickness. After his death was announced, Crown Prince Li Zhi succeeded his title. As noted by court procedures, it was customary that all concubines of the late emperor were sent to a nunnery to live out the rest of their days. Initially, Wu was no different from the rest of the consorts in the palace and was sent to the nunnery to become a nun. However, the now Emperor Gaozong who was still very much attracted to the beautiful and intelligent young lady visited her frequently as the temple for the next two years. He later recalled her back to the palace and bestowed upon her a new title of Zhaoyi (the second grade concubine of the new Emperor). The newest concubine of the palace was not satisfied with her new title. Even though she had won the Emperor’s favor and gave him two sons, she was still thirsty for more power. She was ambitious and determined to advance in her position and status. She was so determined that she was ruthless enough to kill her own daughter and placed the blame on then Empress Wang. Needless to say, Empress Wang was disgraced and put to death. Wu had also use several underhanded means to rid the Emperor Gaozong of his favorite concubines. Soon after in 655 A.D., with no knowledge of all Wu’s crimes, Emperor Gaozong promoted Wu to ascend the throne as Empress Wu Zetian. Empress Wu ruled alongside with the Emperor is all affairs of the state. Her great perception and decision making impressed him greatly. He accepted her excellent recommendations and ideas regarding the state’s agriculture, tax reduction, social reforms and effective labor saving practice (Jiang, 2003). Within five years of her marriage, Empress Wu was actively part of all decision making of the state, and led her troops and people with an iron clad fist. After her launch into politics, Wu ensured that she removed all obstacles that stood in her way of her goals. She executed those who disobeyed her, and threw in prison those who failed her. She did not reciprocate the fact that some of these people were her family and/or high ranking officials who had contributed significantly to the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong was extremely aghast by the attitude of his new Empress. However, he had long since only ruled in name. He was weak-minded and almost all decisions of the state were now handled by Empress Wu. It would seem as if they were the “Holy Sovereigns” ruling aside one another, but for those who knew better, the Emperor was now just a puppet. In 683 A.D., Emperor Gaozong passed away and the throne was ascended by Empress Wu’s third son, Li Xian. He was then named as Emperor Zhongzong. Zhongzong did not stay an emperor for too long. He proved hard to manipulate and control and was quickly replaced in February of the following year. This time, Empress Wu chose her fourth son, Li Dan who was then named Emperor Ruizong. Selecting the perfect weak-minded and feeble candidate, Empress Wu was able to once again rule through her son throughout the next few years. However, that again did not last long. She finally usurped the throne and announced that she was the ruler of the Zhou Dynasty. Empress Wu continued her ruthless and cruel methods of ruling. She showed no mercy to those who defied her and those who opposed her. In addition, she punished the innocent and wrongfully put them to death. Nevertheless of her unorthodox method in rising to the top, she had several notable contributions that led to the flourishing of the Tang Dynasty. Empress Wu had set the precedence in reforming the education and personnel selection system. She enabled those of modest background to compete for many government positions. She encouraged many talented young men to volunteer their talents in their area of expertise. Her bold move resulted in enormous political talents found and employed in the government. Some such as Prime Ministers Di Renjie and Zhang Jianzhi later became famous in politics history. Her hindsight to develop agriculture had resulted in the prosperity of the people and its economy. Wu’s favoritism for Buddhism also resulted in the construction of numerous Buddhists landmarks, temples and sculptures which benefited the population. As Empress Wu reign came to an end, she lessen her grip on the state affairs, admitting that her quest for politics has waned with age and that she will always be only respected as a woman who is a member of the Li family. Finally, in 698 A.D., Empress Wu was forced to resign and return the throne back to her third son, Emperor Zhongzong. After her death in 705 A.D., she was buried next to her husband, Emperor Gaozong at the Qianling tomb. Although many remembered Empress Wu very well for her ruthlessness and cruelty, many recognized her great accomplishments within the Dynasty and the precedence she had set. In conclusion even though, women in China today are still combating their traditional roles, the odds that Wu Zetian had defied from many years ago had already placed them leaps and bounds ahead of their roles. She set the tone for the possibility of women leaders in a traditional Chinese culture, now all many need to do is follow in certain footsteps of hers.
References
Empress Wu Zetian of Tang Dynasty. (2003) Travel Guide China Culture: Empress Wu Zetian of Tang Dynasty. Retrieved February 27, 2011 from http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/tang/emperor_wuzetian.htm
Footbinding. (2011) Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia (Foot Binding). Retrieved 03 March 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding
Jiang, Leye. (2003) Wu Zetian. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://chinaculture.org
Lawrenson, Helen. (2011) ThinkExist.com Quotations: Helen Lawrenson’s Quotes. Retrieve February 15, 2011 from http://einstein/quotes/helen_lawrenson

