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Influential Women Rulers Throughout History

Writer's picture: Emma HammackEmma Hammack

Kate Hammack 3/11/23

Throughout history women have been discriminated against and have not been able to inherit the thrones in countries around the world, but there have been some. Here are some of the most powerful women who have ruled and what they did for their country.


Europe

Catherine the Great of Russia:

Sophie Friederike Auguste born in a part of Prussia, daughter of the German prince Christian August von Anhalt-Zerbst, she was married to the grandson of Peter the Great at the age of 14. Her husband ascended the throne and was named Peter III of Russia, Sophie gained the title Grand Duchess Catherine Alekseyevna. Their marriage was disappointing, her husband was rebellious and neurotic, while Catherine was intelligent and very ambitious.

During the Seven Years War, Peter III withdrew his troops from Prussia and lost tremendous power during this action. Catherine gained supporters for her cause to reign Russia herself, causing Catherine to stage a coup for Peter III to get arrested. He was assassinated 8 days after he was arrested, no one knows if Catherine ordered for him to die, or if it was just one of her supporters who killed him. Catherine ascended the throne and was known as one of the most influential enlightened rulers. She was truly dedicated to her adopted country, she established order and justice as well as a growth in education for women (she founded the country's first state-funded school for women).

Catherine westernized Russia, bringing in the ideas and culture of France, corresponding with philosophers such as Voltaire and Dennis Diderot. She created judicial and administrative reforms, encouraged vaccination, and drafted her own legal code. She expanded Russian territory, adding Crimea and much of Poland. She ruled for about 3 decades, becoming Catherine the Great, creator of one of the most powerful enlightened despot in the 18th century.

Queen Victoria of Great Britain:

Alexandrina Victoria ascended the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India in the 19th century. She reigned 1837-1901, this time was named the Victorian Age after her. She presided over social and industrial transformation in Britain, as well as expansion of the empire. A quarter of the world's land surface was ruled by Queen Victoria. By the end of her reign, she ruled Australia, Canada, much of South Africa, large parts of Africa, the Far East and Oceania.

The British Empire grew to become the world's first industrial power, producing much of the world's coal, steel, and textiles. She indirectly caused the Industrial Revolution in Europe. During the Industrial Revolution, she created reforms for workers, expanding workers welfares. During her reign she also caused an advancement in education for all, including women, and she presided over the abolition of slavery in Great Britain. Queen Victoria carved a new role for her monarchy in her time and influenced the rest of Europe greatly.

Queen Isabella I of Spain:

Isabella I, Queen of Castile, ruled Spain with her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon. They ruled together, effecting the permanent union of Spain and beginning an overseas empire in the New World. Isabella unified Spain as one country under her marriage to Ferdinand and she financed the expedition of Christopher Columbus, leading to Europe discovering the Americas. She reorganized the governmental system, brought the crime rate down, and unburdened the kingdom of its enormous debts.

She was a tough and powerful leader, Isabella and her husband ordered the Alhambra Decree which ordered the mass expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain. This is known as the Spanish Inquisition, it was violent and deadly.


Asia

Empress Wu Zetian of China:

Empress Wu Zetian was the first woman ruler of China, she ruled as the “Holy anf Divine Emperor '' of the Tang Dynasty. Under her 40 year reign, China grew larger, becoming one of the most powerful nations in the world. She is considered one of the greatest emperors in China due to her strong leadership and effective governance.

She caused a major expansion of the Chinese Empire, gaining lots of territory in Central Asia, under which China conquered much of Korea. She was a ruthless ruler, eliminating any potential rivals to her throne. She improved the lives of peasants by lowering taxes, she improved farming techniques, and funded building public works.

She was consort to Emperor Gaozong, meaning she was his second wife. She had his first wife arrested, Empress Wang, by telling her husband she was the reason his daughter died. Wu then became Empress Wu, and for several years she established herself as a significant power behind the throne. She built strong allies within the government and developed many spies throughout the empire that were extremely loyal to her.

When the Emperor became sick she ruled for him. When Emperor Gaozong died, her son became emperor but she ruled for him while he was young. She then made her son step down as emperor, and declared a new dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty. She was then the first and only Emperor of China.

Empress Suiko of Japan:

Empress Suiko was the first reigning Empress of Japan recorded in history. She was wife of Emperor Bidatsu, but he died after a short reign. A feud erupted between the Soga clan and the Mononobe and Natakomi families over the succession. The Soga clan won, Emperor Sushan succeeded the throne, but he was murdered, replacing him with Suiko. Empress Suiko’s reign represented a great break of tradition in the ruling of Japan, after a long line of male rulers a woman ascended the throne.

Empress Suiko was known for adapting the Chinese Sexagenary cycle calendar, she established the Chinese system of government bureaucracy instead of the old Japanese one, and strengthened the Japanese empire. She also brought in Chinese and Korean craftsmen to Japan to broaden their culture.

