Women and Power in Imperial China

Women and Power in Imperial China focuses on the status and roles of women in China, especially those who had a significant influence on governing the empire. In providing the background for its main theme, the book inevitably summarizes the principal events and social development of China throughout the imperial period. A reading of the book’s narrative from beginning to end provides an introduction to the history of China, supplemented by an in-depth look at the often neglected role of the women in this generally paternalistic society. It is unusually comprehensive in covering its topic from pre-Imperial China to modern times and including discussion of both ethnic Han and non-Han cultures and the impact of their differences on women and power. In treating its subject, the author introduces the reader to the many women who rose to prominence and even de facto rule of the empire, including the great Empress Dowager Lü in the Han Dynasty whose ruled as a regent from 190-185 B.C.E., and is the only regent to have her rule officially recognized in history. Her ambition was exceeded by Empress Wu in the Tang Dynasty, who ruled China for a total of about forty-five years; first in the name of her husband, then as regent for her sons. Finally, in 690 C.E., Wu made her son abdicate and proclaimed herself Emperor of a new dynasty. These two famous rulers along with Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty are known in the West as the three most powerful women in Chinese history. Cixi ruled until her death in 1908 C.E., just after placing her young nephew Puyi on the throne. The abdication of this boy Emperor in 1911 brought the long history of Imperial China to a close.