INTRODUCTION
History has always been filled with hundreds of great men who have led the greatest and most influential of nations throughout the ancient world. Men, like Julius Caesar, King Tut and Alexander the Great have been celebrated and both, famously and infamously, remembered as historically relevant. However, despite how the history books often present it, there have also been a number of very powerful female rulers that are often overlooked by history but are more than worthy of attention and research. Two such leaders are the Tang Empress Wu Setian and the Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut. These women ruled in different eras and hailed from very different cultures, but they have a lot more in common that just being a rare female ruler in primarily patriarchal societies; both women became powerful in leadership positions intended for men, they both contributed to their culture and strength of their nations and, finally, both have faced terrible villainization after their deaths and throughout their history.
DISCUSSION
In order to understand the two women better it is important to discuss the world they lived in. Empress Wu, who had very humble beginnings as the daughter of a minor general, from 690 to 705 A.D. as part of the Tang Dynasty, which rule from 618 A.D. to 907 A.D. She first came to power as a consort of the previous Emperor and then as Empress herself (Carlton, 2013). Her rise to power was likely shocking because that is simply a place not intended for women, yet she did so. Of course many felt her rise to power came with her willingness to manipulate men, mentally and sexually (Dash, 2012). Hatshepsut ruled from 1478-1458 B.C. in what is called the 18th Dynasty of the Egyptian nation. Hatshepsut shared rule with her stepson/nephew Thutmose III, but would eventually become the Pharaoh of Egypt herself. Like her Chinese counterpart it was uncommon for a woman to rule among her people in her era, the Pharaoh of Egypt was considered an embodiment of the masculine gods, which is difficult if the Pharaoh is a woman. Like Wu, Hatshepsut also received criticism that argued that her rise to power could never have been achieved had she not manipulated men, very likely sexually (Teeter, 2006). Women rulers are often defamed with ideas that their bodies, it is not their acts, intellect and cunning that made them leaders, but the use of sex to gain what they want. We still see this mentality alive today among some.
These women’s accomplishments are relevant. Empress Wu stabilized the Tang dynasty’s rule over China. She worked to blend the faiths of Confucianism and Buddhism and was responsible for both cunning leadership and was not afraid to enact violence to make her point, no more or less than any other rulers (Dash, 2012). She was something of an early feminist in the eyes of many because even as a concubine she managed to break the rules that had long bound women; presenting herself as his partner, not her superior. Hatshepsut reign was a peaceful and prosperous one. She improved trade bringing greater wealth to Egypt. She beautified Egypt by developing public gardens with exotic and foreign species. The general public did not seem to find much fault in her rule. In fact, overtime, even artisans began depicting her not as a women or a queen, but with the accouterments of a male leader, the mantles of a Pharaoh with masculine body features and her feminine head (Teeter, 2006). Both women made significant contributions to their nations and appear to have lead functional periods of economic and social success. However, that is not necessarily how either woman has been remembered.
However, despite positive contributions, Chinese history does not always regard Empress Wu positively. During her rule many of the elite of society were offended by the fact that a woman was equal to a man in any way, let alone a concubine. So there were many who defamed her, even while she ruled. The “Confusionists” were offended by anything that intervened or compromised their views, placing her in a bad light, not just for trying to incorporate Buddhism, but, also, for their mere fact she was a woman. This character assassination of the Empress Wu continues to today claiming she was a terrible leader remarked as being a promiscuous usurper, a cold hearted tyrant, who very likely murder her own parents, her brothers and sisters and spouse; she may also have called for the death of other, extended, Tang family members who might be a threat to her power (Dash, 2012). Hatshepsut, also, faced dissention from elite classes within the Egyptian political system. While clearly a competent ruler, after her death, when Thutmose III came singularly to power, he ordered that all of the images of her reign, be it in architecture or art be destroyed or recarved to eliminate her likeness. Egypt literally erased her from history as much as they could and disparaged the position she held (Teeter, 2006). Both women have continued to be villainized, not for their reign, their abilities as a leader or as contributors to the histories of their nations, but for their gender by the historically patriarchal societies, yet they managed to rule (Foreman, 2014).
CONCLUSION
The reality is that there has always been criticism of female rulers, throughout history. The historians write whatever is favored by those in power at the time, which means that history can be full of biases. In the case of female rulers of great ancient nations, it becomes obvious that the negative dogma that is passed down, may be nothing more than the words of her enemies, rivals and those who did not want the rule of a women to be remembered fondly or positively, Ideally this would help to maintain male control over the societies throughout time. Women were not necessarily valued equally and, in some places, still are not today. Women were perceived as tools to create heirs; both women began as one of many women belonging to one man, and managed to become a ruler in their stead. These were women who were clearly intelligent, charismatic and capable of leading, which means that, very possibly, all of the negative attributes of the women that have been perpetuated are not fact, but biases inserted into history by those that opposed their rules, even long after they had died. Fortunately, unbiased research is being done in the modern era. They are reinvestigating these women and, all those like them, and their lives and contributions to history; this will go a long way to better understand these leaders true histories and the true legacies of their rules.
REFERENCES
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Dash, M. (2012).The demonization of empress wu. Smithsonian Magazine. 1. Retrieved May 26,
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Foreman, A. (2014). The special vilification of female leaders. The Wall Street Journal. 1.
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Teeter, E. (2006).Museum review: Hatshepsut and her world. The American Journal of
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