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The world has had more male rulers than female rulers throughout history, but there have been a few female leaders that climbed to power and had a great success. The only female ruler to assume the title of Pharaoh in Egypt, which is male dominated, was Queen Hatshepsut. She ruled Egypt around 1473 for more than 20 years, known as one of Egypt’s greatest rulers, somehow after her death no one seems to know what happened to her body and why majority of her records were erased; they tried to erase her name after death but she left such a great impact on Egypt. Another Great female ruler that was hated by so many was, Wu Zetian, known as the number one bad woman and the first and only Chinese Emperor to rule unofficially as Express and at her …show more content…
Hatshepsut, she was a daughter of a great king Thutmose I, She later married her half-brother King Thutmose II after the death of her Father, this is when she assumed the role of Queen. After her husband death, by the age of 30 she was a widow. She continued to Rule Egypt because her son in-law/nephew, Thutmose III was still too young. Hatshepsut started to wear men’s clothing to declare herself as Pharaoh. Egypt suffered a long period time of downfall until Queen Hatshepsut became ruler; she was a great ruler so no one tried to overthrow her. Wu Zetian which was daughter of Emperor Taizong, later became a concubine to Emperor Taizong at the age 14, when Taizong died she entered the Buddhist monastery, not staying there long she later became concubine to Emperor Gaozong, and had a son by him. She blamed the death of her baby boy on the Emperor’s wife, leaving the Emperor to make Wu his Empress. Once he died, their son took over and later removed himself from office in 690, from there she took over as Emperor until 705. The difference between the two was that Wu Zetian was said to be the murdered of her own son just to work her way into power, she not only was it said that she murdered her son but her siblings as well. Queen Hatshepsut didn’t murder anyone to get into power; she just forced her way into throne by marriage and …show more content…
She also is known for building the Deir el-Bahri, which is an enormous memorial temple that is one of the architectural wonders of Egypt. The Tang Dynasty were known to in be great builders, one of their accomplishments was the Grand Canal from the yellow river. Wu Zetian had many Buddhist temples built, and caves. The Great Wild Goose Pagoda at Ci’en Temple in Xi’an was built during the Tang Dynasty in 645CE. “It represents the essence of the Tang architecture.”(pg 366) Not only was the Tang Dynasty known for its architecture but for poetry as
Because they did not have a traditional role in government, women had work their way around the system to gain any type of political leverage. Empress Lu violated every cultural and social norm by retaining power as a regent throughout the reins of her son, grandson and adopted grandson. Tradidtionaly regents ruled from behind the scenes while the emperor himself was unable to make decisions, usualy due to age or heath complications, however Empress Lu eradicated any competitors for the thrown. As the end of her reign was nearing, she expected her nephews to succeed her. Even as the first empress, not unfamiliar with disrupting tradition, she left the emperorship to the next male in her bloodline (Doc. 5) not a female. Though Empress Lu defied all expectations of women, her power as an Empress was still undisputed due to the Mandate of Heaven, an idea originating in the Shang dynasty....
Queen Hatshepsut ruled Egypt when she declared herself as pharaoh because her stepson was too young. She ruled for 21 years from around 1503 B.C. to roughly 1482 B.C.
The Empress Dowager Tzi-his (1835-1908) was a unique ruler unlike any other China had ever seen. She is considered to be one of the most influential people in Chinese history, a rarity in the male dominated Chinese world. The empress dowager exerted great power over the Chinese empire and influenced the political structure in ways it had never been influenced before, making many great reforms that she believed would help the Chinese people.
The Chinese possessed strong beliefs about astrology, so when it was prophesised that a women ruler would soon ascend the throne word quickly spread throughout the common people. It was predicted that within 30 years this woman known as ‘The Prince of Wu’ would rule over China. Whether or not Empress Wu’s rise to power was due to ‘heaven ordained fate’, she fulfilled the prophecy and became China’s first woman ruler in the 7th century. Historians, scholars and common people alike have long debated Wu’s reign. She is commonly referred to as an evil usurper due to the way she took power. However whether she fully deserves this reputation is to be examined. As the only female Chinese ruler, Wu challenged traditional gender roles and legitimized herself as a leader at a time when women were not meant for such positions. Empress Wu came to power through self-determination and a remarkable gift for politics. Once on the throne, she kept her power by all means necessary, often those means being murder and betrayal. Some of her actions were undoubtedly cruel. However once she was established as an empress conducted a mostly peaceful and prosperous reign. Empress Wu was by definition a usurper of the Chinese throne however not necessarily an evil one. She was manipulative and ruthless yet brilliant and exceptionally gifted. Her rise to power through sheer determination is to be commended despite the harsh tactics she used along the way.
