Empress Wu Zetian

She was the empress of Emperor Gaozong, the third ruler of the Tang Dynasty in China, who later founded the Zhou Dynasty (reigned 690-705). One theory is that she was born around 630. Her real name was Zhao, and she was the daughter of a warrior who was a major timber merchant in Shanxi Province and contributed to the founding of the Tang Dynasty and rose to prominence. She was beautiful and entered Emperor Taizong's harem at the age of 14. After the emperor's death, she became a nun, but was discovered by Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) and became his favorite. She used a cunning scheme to frame the empress and others, and in 655 she became empress herself. Her accession to the position of empress involved a conflict between the faction of former minister Changsun Wuji and a group of bureaucrats who opposed them, but she skillfully promoted and manipulated new bureaucrats who were skilled in literature and administrative work, and expelled the old aristocracy. A few years later, when Gaozong's health began to deteriorate, Wu personally took control of government affairs and began to wield dictatorial power. When Gaozong died of an illness in 683, she placed her sons Zhongzong and Ruizong on the throne in succession, and used force to defeat Li Jingye and other members of the Tang royal family who had risen up in rebellion against her, placing her own family in high esteem. She also used royal censors and secret agents to carry out large-scale oppression and worked to strengthen her government. Meanwhile, she forged Buddhist scriptures praising the virtues of women and used auspicious symbols to promote the Wu clan's rule over the world, and finally in 690 she changed the country's name to Zhou, proclaimed herself emperor, and became the only female emperor in Chinese history, ruling the entire country for around 15 years.

Following the traditions of the Zhou dynasty, he revised the calendar system and official titles, and also sought to renew the people's hearts by using over a dozen new characters (Zoten characters, 圀 = country, = sun, ○ = star, = person, = light, etc.). During his reign, he ordered the scholars of the North Gate to compile many works, including "The Code of the Emperor" and "New Precepts of the Hundred Departments," and dispatched temporary envoys to various regions to absorb talented people. He also handed out official titles to gain popularity, and built large buildings such as the Ming Hall, the Tianshu, and the Great Buddha, in an effort to promote national prestige. He made good use of such illustrious ministers as Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong, but towards the end of his reign, his favorite ministers, such as his brother Zhang Yizhi, disrupted politics, and finally in 705, a coup d'état led by Zhang Kanzhi restored Zhongzong to the throne and restored the Tang dynasty. He died of illness shortly thereafter due to old age.

In addition to her nasty schemes and cruel oppression, she was also the target of criticism for her desire for a man with a big penis, and her scandalous affairs with the evil monk Xue Huaiyi and the brothers Zhang Yizhi. However, she was highly praised for her calligraphy, her patronage of the arts and sciences, her promotion of talented people, her acceptance of the new classes, and her bringing about new momentum in various fields of politics, society, and culture. After her death, she was buried together with her husband Gaozong in the Qianling Mausoleum in Liangshan, Qianxian County, northwest of Chang'an. The mausoleum is home to a magnificent stone carving of a Pegasus and a row of Yi chieftains (headless), as well as many auxiliary tombs, including the tomb of Princess Yongtai, famous for its murals, and a cultural relic repository. Many works feature her as their theme, including novels by Lin Yutang, and plays by Guo Moruo and Tian Han, and her extraordinary heroism is still talked about today.

[Atsushi Ikeda]

``Wu Zetian'' by Momoyo Hara (all 8 volumes) (Kodansha Bunko)'' ▽ ``Empress Wu Zetian'' by Gunji Toyama (Chuko Shinsho)''

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、唐朝第3代高宗の皇后で、のち自ら周朝を建てる（在位690～705）。生年は一説に630年ころともいう。本名照、山西省の大材木商で唐朝の創業に貢献し栄進した武士(ぶしかく)の娘。美貌(びぼう)で14歳のとき太宗の後宮に入り、帝の死後尼となっていたところを高宗（李治(りち)）にみいだされ、寵(ちょう)を得たと伝えられる。姦計(かんけい)を用いて皇后王氏らを陥れ、655年自ら皇后に成り上がる。この立后には元勲長孫無忌(ちょうそんむき)一派とそれに対抗する官僚グループの対立が絡んでいたが、彼女は文芸と吏務に長じた新興官僚を巧みに登用操縦して旧貴族層を排斥した。数年ののちに高宗が健康を害すると、自ら政務を親裁し独裁権力を振るうに至った。683年高宗が病没すると、自分の子中宗・睿宗(えいそう)を次々と帝位につけ、彼女に反抗して挙兵した李敬業や唐の皇族らを武力で打倒し、同族を重用した。さらに御史や隠密(おんみつ)を使って大規模な弾圧を行い、政権強化に努めた。一方、女徳をたたえる仏経を偽作し、また符瑞(ふずい)を利用して武氏の天下を宣伝し、ついに690年国号を周と改め、自ら皇帝を称し、中国史上唯一の女帝となり約15年全国を支配した。

　周の伝統に従って暦法、官名などを改正し、また十数個の新字（則天文字。圀＝国、＝日、○＝星、＝人、＝照など）を使わせるなど人心一新を図った。治世には、北門学士らに命じ、『臣軌(しんき)』『百寮新誡(ひゃくりょうしんかい)』以下多数の修撰(しゅうせん)を行い、また臨時の使者を各地に派遣して人材の吸収に努め、さらに人気取りに官爵をばらまき、また明堂、天枢、大仏のような大建築をおこし、国威宣揚に努めた。狄仁傑(てきじんけつ)、魏元忠(ぎげんちゅう)ら名臣をよく用いたが、末期には張易之(えきし)兄弟ら寵臣が政治を乱し、ついに705年張柬之(かんし)らのクーデターにより、中宗の復位と唐の再興をみた。のちまもなく高齢で病死した。

　彼女は悪辣(あくらつ)な策略や残酷な弾圧に加えて、陽道壮偉（巨根）の男を求め、妖僧(ようそう)薛懐義(せつかいぎ)や張易之兄弟との醜聞を残すなど、非難の的となる反面、自ら書をよくし、学芸を庇護(ひご)するとともに、有能な人材を抜擢(ばってき)して新興階層を受け入れ、政治、社会、文化の各方面にわたり新機運をもたらした点は、高く評価される。死後、夫高宗と長安の北西乾(けん)県にある梁(りょう)山の乾陵に合葬された。ここにはみごとな石彫天馬や夷酋(いしゅう)列像（首を欠く）など当代文物をとどめ、周辺に壁画で名高い永泰公主墓など陪冢(ばいちょう)も多く、文物保管所ができている。彼女をテーマとする林語堂(りんごどう)の小説や郭沫若(かくまつじゃく)、田漢の戯曲など作品も多く、その希代の女傑ぶりはいまなお語りぐさとなっている。

［池田　温］

『原百代著『武則天』全8巻（講談社文庫）』▽『外山軍治著『則天武后』（中公新書）』

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