WuZetian(624–December16,705),alsoknownasWuZhao,WuHou,andduringthelaterTangdynastyasTianHou,referredtoinEnglishasEmpressConsortWuorbythedeprecatedtermEmpressWu,wasaChinesesovereignwhoruledunofficiallyasempressconsortandempressdowagerandlater,officiallyasempressregnant(皇帝)duringthebriefZhoudynasty(周,684-705),whichinterruptedtheTangdynasty(618–690&705–907).WuwastheonlyEmpressregnantofChinainmorethantwomillennia.

WuwastheconcubineofEmperorTaizong.Afterhisdeath,shemarriedhissuccessor—hisninthson,EmperorGaozong,officiallybecomingGaozong'shuanghou(皇后,variouslytranslatedasempress,wife,orempressconsort)in655,althoughhavingconsiderablepoliticalpowerpriortothis.AfterGaozong'sdebilitatingstrokein660,WuZetianbecameadministratorofthecourt,apositionequalastheemperor'suntil705.

TheimportancetohistoryofWuZetian'speriodofpoliticalandmilitaryleadershipincludesthemajorexpansionoftheChineseempire,extendingitfarbeyonditspreviousterritoriallimits,deepintoCentralAsia,andengaginginaseriesofwarsontheKoreanpeninsula,firstallyingwithSillaagainstGoguryeo,andthenagainstSillaoveroccupationofformerlyGoguryeoterritory.WithinChina,besidesthemoredirectconsequencesofherstruggletogainandmaintainsupremepower,Wu'sleadershipresultedinimportanteffectsregardingsocialclassinChinesesocietyandinrelationtostatesupportforTaoism,Buddhism,education,andliterature.WuZetianalsohadamonumentalimpactuponthestatuaryoftheLongmenGrottoesandtheWordlessSteleattheQianlingMausoleum,aswellastheconstructionofsomemajorbuildingsandbronzecastingsthatnolongersurvive.

Besideshercareerasapoliticalleader,WuZetianalsohadanactivefamilylife.Althoughfamilyrelationshipssometimesbecameproblematic,WuZetianwasthemotheroffoursons,threeofwhomalsocarriedthetitleofemperor,althoughoneheldthattitleonlyasaposthumoushonor.OneofhergrandsonsbecametherenownedEmperorXuanzongofTang.

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