Women and Power in the Ancient World (Ancient China)

Empress Lü (241-180 B.C.) 1. Rise to Power:  Portrait of Shangshan Sihao  by Huang shen, now in The Palace Museum Empress Lu also reigned alongside male leaders, starting from 195 BC in Western Han, which located in Bashu (Sichuan, China). The society of the Han Dynasty can be described of a clear definition of each social class. Han China was comprised of a three-tiered social system. Aristocrats and bureaucrats were at the top of this hierarchy followed by skilled laborers like farmers and iron workers. However, Empress Lu gained power through male leaders, her husband mostly. The artifact I chose is the painting of four recluses Shangshan Sihao who are very much respectful at the time. Her husband Emperor Gaozu of Han wanted to re-appoint the heir for the country. He wanted to replace Emperor Hui, who is the son of the Empress Lu, to Ruyi, who is the son of Lady Qi (Gaozu’s mistress). Empress Lu wanted to make sure that his son will remain in the position o...

Empress Wu (624-705 A.D.) 1. Rise to Power:  Epitaph for Yang Shun . Late 7th-early 10th century A.D. Limestone. 918.7.129. Royal Ontario Museum. Wu Zhao later called as Wu Zetian or Empress Wu, was the first and only female Emperor in China. In the feudal dynasty of China, where was dominated by Confucian perspective with strong patriarchy, the heir to the throne was limited to royal men. In such a society, Wu Zhao, who is a female and not from a royal family, climbed to the Empress’s throne by primarily using four kinds of power: family, sexual, political, and military power. Firstly, she was born in 624 A.D. as the daughter of a wealthy family. Her family was so wealthy that she was able to receive a high level of education from childhood, which was unusual for females at that time. In addition, her parents had a friend called Li Yuan, who was the first emperor of the Tang dynasty. And thanks to her family power, around the age of 13, she got a position of a ...

Ancient China and its royalty have always been perceived as mysterious, exotic, and treacherous. In this exhibit, we will showcase three powerful women who rose to power through ideological (cultural) power, family power, sexual power, military power, and political power. We will examine how these women gain status in the strongly patriarchal society where Confucianism, which believes women are inferior and should not involve in politics, is dominant. This exhibit will focus on her rise to power, her accomplishments when she achieved that power, and how she is remembered in the past and present. Firstly, these women are from wealthy families and have a connection with the imperial family (family power). Traditionally, in China, only male members of the royal family can get a succession. Therefore, to gain power, women needed to have a connection with the royal family. For example, Emperor Wu’s father was a successful businessman, and her mother was from the Yang family, which is the ...