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#402 The “Evil” Empress: Wu Zhao

10/29/2018

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Picture
Image: Fan Bingbing portrays Wu Zhao in the television series Empress of China (Wei meiniang chuanqi 武媚娘传奇)

Concepts:
  • What do we mean when we talk about gender? Are there any related terms we might add?

Discussion:
  • Based on your reading of this chapter, what might have been some of the expectations of women within the imperial court?
    • How do these expectations fit within Ban Zhao’s “Admonitions”?
    • In what ways does Wu Zhao seem to conform to those expectations? When does she flout them?
    • Compare and contrast the expectations of male rulers with those of Wu Zhao.
  • Chinese historians often portray Wu Zhao as a “bad example” (Wills, 128).
    • What are the key events in the chapter that might have been used to discredit Wu Zhao?
    • What might be possible sources for these claims?
    • How might you evaluate them as a historian?
    • To what extent do you think gender plays a role in how her actions are remembered?
  • For a historian today, what might be the case for and against Wu Zhao’s success as a leader?
    • What initiatives seem particularly effective or important?
    • Which might be counted against her legacy?
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    Course Info
    In-Class
    Assignments

    Unit Overviews

    • ​I. Finding a Path
    • ​II. Making China Great Again
    • ​III. "The Empire, Long Divided, Must Unite . . ."
    • IV. China's Golden Age
    • Course Project
    • V. The Death of Woman Wang

    Timelines

    Axial Age
    (600-200 BCE
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    ​Early Empires
    ​(200 BCE-200 CE)

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  • Courses
    • Archived Courses >
      • Chinese History >
        • Ancient/Early Modern: Living China's History >
          • Living China's History (fall 2017) >
            • Course Information
            • Course Project
            • In-Class
            • Assignments
          • Living China's History (fall 2018) >
            • In-Class >
              • The Death of Woman Wang
            • Assignments
        • Modern: China's Fall and Rise >
          • China's Rise and Fall (spring 2019) >
            • Course Info
            • In Class
            • Assignments + Units
          • China's Fall and Rise (spring 2018) >
            • Course Information
            • In-Class
            • Assignments
        • Contemporary: Thinking about a Changing China >
          • Thinking about a Changing China (spring 2017) >
            • Course Information
            • In Class
            • Assignments
      • Global Thinking (grade 9 seminar) >
        • HS150 Course Information
        • HS150 In-Class
        • HS150 Assignments
      • Japanese History >
        • Japan's Empire and its Legacies (fall 2016) >
          • Course Information
          • Daily Review
          • Schedule >
            • JE Unit 1
            • JE Unit 2
            • JE Unit 3
            • JE Unit 4
            • JE Unit 5
            • JE Unit 6
          • Research >
            • Issues of History
            • Research Schedule >
              • Checkpoint #2: Annotated Bibliography
              • Checkpoint #3: Outline
              • Checkpoint #4: Supplemental Pages
      • U.S. History >
        • Humanities History (2017-18) >
          • Course Information
          • In-Class
          • Assignments
        • Humanities History (2016-17) >
          • Course Information
          • In Class
          • Assignments >
            • U1: The American Revolution & the Constitution
            • U2: Defining the Nation
            • U3: 19th Century Social & Cultural Transformations >
              • Cemetery Project
            • U4: A House Divided
            • U5: Industry & Empire
            • U6: Progressive Promise & Disillusion
            • U7: Global Conflicts
            • U8: Civil Rights & Human Rights
      • More Course Descriptions
  • Skills
    • Reading >
      • Active Reading
      • Advanced Reading Strategies (Upper Mids and Seniors)
      • Outlining for Reading
      • Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
      • Analyzing Primary Sources with SOAPSTone
      • Analyzing Visual Primary Sources
      • Selecting & Evaluating Secondary Sources
    • Thinking >
      • What is History?
      • Historical Thinking Chart (PDF)
      • Breaking Down History with the SPICE Factors
    • Discussing >
      • Engaging in Class Discussion
      • Evaluating Discussion
    • Researching >
      • Identifying Research Topics & Questions
      • Note Cards
    • Writing >
      • Zero Draft
      • Thesis Statements
      • Forming Counterarguments
      • Formatting Chicago-Style Papers
      • Ford Library Guide to Chicago-style Citations (PDF)
    • Tech Tips
  • Reference
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    • Further Reading in Asian Studies >
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      • News
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