How Did Empress Wu Influence The Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty (618-907) was a time of slightly deconstructed misogyny which allowed for the advancement of women. In fact, the Tang Dynasty experienced a small interruption with the second Zhou Dynasty (690-705) established by the only female monarch in Chinese history—Empress Wu. Empress Wu rose to power through ruthless tactics to move her from the emperor’s concubine, to the emperor’s consort, and eventually to the position of empress of China. Her significance as a Chinese ruler is exemplified through her use of the Chinese secret service, her influence over the civil service examination, her edicts to relieve the lower classes, and her lasting impact on China’s military and diplomacy.
Wu Zetian was born during the Tang dynasty in China and had an advantage in when she was born as she was born during a time when women were not expected to live fully subordinate lives. She was born into a wealthy Chinese family that had many servants, and since the servants took care of all major domestic tasks, Wu was able to focus on studying Chinese literature and music. At the age of
Her ruthless tactics allowed her to ascend to power and leave a major impact. Wu’s work on the imperial examination increased its importance and allowed for a larger number of qualifying applicants (as she opened the examination to commoners, which had previously been prohibited). Her cruel ways made use of the secret police and officials under her reign produced the Manual of Accusation that detailed the means of producing confessions through torture. Despite her reputation of a brutal killer, she was also ironically known for her various edicts that helped provide relief to the lower classes. The Zhou Dynasty under Empress Wu was characterized by its relatively high standard of living. Empress Wu may be a contradictory character, but her rule (good or bad) was surely impactful and