Chinese Empresses

Chinese Empresses highlights the stories of Chinese imperial women and how male authorities attempted to curb their power. It disputes the notion that Chinese empresses were simply hapless or powerless victims of the male-dominated political system.

This book is not a compendium of biographies of Chinese empress. The objective is more fundamental. By analyzing details from the lives of representative empresses, it is possible to understand how women gained and used political power, and how male rivals opposed them. The significance of this topic extends far beyond the scope of Chinese studies. In China, monarchy stretches back to high antiquity, providing hundreds of case studies that can be used to understand the nature and applications of female power. Whereas the histories of most places describe only a few powerful women, Chinese chronicles offer numerous examples that reveal how rulers’ consorts gained, maintained, and used power. The length and richness of Chinese history make it the best historical field for exploring female power in detail.

Bret Hinsch is professor of history at Fo Guang University, Yilan, Taiwan. He is the author of Women in Ancient China, Women in Early Medieval China, Women in Early Imperial China, Women in Imperial China, Masculinities in Chinese History, and The Rise of Tea Culture in China.