The only women in Chinese history to rule the throne, Empress Wu. It was between 618-906 AD when there was time for relative freedom for women. She was born into a wealthy family and was known for her intelligence and beauty. It was when she was in the court of Emperor Tia Tsungs when Kao Tsungs and Wu fell for one another. They eventually married, but it wasn't till Emperor Tia had passed that Kao had to make changes. He announced that Wu would be replacing Empress Wang. Therefore Wu was now the head Empress.
Five years after there marriage Kao suffered from a stroke and died within days, so then Wu took everything into her own hands and made her second son ruler because she knew he would do anything she told him to. She made a secret police force that was ordered to demolish anyone that was in her way. Wu made remarkable changes to what people would think of women, she made scholars write biographies of famous women, she also gave her relatives a high political post. The people of the Tang Dynasty did like the way her son was ruling because he made everything equal for every one rich or poor.
In 690 her son had stepped down from the throne and let Wu take over. As she was ruling she made many changes to the dynasty. She made the army smaller, anyone who wanted to be in the government had to take a exam first and who ever was picked she needed to be able to trust. Even though her government ruling was very precise she treated everyone equally just liker her son did. She would lower the taxes fro the poor and strengthened public works. Before when her son was in power the dynasty believed in Confucianism and Taoism, but when she was ruling she still treated everyone fairly but she believed in Buddhism and not Taoism. Wu would have her construction people come and build temples to respect what she believed in. The people of the Tang Dynasty did not like changing what their religion was at first, but as the years went on they slowly started too. Many years went on as Wu in the throne but in 705 she was forced to give up the throne to her third son, not long after he took control Wu died at the age of eighty.
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