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.