How Did Empress Wu Affect The Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty marked one of the most acclaimed periods in the history of China. The dynasty made a great impact on the later Chinese dynasties and clarified the uniqueness of Chinese society. Their achievements in political foundations and religion attracted a great number of foreigners to study there, and had influences on neighboring countries. The Tang also supported education, and Tang women were granted the same rights to, and opportunities for, education as men. Later in the history of the Tang, Empress Wu, one of the most remarkable women in Chinese history, ruled the dynasty from 690 A.D to 705 A.D. Wu took charge of the government but also continued many of the systems of the former Tang rulers. To enhance her position, she established

Wu set about to eliminate any of her rivals that posed threats, which included the empress in power at that time. Many of her own people reported ruthlessness that resulted in the dismissal, exile, or execution of many of her opponents (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2000). After rising to power, Wu had a reign of terror where she damaged her reputation. In trying to stay in power, Wu tried to “remove from power the representatives of the northwestern aristocracy, who had controlled the government from the beginning of the dynasty through the medium of the imperial chancellery” (World Eras, 2003). Wu created a secret police force to spy on her opposition, and cruelly jailed or murdered anyone who stood in her way. The secret police led a reign of terror, justifying the mass executions. The people of China believed that Wu strangled her daughter in secret and had her spies inform the emperor that the current empress before her, “was responsible for the child’s murder. The emperor put aside his wife and married Wu in 655 BCE; she became his number-one wife” (Global Events, 2014). Historians believe that Empress Wu played a part in the death of the former empress in November 655. In trying to maintain power, Wu did not care about who was hurt along the way. Wu continued to show her cleverness and cunning by getting rid of other rivals, however, she

Wu ruled with dominance and guided a period of social refinement that would affect Chinese society for centuries to come. When attempting to change the social order in China, she incorporated the examination system which opened the government positions to a wider group of people who before, would not have been considered for the jobs. The examination system candidates faced fierce competition in a series of exams dealing essentially with Confucian texts and conducted on the national levels. The purpose of the system was to recruit men based on skills rather than based on their family or political connections which was a form of Confucianism. Wu used the exams as a political weapon by allowing those who entered the government to take over the highest positions (Global Events, 2014). The system continued to play a major role, not only in education and government, but also in society itself. In the act of improving the community, Wu “encouraged lower ranks of bureaucracy by creating new posts, providing more opportunities for advancement, and increasing their salaries” (Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 2002). These exams allowed the voices and ideas of the people to be heard and used to refine China. Empress Wu helped promote the exchange of ideas in protesting against the system of society controlled by men by advocating women’s academic growth and sexual freedom