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Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
WOMEN IN
POWER
CE 1-500
Female
leaders
and women in other positions of political authority
of independent states and
self-governing understate entities
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1-6
Reigning Dowager Empress of China |
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The
widow of emperor Lui Xin (BCE 5-CE 1), she reigned together with
Minister Wang Mang in the name of the nominal emperor Liv Kan. The Han
dynasty ended in year 8 after a reign of more than 200 years, during
which the methods of bureaucracy was developed, which held the vast
empire together. |
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Around year 1 Queen Medb of Connaught (Ireland) |
|
Also known as Maeve, she was daughter of the high king of Ireland,
Ouchu Feidlich, and married King Ailill mac Mata of Connaught. It
seems that she was once married to Conchobor mac Nessa, the king of
Ulster. She was powerful enough to be euhemerized in myth as a triune
goddess of fertility and nature. |
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3-40 Regent Queen Antonia Thryphaena of Pontus (Turkey)
38-40 Regent of Thrace |
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Ruled in the name of son King Polemos who succeeded her mother in
Pontus in Asia Minor. He succeeded a brother, Rhoemetaces, who had
become king after the murder of her husband, Kytos. |
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7/8-23 Queen Pythodoris I Philometer of Pontus (Turkey) |
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Pantos Pythodorida succeeded husband, Polemon I,
and married King Archelaos of Cappadocia. Succeeded by daughter and
her son. |
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11-40 Joint Reigning Queen Shaqilat I of the Nabataean Kingdom
(Jordan) |
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Appeared on the coins together with her husband king Aretas IV,
indicating a joint rule. |
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Around year 12 Queen Regnant Nawidemak of Meroe (Sudan) |
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Also known as Naldamak, she succeeded her mother, Amanitore, who
reigned from BCE 12. Nawidemak is portrayed on a pyramid as Osiris, a
male god sheltered by the wings of the great goddess Isis. An unknown
queen ruled before her. She was married to prince Apedemakhe, and her
son Arikharer [Arikhankharer] ruled in 10-15. |
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14-29 De-facto Co-Regent Augusta Livia of the Roman
Empire |
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Livia Drusilla Augusta was a member of the ancient, wealthy and
powerful patrician gens claudia, the Claudian family.
Octavian divorced his first wife Scribonia and forced Livia to divorce
Tiberius so they could marry in 38 BCE. It was a political marriage in
the tradition of the Republic, intended to bring together the wealth
and might of the gens claudia and the gens julia,
the Julian family, into which Octavian had been adopted by Julius
Cæsar. The marriage thus formed an important part of Octavian's
strategy in the intense power struggles of the late Republic. The
dynasty they founded is known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Though
their union was political in nature, there were warm feelings between
the two, at the very least a profound sense of mutual loyalty. Their
marriage lasted 52 years, until the death of Augustus in 14 CE. Livia
never bore him any children, but Augustus Adopted Tiberius after a
number of other possible heirs all died. Livia's son Drusus died in an
accident in 9 CE. Livia was quite influential, through her personal
wealth, through her intelligence and political sense, and through her
marriage. She played a central role in the establishment of the
Principate, along with Augustus and M. Agrippa. Livia's influence
continued when her son Tiberius became emperor, until her death in
29 CE at the age of 85. She was deified by her grandson Claudius in CE
41, and lived (BCE 58-CE 29). |
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Until circa 23 Queen Regnant Candace of The Meroe (Sudan)
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Sudan was concord by the Romans.
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30-40 Joint Princess Regnant Helena of Adiabene (North Iraq) |
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Reigned jointly with husband Bazeus Monobazus. The rulers of the
territory had converted to Judaism. |
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35
Queen Sivali of Sri Lanka |
Succeeded to the throne upon the death of her older brother, king
Surabaya, but after four months her nephew, Ila Naga dethroned her and
raised the parasol of sovereignty in the capital.
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35-65 Queen Regnant Candice of Meroe (Sudan) |
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One of the many female rulers of
the territoriy. |
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39-41 Queen Regnant Gepaepyris of the Bosporanian
Kingdom (Georgia) |
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Succeeded husband, Aspurgos, the widower of Queen Dynamis as ruler of
the Kingdom in the Crimean by the Black Sea. |
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39-43 Joint Reigning Queen
Trưng Trắc of Parts of
Vietnam |
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39-43 Joint Reigning Queen
Trưng Nhị of Parts of Vietnam |
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The two sisters, Trung Trac
and
Trung Nhi, lead a defending army against the Chinese occupation-forces,
they ruled over a territory until they were defeated. They are today seen as
national heroes and known as Hai Ba Trung (Hai
Bà Trưng),
the two Trung Ladies.
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Circa
40-70 Joint Queen Regnant Shakilat of the Nabataean Kingdom
70-76 Regent Dowager Queen of Nabatea (Jordan) |
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Shaqilath
was the
daughter of Aretas IV, she reigned jointly with her husband and
brother, king Maliku III also known as Malichus and after his death
she was regent for son, Rabbel II.
The
Nabataeans were an Arabian people, occupying Edom, southern
Transjordan, and South Eastern Syria, with its capital at Petra. |
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Circa 40-60 Queen Regnant Cartimandra of The Brigants (Brigantia)
(United Kingdom) |
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Brigantia was a British tribe in Yorkshire. She signed a treaty with
the Romans, placing herself under their protection. Her tribe was
opposed to this treaty and there were several revolts. In 48, she
asked for and received Roman help in fighting the rebellion.
