Empress Dowagers In Ancient China

The role of women in China is as complex as the dynasties. Much like the differences between Qin and Tang in their choice of governance the role of women also differed depending on the dynasty and how they perceived to be their role. In modern times I always perceived China to be patriarchal, only allowing men to rule and for women to exist in traditional roles. My perception was wrongfully based on the lack of mentioning of female rulers, as England had Queen Elizabeth, and in Russia, Queen Catherine as strong female leaders, It surprised me when I read the article “Female Rulers In Ancient China” by Yang Lien-Shang about the Empress Dowagers and their repeated history of being rulers is varied again depending on the Dynasty as stated, “This type of regency [Empress Dowagers] has a history of over two thousand years, and certainly it should not be regarded as something accidental” (20). The examples given in the article are also varied as some Empress Dowagers were only there for emergencies or others like Empress Dowager Liu were more ambitious, making the power Empress Dowagers depends on the ambition of the empress themselves . In connecting to Chinese Histories it is interesting how varied the role of women could be seen, as sometimes they were heads of China, while in other dynasties their feet could be blinded in a very harmful custom. Empress Dowagers was the highest a woman in Chinese history could go until recent time, for regular
I know from class and article’s that males in China sometimes criticized women in power, sometimes blaming them for bad omens. What is the perception of women in China on Empress Dowagers, are they criticized as well, or are they seen as influential and celebrated for being women in power? I am curious about the perception by women in China on Empress Dowagers, what is their legacy in popular