Similar Documents

Free Essay

R&R Case Study

...cons of launching the game in such a market. 2. Experience- Bob Reiss had been successful with his last two ventures providing him the necessary experience and strategic vision to start a new business. He was an operations guy with a clear understanding of how products are manufactured for a niche but steady market. He leveraged his experience and successful track record to connect with individuals who could play an influential role for his venture. 3. Realistic Execution- Bob was aware about his strengths and weaknesses from the beginning whether it was funding, resources, etc. When he decided to enter this market, it was very critical for him to execute the strategy for him to make this venture successful and profitable. He defied all the Porter’s five forces when it came to launching the game in a saturated market like toys by developing a game with minimal investment of $30,000, outsourcing manufacturing, shipping and billing with lowest possible operating costs, and then selling, promoting and marketing with a creative platform like TV Guide. This was by far the most important reason for him to be successful...

Words: 544 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Oneida Community Research Paper

...Throughout history, American society has defied the odds against it and continued to adapt to changes to better improve itself as a society. However, there are still issues that linger throughout this country’s society that need improvement. In 1920, the United States of America ratified the 19th Amendment granting women with United States citizenship the right to vote. This ratification was attributed with great strides for the women’s rights movement however, almost one hundred years later, women are not as equally treated as men in a variety of areas. In order to fulfill the United States of America founding father’s dream, American society needs to adapt it’s policies on women and strive to promote an equal opportunities within the living...

Words: 1737 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Ming China Research Paper

...From the time of Ming rule in the 16th century, to present day, China has been among the most powerful economic leaders worldwide. Naturally, China has had ups and downs due to global developments and discoveries, social and economic changes, political unrest, and just downright bad luck. But through it all, China always manages, in one way or another, to get back to that number one spot. This is why I believe that in 100 years, China will be the leading economic power. In 1500 B.C.E., in the very early years of discovering, exploring, and colonizing the newly found Americas, Ming China was an untouchable economic power. All silver went through the country to be processed and all of the finer items such as silk and delicate dishware came out of China. The only real competition was the Muromachi state, but the Ming felt they were little more than an inconvenience....

Words: 465 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Nature vs Nurture

...disagreements battling of theory and experience among Psychologist and Sociologist for centuries. The Nature theory focuses on the genetic development of an individual; what color eyes will you have? Are you musically inclined because your parents are musicians? Will you be good at sports because your father may have been a star athlete? While the Nurture theory main focus is the environmental influence on an individual. How you are raised, way type of family do you come from? Was it Nuclear or Binuclear? Can your environment determine your behavior? I could determine that both may have an impact on an individual, however I cannot agree with either side. How can anyone truly articulate an unbiased decision, and not mention the Creator of all? I believe there are some issues that will remain unexplained, for the purpose that God wants it to remain that way. Genetics at times can be unexplainable, for example the African American couple giving birth to a Caucasian child with blonde hair (Essence, 2010). Many would say that’s impossible, however as we can see it is very possible. Then it’s the story of Liz Murray, who graduated from Harvard although both her parents were addicted to drugs (Abraham, 2010). In 1963 there is an article entitled “A medical accident”; twin boys taken to the hospital for a routine circumcision, unfortunately one of the boys was seriously injured which resulted in losing his penile genital. With the damage irreversible the parents decided to raise their...

Words: 1183 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Erin Martin Research Paper

...has only experienced one year with UNM, she has found her rhythm with her academic and athletic career and is excited for her remaining three years. Martin is pursuing a degree in graphic design but doesn't plan on giving up on the idea of continuing her volleyball career after she walks across UNM's stage. She said she "won't give up until [she is] 25 to make the Pro Circuit." Joining the Lobo family has been extremely rewarding so far for Martin. The community aspect of the university and athletic program is something that Martin appreciates immensely. "It's very cool to be a part of a larger community rather than just being in it." She knows that she is a rarity and that she has defied all odds by making it to the collegiate level standing at on 5'7". She plans to continue to defy all of the odds that she faces in her future. In volleyball, in school, and in life. ...

Words: 466 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team

...only gave me more goosebumps with each game. Better seasons will come, but nothing will beat next year's team when we win the chip. If I could go back and restart the season, I would. But we [can] only look forward and get better from here,” quoted Adela Qalliaj. The team’s work ethic and determination made the team not only an environment ready for improvement, but also of fun. “Every day I looked forward to lacrosse practice and to be able to enjoy an invigorating sport with amazing people. I've created some memories that I'll carry with me forever and I've learned things throughout the whole season, this year and last year, that allowed me to appreciate the sport more. The season was such a great one, and together, as a team, we defied the odds and were able to prove ourselves. I wish [the season] didn't end, but it only makes me more excited for the future!” Serena Schwartz added hopefully to the interview with the three...