Before Hatshepsut, there were other woman who attempted to rule over Egypt. Every time a woman came to power, there was some sort of problem that was left for them to solve. Unlike Hatshepsut, the other woman did not have any confidence to name themselves pharaoh and they did not grow up in the royal family like Hatshepsut did. In paragraph 13, it states, “A few women had tried to rule Egypt before, but never would search valid claim to the throne,” and, “These women had not ruled long or well and neither had had the audacity to proclaim herself pharaoh.” These quotes explain that Hatshepsut was recognized for taking power at a good time and not stepping
Hatshepsut was a Queen in Egypt, born in about 1507 BC. She is eldest and only surviving daughter of King Thutmose I and his chief (main) wife, Ahmose. Among to the customs, she married to her half-brother which they had a daughter together. Her husband eventually died at young age, leaving an heir, his son with his minor wife, Thutmose III. Thutmose was too young to
Hatshepsut was a greater pharaoh than any other ruler of Egypt because she was intelligent and dominant. According to “The Queen who would become King”, it states, “Her
Was she the archetypal wicked stepmother, an unnatural and scheming woman ?of the most virile character who would deliberately abuse a position of trust to steal the throne from a defenceless child? (Gardiner, 1961:184)? Or was she ?an experienced and well-meaning woman who ruled amicably alongside her stepson, steering her country through twenty peaceful, prosperous years who deserves to be commemorated among the great monarchs of Egypt? (Budge, 1902:I)? According to biographer and historian Joyce Tyldesley, Queen or as she would prefer to be remembered, King Hatchepsut became the female embodiment of a male role, whose reign was a carefully balanced period of internal peace, foreign exploration and monument building (Tyldesley, 1996:1). This study will show that it was Hatshepsut the Pharaoh?s devotion to the god Amen and her protection of the maat of 18th Dynasty Egypt that allowed her to forge her successful New Kingdom regime.
Ancient Egypt is home to one of the greatest female pharaoh. Queen Hatshepsut. She was the first female pharaoh and did great things.
Wu Zetian was originally known as Wu Chao, born in 625 in Taiyuan in northern China. She adopted Wu Zetian when she seized the Chinese throne in 660. “Wu Zetian was a beautiful young woman…” (Knight 372). Empress Wu ultimately assumed the title of emperor for herself in 690, becoming perhaps the first “dragon lady” and the lone woman to act thus in Chinese imperial history. During her reign, she proved herself the equal of any male emperor in terms of ruthlessness, ability to effect social change for the common good and political acuity.
Cleopatra was a noteworthy Egyptian Pharaoh who ruled Egypt for eighteen years. It can be argued Cleopatra was significant in the political shaping of Ancient Egypt. She brought Egypt into a powerful position that potentially could oppose Rome as she helped to culturally signify feminine power. Cleopatra has been venerated in history through her actions, and the tragedy of her untimely death. Her role and legacy was formed by her experiences, achievements and personal life, inspiring her rise to power. The key events leading to Cleopatra’s reign include her exile from Alexandria, raising an army in Syria, forming an alliance with Julius Caesar and defeating her brother. External factors informed her motives and decisions during her reign, including
During the time of Ancient Egypt, having strong Pharaohs was essential to the maintenance and growth of the civilization, as the Pharaohs were believed to be living Gods. Although leadership of Ancient Egypt was often male dominated, there were admirable female Pharaohs who successfully gained power and left behind a positive legacy; one woman to achieve this was Hatshepsut, meaning ‘foremost of female nobles’. Her innovation and determination allowed her to maintain her position of Pharaoh for about twenty years (1479-1458 BCE). Hatshepsut was considered to be a very successful leader because of her confidence and ambition, magnificent building projects, and establishment of a strong trading network.
...n't thought to be capable of. She was an accomplished scholar, naval commander, leader, linguist, and author that skillfully led her kingdom through political devastations and increasing Roman involvement. “She was woman of single-minded determination” (Grant 237). Additionally, Cleopatra was often stereotyped into "typical chauvinistic female roles" such as a seductress or temptress (Roller 1). Despite her titles, Cleopatra was well-respected for being a female leader in a predominantly all male society in ancient history.
“Cleopatra was born in 69 BC - 68 BC.” She was “was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, ruling Egypt from 51 BC - 30 BC.” 1 Cleopatra is well known female historical figure. “She is also well known for her beauty and love life. Typically, when looking at Egyptian history the rulers are mostly male however Cleopatra was the exception. Cleopatra’s time of rule had a great impact on Egypt, as she brought prosperity to a nation in a time of civil war. Cleopatra used ruthless tactics, and political savvy ways to grow her Egyptian empire as well as achieve a great deal for the future of women.
Cleopatra is the definition of feminine power. She can very well be one of the first notable women in history. She was a very powerful woman; she knew what she wanted very early in life. Cleopatra life storey is not how powerful she became for a woman in her time, but what she did for love; the love of Egypt and the love of a man.