The incredible life of Wu Zetian: China's only female emperor

Wu Zetian was born in 624 CE during the Tang Dynasty, a time when China enjoyed a period of peace that was experiencing flourishing trade and foreign relations. 

However, not all was well in the Tang royal court. 

Officials often fought for power and there were growing reports about military threats from neighbours, such as the Tibetan Empire and the Khitan. 

Wu Zetian was only 14 years old when she joined the imperial court as a low-ranking concubine of Emperor Taizong.

However, she quickly stood out because she was well educated to such an extent that she could read and write classical Chinese.

Her influence only grew under the next ruler, Emperor Gaozong, whom she later married. 

Then, as empress, she proactively built a network of loyal supporters among the various imperial officials and military warlords. 

Then around 660 CE, when Gaozong became too ill to rule, Wu Zetian took control and ran the government. 

After Gaozong died in 683 CE, she officially became Empress Dowager. This meant that she served as regent for her young sons until they were old enough to take the throne for themselves. 

That was until, to the shock of the Chinese people, in 690 CE, she declared herself Emperor. What is more, she claimed to be founding a new dynasty: the Zhou. But it would only last until 705 CE. 

Historians can gauge how the common people felt about her rise, because protests appeared almost instantly, both from inside and outside the court.

Wu Zetian knew she had to move quickly to solidify her power. She arranged for a former empress and a rival consort to be jailed and later put to death.

Then, in 684 CE, she also removed her own son, Li Xian, from power when he refused to obey her fully. 

As bloody as the start of her reign was, she also started significant cultural, economic, and military developments in her kingdom. 

One of her most important was the carrying out of economic reforms. Specifically, she changed the taxation system, increased the money supply, and promoted trade within China and abroad. 

These brought greater wealth to the Chinese people. 

Wu also showed herself to be a skilled military strategist who oversaw several successful military campaigns. 

In fact, her armies expanded the Tang Empire's borders and put down many rebellions in various regions of the country. 

Many of her early critics were swayed by these positive developments and the frequency of revolts against her regime slowly declined.  

What is more, Wu established several institutions of higher learning and reformed the imperial bureaucracy by expanding the civil service examination system, which increased access for talented but lower-born scholars.

She also reduced the traditional power of aristocratic families that had long dominated government positions. 

She promoted the study of Confucianism and Buddhism, all while encouraging the translation of foreign texts into Chinese. 

Despite her many accomplishments, Wu's reign was not all smooth sailing. 

Her use of ruthless tactics and manipulation to gain and maintain power alienated many within the imperial court, especially among some very powerful families.  

After decades of rule, Wu Zetian's suddenly reign came to an end in 705 CE. In February of that year, a group of officials led by Zhang Jianzhi and Cui Xuanwei staged a palace coup d’état against her and her favourites. 

While they justified their attack by saying that Wu Zetian was too old and sick to rule, it was claimed that she had actually been 'bewitched' by two of her closest advisers, known as the Zhang brothers. 

As a result, the rebels killed the Zhang brothers and their allies, and then forced Wu Zetian to abdicate in favour of her son Li Xian, who had been deposed by her in 684 CE.

He  became Emperor Zhongzong and restored the previous Tang Dynasty. 

Realistically, Wu Zetian had no choice but to accept the outcome of coup, as she had lost the support of most of her ministers, generals and close family members. 

Placed under arrest, she died later that year in December, at the age of 81. She was buried with Emperor Gaozong in the Qianling Mausoleum, where her tombstone was deliberately left blank. 

Overall, Wu Zetian is remembered as a complicated and controversial figure in Chinese history.

She made clearly significant contributions to the cultural, economic, and military development of the Tang and Zhou dynasties, but her reputation is still fiercely debated among historians.

Some see her as an incredibly capable and innovative leader who helped to strengthen China's position on the world stage, while others see her as a ruthless and manipulative schemer who used any means necessary to achieve her goals. 

In recent years, a renewed interest in her life and reign has led many Chinese scholars and public figures to reassess her reputation in light of more modern opinions of the place of women in positions of power.