Words: 523 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

A Doll House Play Character Analysis

...men were thought to be superior, while women as inferior beings (Barksdale, 2012). Nora Helmer The plays main character, Nora Helmer depicts women behavior during the nineteenth century. In the beginning of the play Nora seems to portray to the image of most women during her time. She is very submissive and obedient to her husband, Torvald. Nora leads a double life in the play as a sheltered wife of an attorney and an independent risk taker, At first, Nora seems happy and affectionately responds to Torvalds’s teasing. However, this is just an act of Nora Helmer that we all later discovered. During the nineteenth century, women could not conduct business affairs and had no control over family finances (Hartman, 1999). Permission to do so was sought from the husband before doing such acts. Nora, “the little featherbrain”, a nickname given by her Torvald was just the opposite of that (Isben, 1879). She defied most of the rules. She ate macaroons and lied about it to her husband. She secretly forged her father’s signature, borrowed money without her husband’s permission, and boasted about it to her friend, Mrs. Linde (Isben, 1879). She was secretly proud of the sacrifice that she had made for her husband. However, Nora perception of her husband was totally out of place. When...

Words: 930 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

David Harold Blackwell

...The topic of my research report will be the life and works of Dr. David Harold Blackwell. He is a renowned mathematician, statistician, educator, and author. During a time of racism and discrimination, Blackwell went against all odds and excelled in the field of mathematics and statistics. He worked hard and soon became recognized both nationally and internationally from his works and studies, while also mentoring and teaching students to excel in the field of mathematics as well. Dr. David Harold Blackwell was the oldest of four children, born on April 24, 1919 in Centralia, Illinois. As a child, he quickly became interested by mathematics, especially topics that included theorems and equations. His parents discovered their son’s passion and wanted to foster it as well, so they decided to enroll him into integrated schools, rather than racially segregated schools. With being born during the era of racial discrimination and segregation, they wanted to make sure that their son would not be affected by the trials and tribulations of racism. With the support of his family and being taught within a school system that cultivated his learning, Blackwell’s fascination carried on and led to him being recognized in high school within the School Science and Mathematics...

Words: 1004 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Film Analysis: Hidden Figures

...Hidden Figures displays three African American women who defied the odds by aiding in the launch of John Glenn into orbit. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson are all women who worked for NACA and NASA and played a vital role in his launch by providing the calculations necessary for both his launch and landing. The film takes place Hampton, Virginia during the 1960s, a prominent time of segregation amongst the community despite Brown v. Board of Education. The women face various challenges regarding their race and gender throughout the movie, however, they manage to achieve “the impossible” of the time. Katherine continued to work for NASA as a key person for space launch, Dorothy Vaughan became a supervisor at NACA and a manager at NASA which makes her the first African American to do so, and Mary Jackson became the first African American female engineer of NASA. Throughout the movie, it is made apparent that without these women, America would have had an even harder time trying to reach for the stars....

Words: 661 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Subliminal Messages In The Mysterious Benedict Society

...common, we want to be different. People expect me to be someone, but there is no joy in following someone else's footsteps. Medea was a barbarian, which means foreigner, and a woman, so the odds were certainly stacked against her. The entire plot is her going against the rules set upon women in that time. She followed her heart, rather than agreeing to the practice of men being allowed to have multiple wives. Killing her children was an act of rebellion, something she subconsciously wanted to do for herself. It is clear that she loved Jason more than she loved her children, even though that should’ve been her first priority. he children represented everything that she was supposed to be. I can say with certainty that Medea was a unique woman in that time. While writing this question, I realized that these are the most inspiring books I have ever read. Medea and The Mysterious Benedict Society defied society in ways I didn’t even know were possible. Here is what I would imagine what would happen if we switched the time that the books took place in. If Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance went to ancient greece, the story would not change much.They are very adaptable and the story itself does not rely on any modern inventions and ideas. The Mysterious Benedict Society is set in a strange world, all of its’ concept are imagination. However, if Medea was set in modern times, the story would be vastly different. The main reason being the existence of feminism. Now, if Jason had left Medea...

Words: 658 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Thomas Hardy Research Paper

...use of eccentric syntax and melancholic tone, Thomas Hardy creates a sense of nostalgia, which is influenced by his personal life and especially the death of his wife, Emma. Thomas Hardy was born in Stinsford, United Kingdom in 1840. He was born in a country where poetry dominated literature and where arguably some of the greatest poets lived including William Shakespeare. Most of his poetry got published in the later part of his life. He also wrote many famous novels to support himself financially. Some of his poetry was inspired by his first wife Emma, to whom he paid little attention to while she was alive. His works include regretful elegies inspired by his late wife. His poems have the effect of longing and nostalgia, solidified by odd syntax and diction. His other works are mostly about uncertainty of fate, time and change, and the relationship between man and nature. Hardy was a Victorian realist and he was also inspired by William Wordsworth poetry style of Romanticism. Hardy was a hardcore idealist and realist as he represented things in life as they really are and not making them out to be paradises as some poets do. He remarried to Florence Dugdale, but could never get over Emma partly because Florence was never able to give him affection that he desired. In his late age Hardy became ill and died, but most importantly, he composed his final poem for his wife Emma on his deathbed. Hardy was always “a time torn man”....

