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The Glory of Empress Zhang: The Last Powerful Empress of the Tang Dynasty

Amimisu

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Emperor Wu Zetian may be the most famous woman in Chinese history, but during the devastating An Lushan Rebellion, another woman came remarkably close to total power. When the Tang Dynasty fractured and created an imperial court divided between two emperors, Empress Zhang stepped into the mess, managed the rival factions, and kept the government running from behind the scenes. Her story is a tale of survival, political intrigue, and pure ambition in one of the darkest eras of ancient China.

Historical Sources:
Old Book of Tang - 舊唐書
New Book of Tang - 新唐書
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance - 資治通鑑
Memorial on Tibet - 論吐蕃書
Melon Song of Yellow Terrace - 黃臺瓜辭

Footage used in this video:
The Glory of Tang Dynasty - 大唐榮耀
Lady of the Dynasty - 王朝的女人·楊貴妃
Swords Into Plowshares - 太平年
Legend of the Demon Cat - 妖貓傳
Road to Empress - 盛世天下

00:00 - Introduction
01:13 - The Favored Consort
05:58 - Two Emperors
09:50 - A Consort’s Influence
14:47 - The Melon Song
18:45 - The Power of an Empress
24:32 - The Western Palace
27:46 - The Last Gamble
32:28 - Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: Visuals used in this video are for reference/illustrative purposes and are not intended as accurate historical depictions.

#chinesehistory #tangdynasty #empresszhang #suzong #xuanzong #harem #empress #zhangliangdi #anlushanrebellion #wuzetian

20 Comments

@charlotteprice-l3r 1 month ago

assassinating a dude and then renaming him to “ugly” after death is so funny 😭

@AlaynaRayne 1 month ago

It's fascinating that we know this much detail about political events that happened 1300 years ago even if some of it really feels like "the winner" wrote it

@noodles-e6z 1 month ago

I love the new hair jewelry ❤❤❤. Did you just get promoted ? 😊😂

@M.albuquerque22 1 month ago

Wennever i see a historical commentary about a powerful woman i know i gotta see it. Even more when there is a Wu Zetian’s comparison add to it

@NymSandi 1 month ago

God I love the Tang dynasty. It really is an example of the highest highes and the lowest lowes of power struggles, political intrigue, and strategy!!

@tinaspice 1 month ago

You ever want a merch idea I could use some cute high quality hair pins. Yours are gorgeous and I had to rewatch the intro as I was distracted.

@timhorn3829 1 month ago

It’s always cool when you have powerful women who are very astute and practical when it comes to ruling a nation

@bentillema3895 1 month ago

Could you possibly do a video on the first woman who almost became emperor in her own right: Empress Lü?

@DewdewDC 1 month ago

A good example of history being seen through the eyes of those in power. It is interesting to think about how intelligent many of these people were to be able to survive and thrive in these courts.

@rosiegomez5809 1 month ago

What's amazing is that the Tang royal family survived at all after the An Lushan Rebellion. A significant (if not majority) number of them (men, women, children, all ages) were executed by rebels when Changan was first occupied.

@AlaynaRayne 1 month ago

our show is on!!!!

@LJstudiooooo 1 month ago

Great Tang was truly something. Imagine, a Palace complex 4.5x the size of the Forbidden City. if that doesn't show the mighty imperial authority of Great Tang, what then?

@cgt3704 1 month ago (edited)

I am with you on the final speculation. Perhaps Imerpial China would have been more relaxed at the thought of a female emperor, maybe even forming something akin to the Sultanate of Women in the Ottoman Empire. Or maybe they would have used their power to better the lives of the commoners and especially women.

But of course that would have given Confucius's spirit an ectoplasmic heart attack

@dennishuynh4253 1 month ago

I love your storytelling about the events during the Anshi Rebellion especially the stories of Du Fu, the Siege of Suiyang, and Empress Zhang. I'm curious about the story of Shen Zhenzhu, consort of Li Chu, Emperor Daizong of Tang and mother of Li Kuo, Emperor Dezong of Tang. How did she live in captivity during the days of the Anshi Rebellion and her decision to disappear when the rebellion crumbled?

@Squid981 1 month ago

I love this lady's channel ❤️

@evelynkennichnich8286 1 month ago

Yes, I watched "The Glory of Tang Dynasty" Part 1 + 2... was very interesting and with very good and cute actors :)

@meinorha9370 1 month ago

What an interesting woman. Whether she was so devoted the her husband out of love or to secure her own future position, she did a remarkable job in supporting him during the toughest years and showed great strength of character. I wonder if her position would have been unassailable if her sons had been older, although I still find it hard to understand the urge to support your sons only - would she still not been the empress dowager even with Li Chu on the throne? Their relationship could have been stronger if she hadn’t plotted against him, but that is of course assuming he didn’t have an ambitious mother or wife of his own. Either way, it seems strange she had no better plan than a last ditch effort with another son, it is not like the emperor hadn’t been poorly for a long time…