Power in Practice: Wu Zetian

The woman, the myth, the legend: Empress Wu Zetian, also known as Wu Zhao, was China’s only female emperor. She is known for her incredible zest for politics, ambition, and smarts throughout the Tang period; all were qualities women were often looked down upon throughout patriarchal society. Though, the Tang dynasty was exceptional for their inclusion of women in politics; being one of China’s golden ages, women rode horses, held positions of power, and even wore male attire. Despite her prowess, she is looked upon as a controversial figure in history due to her treatment of rivals, and this part of her history was often exaggerated by male Confucian officials due to their prejudice against ambitious women. This history is still substantiated through accounts of her ruthlessness towards her opponents, including her own son.

Wu Zetian was born into the family of a senior officer, Wu Shihuo, in the Tang court of Li Yuan. The daughter of Shihuo and a woman from the Sui royal family, a related line to the Yang, Zetian was born Wu Zhao in 624. The Wu family was aristocratic and originated in the Shanxi Province. Shihuo had five children: two sons from Lady Xiangli, his first wife, and three daughters from Lady Yang, his second and Zetian’s mother. Zetian’s family relationships were complex, and she disliked her two half-brothers due to their poor treatment of her mother. She exiled them once she rose to power.

Zetian was only fourteen when she entered the court of Tang emperor Taizong as a junior concubine in 638. It is said that her beauty and intelligence attracted both Taizong and his son, Li Zhi. She was a fifth-rank concubine of Taizong at only fourteen. The couple did enter intimate relations, though she bore Taizong no children, likely due to their age gap. She was not only his concubine, but his friend and personal secretary for ten years after impressing him with her wit. One of her famous quotes that pleased Taizong is (regarding a conversation with Taizong on the topic of a wild horse he could not master): “I can control him [the horse], but I shall need three things: first, an iron whip; second, an iron mace; and third, a dagger. If the iron whip does not bring him to obedience I will use the iron mace to beat his head, and if that does not do it I will use the dagger and cut his throat,” (Asian Studies). Zetian learned useful skills regarding matters of the state during this time. Taizong passed in 649, and due to royal tradition, Zetian was relegated to a temple and became a Buddhist nun.

At the temple, she was visited by the new emperor, Li Zhi, now Gaozong, on the first anniversary of Taizong’s death. She successfully baited him into bringing her back to the palace and was granted the title of second-rank concubine. She bore Gaozong four children. The first thing she did was eliminate both Gaozong’s favorite concubine, Xiao, and Empress Wang after gaining not only their trust, but the trust of palace servants and those around her. Soon, all the palace servants reported to her even the most menial matters. One servant mentioned Wang’s fondness for children, so after Wang played with Zetian’s newborn daughter, Zetian killed her own daughter to blame it on Wang. Wang was dismissed and Zetian was promoted to empress. Both Xiao and Wang were killed immediately by Zetian and their relatives were exiled. 

Zetian appointed officials to eliminate her dissenters through torture and execution, even forcing

one of her political rivals, Zhangsun Wuji, to commit suicide. Her quest for power was complete once Gaozong had a stroke in 660 and became feeble. Gaozong feared Zetian, and allowed her to largely manage state affairs, so she ruled the empire under his name for over two decades. Gaozong died in 683, and her second son, Li Xian, became Emperor Zhongzong. Instantly, she replaced him with her son Li Dan, now Emperor Ruizong, who was a puppet emperor like his father. Zetian was successful at mitigating revolts during this time, and she took over as emperor in her own right in 690, founding what she named the Zhou Dynasty. Both sons were in exile. For fifteen years, Wu Zetian ruled in her own right as empress until being deposed in 705. She died in 710 after her retreat.

Wu Zetian will be remembered for her brilliance, spirit, and ruling competence. She promoted literature and art across China and made efforts to uplift and sustain women’s rights. She was a fond patron of Buddhism and furthered it during her tenure. Zetian maintained China’s sovereignty, expanding Tang territories and protecting the country from foreign threats. One policy of note was her agricultural support; she improved the lives of peasants through agrarian reforms and tax reductions, making the lives of all citizens better instead of only benefitting the nobility. Chinese civilization only became more prosperous under her, and though her gravestone was once unmarked, her accomplishments will be remembered.

Lee, Yuen Ting. “Wu Zhao: Ruler of Tang Dynasty China.” Education About Asia, vol. 20, no. 2, Fall 2015, Association for Asian Studies,

www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/wu-zhao-ruler-of-tang-dynasty-china/.

Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

FitzGerald, Charles Patrick. "Wuhou". Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Dec. 2025,

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wuhou. Accessed 31 December 2025.