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Some three centuries after the glorious reign of Wu Zetian, another empress dowager, Xiao Yanyan, began making her mark on Chinese history. Xiao Yanyan became Empress Dowager Chengtian after the death of her husband, Emperor Jingzong, in 982 CE.
Also known as Wu Zetian, Wu became Empress Dowager when her husband, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty, died in 690 CE. As the de facto ruler of China and the only female ruler to be widely recognized as legitimate in the history of China, Wu became the first ruler of the Wu Zhou dynasty. Empress Wu was considered to be a far better ruler than her late husband, and today is considered one of the greatest rulers in Chinese history.
China, as the civilization with the longest history of empires, emperors, and empresses, lays claim to the largest and most intriguing collection of empress dowagers.
The wife of the ancient Han Emperor Cheng, Zhao Feiyan is remembered in Chinese history as one of the most beautiful members of the imperial court, frequently compared to the legendary Four Beauties of pre-historical China.
Looks aside, Feiyan was also known for her cunning, sinister mind. Before she was named Empress Dowager, Empress Feiyan was rumored to have waged a years-long campaign of terror against the emperor's consorts and concubines. From poisonings and blackmail to murders and forced abortions, Feiyan made absolutely certain that no one but herself would bear an heir to the Han throne.
One of the most famous figures of Chinese history, so impactful during her historical time on Earth that she has become part human and part legendary being, was Empress Dowager Wu.
As Empress Dowager of the Liao dynasty, Xiao Yanyan held immense power in the imperial courts and also led her own personal army of more than 10,000 soldiers. Xiao Yanyan was said to have been an excellent military commander, successfully defending the Liao territories from multiple invasions.
One of the last and most famous empress dowagers of imperial China was Empress Dowager Ci'an. After the death of her husband, Emperor Wenzong of the Qing dynasty, in 1861, Ci'an inherited an incredible amount of power.
Born Kujō Asako in 1835, later changed to Eishō after the death of her husband Emperor Kōmei, Empress Dowager Eishō was one of the first children to grow up in the imperial courts in the wake of the Meiji Restoration.
This power, however, was shared with Empress Dowager Cixi, his concubine. Empress Dowager Ci'an, never very interested in politics, became the quintessential matriarch of the Chinese imperial family, leading the family affairs with confidence and prowess.
The history of the Japanese Empire is far shorter than that of China, lasting just shy of a century from 1868 to 1947, but that was still enough time for a few exceptional empress dowagers to make their mark.
With Ci'an handling family matters, imperial politics were left to Empress Dowager Cixi, the younger of the two co-regents. Empress Dowager Cixi became one of the most effective regents in Chinese history, famous for her sweeping reforms and draconian punishments of political dissidents.
Reforms championed by Cixi included, among many other things, abolishing the practice of footbinding, sweeping tax reformations, and even setting the groundwork for a path towards a Chinese constitutional monarchy. All that being said, Cixi was known to order public executions without a second thought.
Although none of Empress Dowager Eishō's own children survived past infancy, she was named the official mother of the baby who would become Emperor Meiji, one of the most impactful leaders of the Japanese Empire.
Following in her predecessor's footsteps, Empress Dowager Teimei dedicated herself to a lifetime of service with the Japanese Red Cross Society.
Born in 1849 as Masako Ichijō, Empress Dowager Shōken concerned herself much less with politics than she did humanitarian causes.
Empress Dowager Shōken is best remembered today as a founding member of the Japanese Red Cross Society, an organization that contributed greatly to the medical care of wounded soldiers on both sides of the first Sino-Japanese War.
Empress Dowager Kōjun, whose honorary name translates to "fragrant purity," was born in 1903 and held her title for over six decades, from 1926 to 1989.
Empress Dowager Kōjun's more than six decades in power made her the longest-serving empress consort in Japanese history. During her lifetime, Kōjun gave birth to seven members of the Japanese royal family.
Reigning from 1912 to 1926, Empress Dowager Teimei also made history as the first empress to give birth to a direct heir to the Japanese imperial throne in nearly two centuries.
Eastern Asia isn't the only region of the world with a history of empress dowagers. Certain nations in Europe, such as Russia, had many empress dowagers of their own.
During her lifetime in the 17th century, Queen Dowager Eleonora Gonzaga was known throughout the Holy Roman Empire as a patron of the arts, and one of the most intelligent members of the nobility.
Eleonora Gonzaga, born in modern-day Italy, was a celebrated royal who served as Holy Roman Empress, Queen Consort of Hungary and Bohemia, and Queen of Germany.
Maria Feodorovna, also once known as Princess Dagmar of Denmark, made her mark in history books as the mother of Emperor Nicholas II, the ill-fated last tsar of Russia.
During her own time, Maria Feodorovna was known throughout Russia and Eastern Europe for her beauty and intelligence. As empress dowager, she outlived both her husband and her eldest son.
Before Maria Feodorovna, there was Louise of Baden. Born in 1779, she became Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna through her marriage to Emperor Alexander I of Russia.
Originally born in Germany, Louise of Baden became a duchess of Russia at the young age of 14. After marrying Alexander I in 1793, she served as a strong and dedicated empress until her death in 1826.
Alexandra Feodorovna was the last empress and empress dowager of Russia. The granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, she married Nicholas II in 1894.
Shortly after the start of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Alexandra, her husband Nicholas II, and their children were infamously murdered in 1918.
Sources: (Asia Society) (Britannica) (National Geographic)
See also: The powerful women who changed the course of history
The old adage tells us that behind every great man is a great, or greater, woman. That certainly rang true in the times of antiquity, when emperors and empresses ruled over Asia and lands beyond. And among them stands out one particular category of leaders: empress dowagers.
From Japan, to China, to Eastern Europe, history has been shaped by the lives of empress dowagers, the widows of once-great rulers, who often surpassed their late husbands as the monarchs of society. Whether through cunning military tactics or sweeping legal reforms, the empress dowagers of the East changed the course of history as we know it.
Read on to learn about the most powerful and impactful empress dowagers of Asia.
Who were the empress dowagers of Asia?
The powerful matriarchs who outlived their husbands
LIFESTYLE History
The old adage tells us that behind every great man is a great, or greater, woman. That certainly rang true in the times of antiquity, when emperors and empresses ruled over Asia and lands beyond. And among them stands out one particular category of leaders: empress dowagers.
From Japan, to China, to Eastern Europe, history has been shaped by the lives of empress dowagers, the widows of once-great rulers, who often surpassed their late husbands as the monarchs of society. Whether through cunning military tactics or sweeping legal reforms, the empress dowagers of the East changed the course of history as we know it.
Read on to learn about the most powerful and impactful empress dowagers of Asia.