Under her reign, she established Buddhism in Japan. She is credited with expanding Buddhism in Japan, which now 33% of Japan is Buddist. She sponsored Buddhist temples and monasteries. Buddhism increased in Japan through Korea, this further influenced Korean art and culture in this time.

The Thrung Sisters of Vietnam:

The Thrung Sisters, Thrung Trac and Thrung Nhi, are heroines of the first Vietnamese independence movement. They headed a rebellion against the Chinese Han-dynasty overlords After the assassination of the husband of Thrung Trac, her and her sister Thrung Nhi along with some aristocratic supporters forced the Chinese commanders to flee. Within a year the sisters and allies held 65 northern citadels, and later proclaimed themselves queens of an independent state (modern day Vietnam).

However, they were no match for the forces of the seasoned Chinese troops. General Ma Yuan defeated them at Lang Bac, where the sisters were decisively beaten. The sisters did not want to face defeat, so they committed suicide by drowning in the Day and Red rivers. Even though their reign was short, they are heroes of Vietnam for leading the first resistance against the Chinese dominance of 247 years. To this day, they are celebrated in Vietnam for giving up their lives for the resistance.


Africa and the Middle East

Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt:

Hatshepsut was the female King of Egypt, she ruled as Pharaoh for 22 years. Thutmose II inherited the throne, Hatshepsut married him and became his consort. Her husband died, and the throne went to her son, but he was only a baby so Hatshepsut ruled for him. After several years of his reign, she declared herself King and adopted a full royal title.

She successfully governed Egypt by gaining many loyal officials to control all key positions in her government. Her reign was a peaceful one, based on trade rather than war, she brought vast riches to Egypt, including ivory, ebony, and gold. She restored many buildings and built new artifacts during her reign. Her greatest achievement was an enormous memorial temple at Deir el-Bahri, a great wonder of ancient Egypt.

Empress Theodora of the Byzantine Empire:

Empress Theodora was one of the most powerful women in Byzantine history. She was wife of Emperor Justinian I, she was extremely intelligent in politics which made her Justinian's most trusted advisor. She received foreign envoys and corresponded with foreign rulers, handling much of the political aspects in the empire, this job was usually handled by the emperor.

As well as political policies, she also controlled religious policies. Theodora believed in miaphysitism, believing that both divinity and humanity are equally present in a person of Christ, she tried to mitigate the laws against miaphysitism.

She is remembered as one of the first rulers to recognize the rights of women, passing laws such as prohibiting the trafficking of young girls and altering divorce laws to give more benefits for women.

Queen Shanakhdakheto of Kush (modern day Sudan):

Shanakhdakheto was one of the earliest known ruling African queens of ancient Nubia. She took the throne of the Kush Empire and ruled absolutely in the Meroe Empire as well, making her known as the Lord of the Two Lands. She ruled without a king, which was very unusual for the empire at that time.

She played a big role in the Meroitic religion, building the Temple F at Naqa. There is not much known about her reign, but she was built as a strong, bejeweled, power, and prosperity.


Our Take

In history, the women who ruled their countries were not chosen by their people. They came to power by default if a King had no sons, or by succeeding their dead husbands. It had always been harder for women to rule effectively than it was for a man. We believe in spreading awareness of powerful women who seized and maintained power in their country. These are some examples of women rulers in history and there are many more in several countries. We encourage our readers to research more women rulers in history to broaden their knowledge.

Knowing more about powerful women expands the sense of what is possible for young girls, knowledge of womens strengths and contributions builds more respect for women today. This diminishes the stereotype of women being healers or caretakers throughout history, and shows that women can lead and rule a country on their own effectively.


Sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Catherine the great. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great

Magazine, B., By, & Magazine, B. (2022, September 2). Who was queen victoria? what was her role in the British Empire? - Britain magazine: The Official Magazine of Visit britain: Best of British history, Royal Family,travel and culture. Britain Magazine | The official magazine of Visit Britain | Best of British History, Royal Family,Travel and Culture. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.britain-magazine.com/features/royals/queen-victoria-role-british-empire/

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Isabella I. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isabella-I-queen-of-Spain

Biography. Ducksters. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.ducksters.com/history/china/empress_wu_zetian.php

Lewis, J. J. (2019, March 7). All about empress suiko of Japan, the first Japanese woman ruler. ThoughtCo. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.thoughtco.com/empress-suiko-of-japan-biography-3528831

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Trung sisters. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trung-Sisters

Hatshepsut - history. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2023, from https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/hatshepsut

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Theodora. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Theodora-Byzantine-empress-died-548

Shanakdakhete facts for kids. Shanakdakhete Facts for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://kids.kiddle.co/Shanakdakhete






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