Two Female Sovereigns Left Their Mark in China and Japan in the 7th-Century

Separated by a thousand li (311 miles), two women ruled in different countries and political contexts, yet both were formally recognized rulers. Their reigns offer an opportunity to compare two female sovereigns who held the highest positions of authority at nearly the same time but followed markedly different paths.

In Japan, Empress Jitō was formally enthroned in 686, while in China, Wu Zetian — the first and only empress in Chinese history — took the throne in 690. Although they assumed imperial authority under very different political circumstances, their reigns in East Asia overlapped.

Empress Jitō, Japan

In the late seventh century, Japan was undergoing profound transformation. Its political institutions were being reorganized, imperial authority was becoming more firmly established, and the foundations of a centralized state were gradually taking shape. The title Tennō, meaning “Emperor,” was becoming the designation for sovereign authority, while the name Nihon, or Japan, was emerging as the country’s name.

Against this backdrop of political and institutional change, Empress Jitō became Japan’s 41st monarch and the third of only eight women to rule. Born Unonosarara, she was the daughter of Emperor Tenji and Ochi-no-Iratsume. She married her uncle, Emperor Tenmu, whom she succeeded on the throne.

After Tenmu’s death in 686, Jitō assumed responsibility for court administration and continued her late husband’s efforts to transform Japan from a political order dominated by powerful aristocratic clans into a more centralized state governed by imperial authority and codified laws.

For the best of our weekly content！

You are now signed up for our newsletter

Check your email to complete sign up

One important aspect of this transformation was the development of administrative institutions. Population registers enabled the government to identify and administer households, thereby strengthening the foundations of central authority. These efforts were part of a broader state-building process that began under earlier rulers and continued throughout Jitō’s reign.

Another landmark came in 694, when Jitō moved the imperial capital to Fujiwara-kyō. Designed on a planned grid, the new capital marked a significant step toward a more organized imperial administration. By concentrating the imperial court and government offices in a planned urban center, the court strengthened the emerging state’s institutional foundations.

Jitō was skilled in calligraphy and wrote poignant poetry. One of the poems she wrote for her deceased husband was published in the anthology Hyakunin Isshu.

Jitō also helped secure the imperial succession. Her son, Prince Kusakabe, designated as crown prince, died in 689 before he could ascend the throne. She subsequently secured the succession for her grandson, Prince Karu, who became Emperor Monmu in 697. Jitō abdicated in his favor but continued to play a role in court affairs, illustrating how a retired sovereign could remain influential in imperial politics.

The transformation continued beyond Jitō’s reign. In 701, under Monmu, the country was officially named Japan — a change Jitō had supported during her reign.

Since she inherited a country still taking shape, Jitō’s rule came at a crucial turning point in Japanese history. She helped consolidate the political and administrative foundations that later rulers would build on.

Wu Zetian, China

While Jitō continued the institutional reforms of her husband, Wu Zetian established her own dynasty, “Wu Zhou,” and ruled in her own name as emperor during the Tang Dynasty. 

Wu Zetian governed from the empire’s great capitals. Her principal centers of power were Chang’an, the main imperial capital, and Luoyang, which she designated the Divine Capital. From these cities, she managed state affairs and exercised imperial authority across her realm.

Wu implemented several positive changes during her reign. For example, she relied on the imperial examination system to recruit government officials. She also expanded the system, thereby increasing its importance.

Like many Chinese emperors, Wu also wrote poems; 46 of which were published in the Complete Tang Poems, which contains 49,000 poems.

She made Buddhism a state religion, and required the Tao Te Ching by Laozi as required reading for imperial university students. Although she was known for valuing righteousness and honoring the upright, Wu Zetian was infamous for political corruption and vicious behavior. 

She was known to use murderous and illicit methods to seize and maintain power. For example, she killed Emperor Gaozong’s sons to ensure they would not take over when he died. Nonetheless, her understanding of good governance and her ability to manage the state are unquestionable.

Female sovereigns were rare in ancient Asia. The two profiled here never met, even though their reigns overlapped. Each was able to rule and improve their country, and both made lasting shifts from aristocratic to bureaucratic power. Jitu served more quietly, focusing on the future of the dynasty; while Wu was rather ruthless. Because her rule was riddled with corruption and finally succumbed to rebellion, many believe that she did not possess the  Mandate of Heaven and do not recognize the “Zhou” dynasty as legitimate.

Based on a translation of the article 历史的巧合？公元690年中日两位女帝同年即位(图) – 武則天 – 持統天皇- 武周- 藤原京- 传统文化- 福音 -看中国网- (移动版), written by Gospel.