Top Ten Queens of China - The Grand Chronicle of Empress Jia

Author: Jilin People's Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: A Record of the Lives of the Top Ten Empresses, A Study of Female Dominance, A Seductive Book of Courtship, A History of Court Crimes. For women to rule was deemed a rebellion in feudal China, where patriarchal and husband-dominated societies held the belief of "male supremacy and female inferiority" deeply rooted. It was said, "A hen crowing at dawn brings misfortune to the family. A female replacing a male in singing brings ruin to the household, and a woman usurping a man's power leads to the downfall of the nation." The three thousand beauties in the imperial harem were an undeniable political force, and as empresses, they occupied the position of "second only to the emperor and above all others." This book selects the ten most representative empresses in Chinese history. Among them are Daji and Zhao Feiyang, who changed the destiny of their nations through their unparalleled beauty and were later regarded as "harlots" and "ruin-bringing queens." There is Lü Zhi, the first female regent in Chinese history. There is Feng Taihe, who built the Northern Wei Dynasty with her extraordinary political prowess. There is Jia Nanfeng, a fierce and jealous empress who wielded power for ten years with cunning. There is Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. There is the Empress Wei, who bore humiliation in her misfortunes but became tyrannical once in power. There is Xiao Taihe of the Khitan, an empress renowned for her wisdom and for reviving the Liao Dynasty. There is Empress Xiaozhuang, who painstakingly raised two young emperors to adulthood. There is the Empress Dowager Cixi, who held court for 48 years and single-handedly sustained the late Qing Dynasty through its crises. They were heroines of the sword, valiant women, and also the shapers and chroniclers of history. The ten most representative empresses in Chinese history, some rose to prominence through their beauty, some gained supreme power through their cunning, and some ruled the world with their strategic acumen. Chinese history changed with their subtle smiles and gentle gestures, brimming with vitality. Perhaps the true history of China was written by their delicate fingers.