Compare the Tang Empress Wu Zetian (also known as Empress Wu or as Wu Zhao; ruled China around 690-705 AD) with the Pharaoh Cleopatra (ruled Egypt around 51-31 BC).
For this assignment, we will compare two of the most famous female Emperors in world history; Empress Wu and Pharaoh Cleopatra. Both empresses ascended to power under completely different circumstances and there is a marked contrast among their reign and their achievements.
Ascension to Power
Wu, a daughter of rich parents with no connection to royalty, was only thrust into the affairs of the state when she was chosen to be the King’s concubine at age 14. She employed questionable tactics to pave her way to the throne, strangling her own baby to defame another Empress and later murdering her own son. As she began to gain a foothold, she also had numerous royals executed or banished. Wu also seduced the Emperor’s son in order to take a leading role behind the throne after the Emperor’s death. In contrast, Cleopatra was born a royal as she was the daughter of the Egyptian King Ptolemy XII. She and her brother were made joint rulers of Egypt by their father on his deathbed (Beck, 2015). Cleopatra was married to her own brothers at an early age and after being driven away from Egypt, also employed seduction to attain the throne. She became Caesar’s mistress in order to defeat her conspiring brother and later gave birth to Caesar’s son, Caesarian (Kristof, 2015).
Methods of Rule, Achievements and Resourcefulness
Empress Wu was extremely instrumental in the progression of the Tang Dynasty. She introduced secret service informants who acted as her eyes and ears and also ordered assassinations of her rivals and soon-to-be rivals to ensure that her path to power remained unhindered.
She introduced civil service examinations to streamline bureaucracy and improve governance and was extremely influential in the promotion of art and literature. Poetry received her full support and patronage during her reign and she also instrumental in gathering together various writers and artists to compile famous works such as Guidelines for Imperial Subjects (臣軌) and New Teachings for Official Staff Members (百僚新誡). She used diplomacy to maintain good relations with neighboring powers and also used effective military strategies to subdue the Turks and Tibetans. Cleopatra, on the other hand, focused more on consolidating her power than on the matters of the people. She spoke six different languages and maintained effective control in the face of hostility and opposition by other males who viewed the rule of a non-Roman female as a blatant violation of the ideals of the Roman Empire. Her most important accomplishment was the defeat of her brother, who had seized power and forced her to flee, with the help of Caesar (prezi.com, 2015).
Death
Cleopatra and her husband both committed suicide after they were defeated in the Battle of Actium whereas Wu was forced to abdicate her throne under a coup by a handful of generals and royals. She later died after a prolonged period of illness.
Consider what your study suggests about the cultures over which they ruled, identifying any similarities and differences between the cultures.
During the research, I found the Chinese culture to be more tolerant towards a female ruler as compared to the Romans. Although there were several female Roman rulers, Wu has the distinction of being the only Chinese empress in more than 400 years. Wu’s success may have had more to do with ruthlessness than tolerance, but the masses mostly loved Wu due to her fair economic and land policies. Another similar fact that I found among both rulers is that both employed extra judicial and fairly illegal tactics to attain the throne.
Power was the ultimate goal and in pursuit of power, everything (from murder to seduction to incest) was permissible. Wu had numerous members of her family killed (even her own baby) to dislodge others from power while Cleopatra also fought against her own brother. Also, backstabbing by members of the family and the members of the court was fairly common as everyone sought to control the throne and increase his/her wealth and influence. In short, both the cultures can be identified by their sexual manipulation, corruption and family politics.
From this comparison, suggest lessons about different types of effective leadership by a female in the world of modern business and / or modern politics. From these two rulers, female leaders of today can certainly learn a lot. Effective political maneuvering is essential for any leader to preserve his/her leadership and the tactics employed by both these women can serve as important examples for the women of today. This includes good relations with each and every cadre which brews allies that are instrumental in times of crisis. Women today can also learn ruthlessness and absolute focus from these two important rulers. Wu, coming from non-royalty, had always dreamed more than her fair share and when given the chance, used everything at her disposal to attain the throne. Women today can learn a similar commitment to their goals from Wu, employing patience and resolve to withstand the anti-female rhetoric in jobs and application processes. Just like Wu, women must prove themselves better than all those around them in order to gain respect and trust and to consolidate their position. This is extremely important in the current climate where women, despite having the same rights as men, are still considered inferior to them.
References
Beck, S. (2015). Wu Zetian (武则天) - China’s only female emperor | China Simplified. Chinasimplified.com. Retrieved 13 December 2015, from http://www.chinasimplified.com/2014/03/28/wu-zetian-chinas-female-emperor/
Kristof, N. (2015). When Women Rule. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 13 December 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/opinion/10kristof.html?_r=0
prezi.com,. (2015). Women in Western Culture -Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13 December 2015, from https://prezi.com/qx_7q2ndwjig/women-in-western-culture-encyclopedia/
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