Words: 1944 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Freedom Writers: a Message of Hope

...herself, to some higher end not to mention also the hero undergoes trials and tests to see if he or she has the courage, the knowledge and the capacity to survive. To explain what this means I will use the protagonist Erin Gruwell (starring Hilary Swank), in the 2007 drama film, Freedom Writers, directed and written by Richard LaGravenese, It is based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell (teacher by profession) who wrote the story based on Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California. She started her teaching career as would any teacher; by doing a lesson plan. However her mistake was not taking the time to fully understand the type of students in her class room. Most of her students think the new teacher is “odd” because she does not believe what everyone else seems to know about these classes; they can read and they can write, and Ms. Gruwell expects them to do both. Everyone else seems to think they are stupid and beyond hope. They think this new teacher is “too young and too white to be working here,” and most of the kids in class predict she will leave after a day; one student gives her a month. The class is out of control, and there are more students than desks. The entire school is divided into groups ranging from “Beverly Hills” and “Da Ghetto” to “China Town” and "Run to the Border.” The Distinguished Scholars are in class across the hall, and the only white student in this class believes he should be across the hall. Ms. Gruwell quickly learned...

Words: 837 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Period of Unrest

...part in the miners struggle. Billy does not identify with the masculine world-view of his father and brother, and instead of boxing he secretly joins the ballet class. The notion of belonging to a group that shares the same values is repeated throughout the film, which portrayed class, gender and sexual orientation issues. Billy’s gender role shift journey starts as he is first exposed of a ballet class while he participated in boxing class at the gym. A new world opens up for Billy, it marks a world of self-identity. When Bill’s father find out that he’s dancing and not boxing, his father makes it clear he’s not happy and wants Billy to quit ballet dancing. But Billy defied his father and started taking private lessons with Miss Wilkinson. Billy’s gender issues are being questioned but over comes the odds and the stereotype of what society thinks. Billy finds Michael dressing in woman’s clothing and this point, Michael embraces who he is and admits to Billy that he’s a poof and tells Billy not to tell anyone. One things that I have noticed is that fact that the village seems to be a very conservative village, gender roles are pretty much set, boys box and the girls do ballet. Billy’s fathers perception changes he finds Billy dancing with Michael...

Words: 943 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Living with Strangers

...considered both rude and a snob, which was pretty much the worst thing you could be in that part of rural Minnesota. When Siri moved to New York City in 1978 and she was met by a world vastly different from what she knew, and quickly learned that the social code of conduct was quite different as well. Greeting everyone you meet simply isn’t practical in downtown New York, as you are confronted with hordes of people every time you leave the apartment. On the subway, you are forced into such close contact with strangers that you can smell their hair oil, perfume and sweat, a level of intimacy reserved for lovers and family in rural Minnesota. Another phenomenon of big city life, or coping technique as she calls it, is that whenever something odd happens in the public space, you simply pretend it isn’t happening. She presents several examples of strange people doing strange things, and every single spectator simply minding their own business. To give any kind of response is viewed as “courageous or merely stupid, depending on the circumstances and your point of view” (p2 l53), and Siri is of the conviction that “it is usually better to treat the unpredictable among us as ghosts, wandering phantoms who play out their lonely narratives for an au-dience that appears to be deaf, dumb and blind.” (p2 l50) This attitude might have negative consequences, she argues, and brings...

Words: 837 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Riwt Paper

...personification of people as mythical beings, no glorifications, and romanticizing takes no place. The focus of this art period was on the common man. Surrealism is a type of art and literature that developed in the 20th century, officially in 1924. Surrealism grew through Europe between World War I and World War II. It was founded by a small group of artists attempting to unlock the power of imagination and heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud. Surrealism evolved from the Dada movement, which created paintings of anti-art that purposely defied normal reasoning to the viewer. However, Surrealism focused on positive expression of the unconscious mind not blocked by rational thinking (Voorhies). Surrealism focused on the exposing of dream-like atmospheres by using desire, sexuality, and violence. Many paintings provided a type of therapeutic medicine during the art creation by visually expressing their unconscious thoughts for all to see. Franklin Rosemont...

Words: 905 - Pages: 4