History has given us many emperors and empresses- their consorts. However, the following five women became emperors by their own rights and broke the chain of patriarchy. Wu Zetian, the Emperor of China was born in 624 A.D in a wealthy family. At the age of 14, she was sent as a concubine to Emperor Taizong. After the death of Emperor Taizong, she was sent to a nunnery as was the custom. However, the new emperor Li Zhi, brought her back to the palace with him. She was the newEmpress consort in no time and started ruling all China in her husband’s name.After his death, she crowned herself as the emperor of the neo-Zhou dynasty. Hatshepsut, the only woman Pharaoh of Egypt was born in 1507 BC to Thutmose I and at 12, was married to her half-brother, the next ruler Thutmose II. He died soon, making her regent for the baby pharaoh Thutmose III, her stepson and nephew. Some years later, she declared herself pharaoh and was one of the most successful rulers of Egypt. NurJahanwas the daughter of a nobleman in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar, and married to a nobleman, who was killed in a war. After Akbar’s death, his son Jahangir brought her as lady-in-waiting for his mother andeventually married her. As the emperor was addicted to opium and alcohol, she started to function as the power behind the throne.She was named the co-emperor and employed her father, brother and other family members in the key positions. Coins were made with her images. Zewdituwas the only female emperor in the history of Ethiopia.She was born in 1876, to the king of one of Ethiopia’s constituent states and married to the son of the emperor at age 6. Her husband died of small pox followed by his father, which made Zewditu’s father the emperor. Eventually, Zewditu became the Negiste (Queen of Kings) by the choice of the nobles. During her rule, Ethiopia abolished slavery and joined the League of Nations. Irene, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire was born in 752 AD in Athens. She was married to the emperor’s son and became regent for her young son Constantin VI, after her husband died in 780. She declared herself as co-emperor and assumed total power in 797 after a conflict with her son which rendered him dead.
