WU ZHAO

WU ZHAO AT COURT

• In 638 at the age of 13, arrived at the court of Emperor Taizong
• She came from a wealthy and noble family, and her father was a general
• Wu knew how to play music, read literature and write.
• She was known from her wit, intelligence, and beauty.
• Wu Zhao soon became one of the Emperors favorite court member.

RISE TO POWER

• Gaozong was a very sick emperor.
• Five years after he bought Wu back to the palace, he had a stroke.
• After Gaozong's stroke, he was ill often and couldn't rule efficently.
• Wu Zhao then used her political skills behind the scene.

REBELLIONS

• When rebellions broke out, Wu Zhao crushed them.
• In 690, Wu Zhao finally seized all power under her name.jo
• They called her Holy and Devine Emporer.
• She even founded her own dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty
• Wu Zhao became the supreme ruler of China for the next 15 years.

RULER

• Wu was a harsh ruler but generous to the poor.
• She lowered taxes, increased food production and funded public projects.
• She also tried to reduce the power of the military and cut the size of the army.
• Also, she replace many soldiers with scholor-officials.
• Lastly, people competed for government officials by taking a state test.

BUDDHISM

• In 673, Wu helped pay for construction of a large Buddha statue.
• Many people thought this statue looked like Emperess Wu.
• Empress Wu supported Buddhism unlike most Emperors.
• One possible reason that she preferred Buddhism over Confucianism
• was because Buddhism showed more respect towards women.

FINAL YEARS

• When Wu Zhao declared herself emperor in 690, she was 65.
• When she got older, she began to lose her judgment.
• Bribery and corruption spread throughout the imperial court.
• Courtiers and senior officials hated her favorite advisers.