Wu zetian husband

Wu Zetian [ note 8 ] 17 February [ note 9 ] [ note 10 ] — 16 December , [ 3 ] [ 4 ] personal name Wu Zhao , was Empress of China from to , ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as empress consort through her husband Emperor Gaozong and later as empress dowager through her sons Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong , from to Under her year reign, China grew larger, becoming one of the great powers of the world, its culture and economy were revitalized, and corruption in the court was reduced.

She was eventually removed from power during a coup and died a few months later. In early life, Wu was the concubine of Emperor Taizong. Wu had considerable political power even before becoming empress consort, and began to control the court after her appointment. After Gaozong's debilitating stroke in , she became administrator of the court, a position with similar authority to the emperor's, until History records that she "was at the helm of the country for long years, her power is no different from that of the emperor.

She took the throne in by officially changing the name of the country from Tang to Zhou, changing the name of the royal family from Li to Wu, and holding a formal ceremony to crown herself as emperor. Empress Wu is considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history due to her strong leadership and effective governance, which made China one of the world's most powerful nations.

Within China, besides the more direct consequences of her struggle to gain and maintain power, Wu's leadership resulted in important effects regarding social class in Chinese society and in relation to state support for Taoism , Buddhism , Confucianism , education and literature. Wu played a key role in reforming the imperial examination system and encouraging capable officials to work in governance to maintain a peaceful and well-governed state.

Effectively, these reforms improved her nation's bureaucracy by ensuring that competence, rather than family connections, became a key feature of the civil service. Besides her career as a political leader, Wu also had an active family life.

Did wu zetian marry her son

She was a mother of four sons, three of whom also carried the title of emperor, although one held that title only as a posthumous honor. One of her grandsons became the controversial Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , whose reign marked the turning point of the Tang dynasty into sharp decline. Mention of her in the English language has only increased their number.