Cartimandua's consort, Venutius attempted to have her overthrown but
he was unsuccessful after the Romans came to her aid. For a while
Cartimandua ruled jointly with Venutius, but when he made another
attempt to overthrow her, she took Vellocatus, a royal armor-bearer,
as her consort. She sent Vellocatus to fight Venutius and, again,
asked for Roman help. Ca.69, Cartimandua "retired" and in 71, Rome
annexed Brigantia after they easily defeated Venutius, Vellocatus and
the Brigantes in battle. |
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45/6–68/9 Joint Ruler Queen Eunike of the Bosporanian Realm |
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Reigned together with Kotys I. (45/6–68/9). |
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Circa
50-60 Queen Regnant Garsemot Kandake of Ethiopia |
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Her
relation to the other rulers is not known. |
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Around 50 Military Leader Hau Mu-Lan in China |
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In
the Mid-first century she became one of the country's most famous
warriors when, disguised as a man, she took her father's place in
battle for 12 years. She was celebrated in plays and poems. Her
commanding officer was so impressed with her military skills that he
offered his daughter in marriage to what he thought to be his greatest
male warrior. |
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Around 52 Co-Ruler Princess Julia Berenice of Judea (Israel) |
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Daughter of Herod Agrippa I, who ruled Judea from 37-57, and
shared the Chaleis throne and the business of the kingdom in Atonal
and Taconites in Southern Syria with her brother Agrippa II, who
succeeded their father in 44. They lived together causing scandal
among the Jews. She continued to live with him after his brief
marriage to another eastern Princess. Emperor Titus of Rome, 13 years
her junior became infatuated with her, and wanted to marry her, which
scandalized the court and forced him to abandon her. |
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54-56 Regent Augusta Iulia Agrippina of the Roman Empire |
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Youngest of three daughters of Germanicus and Agrippina the
Elder. She was 34 years old when she married emperor Claudius, who was
nearing the end of his life. During the last five years of Claudius’
reign, she grew more and more powerful. Her son Nero succeeded her
husband at the age of 17 and could not legally rule in his own name.
Agrippina acted as his regent and was a powerful controlling influence
on him even after he came of age. After about a year, Nero moved her
out of the imperial palace. She began to denounce her son more and
more in public. After the tension between mother and son grew to a
critical level, Nero determined to be rid of her, and had her
killed. She lived (16-59). |
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Around
60
Queen Regnant Pythodoris of Colchis (Georgia)
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Colchis was an ancient country on the eastern shore of the Black Sea
and in the Caucasus region. Centered about the fertile valley of the
Phasis River (the modern Rion), Colchis corresponds to the present-day
region of Mingrelia in Georgia. She was a vassal of the Roman
Empire. |
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60-61 Queen Regnant Boudicca of the Iceni-Tribe in Norfolk
(United Kingdom) |
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The
Iceni was a people who lived in the present-day counties of Norfolk
and Suffolk. She led a rebellion against the Roman authorities as a
result of their mistreatment of her family and people after the death
of her husband, Prasutagus, who may have been a Roman client-ruler, in
60 AD. She and other disaffected tribes, sacked the cities of
Colchester, St. Albans and London and, it is estimated, massacred
approximately 70.000 Roman soldiers and civilians in the course of the
glorious, but ill-fated rebellion. The rebels were finally defeated in
battle by a force led by the Roman governor of Britain, Suetonius
Paulinus, after which she took her own life by ingesting poison
together with her two daughters, Camorra and Tasca or, according to
legend, Voada and Voadicia. She lived (15-61). |
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Around 60 Military Leader Queen Aife of Alba in Scotland (Uinted
Kingdom) |
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In
Celtic mythology she was a female warrior from Alba. She gave her
lover, Cuchulainn, his spear, Gae Bulg. They had one son, Connla. |
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62-85 Queen Regnant Amanishipalata of Meroe (Nubia) (Sudan)
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Marching at the head of her army, Amanirenas reached the strategic
city of Qasr Ibrim, south of the Egyptian city of Aswan. There she
confronted the Roman general Petronius, who told her that Emperor
Augustus was willing to lay aside the arms if Amanirenas would
negotiate a settlement with him to which she agreed. She sent her
ambassadors to the Greek Island of Samos to meet with the
representatives of Rome. |
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Circa
71-90 Queen Regnant Gamilat of Nabataea of the Nabataean
Kingdom (Jordan) |
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Reigned jointly with king ar-Rabil II also known as Rabbel Soter. They
were client monarch
of Rome, (1st cent. BCE-1st cent. A.D). Women played a significant
role in Nabatean society. |
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88-97 Regent Dowager Empress Tou Hsien of China
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Also known was Dou, she took over the regency for Liv Chao (Hedi)
(79-88-106). She led the court audiences (linchao), and her brother
Dou Xian took over the governmental affairs. An eunuch of Emperor Hedi
called Zheng Zhong finally destroyed the power of the Dou clan and
grasped the power himself. They belonged to the Later Hou and Eastern
Han Dynasty, which was able to keep China united for about 200 years. |
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105-106 Regent The Dowager Empress of China |
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After the death of Emperor He, she announced that he had left two
young sons who had been brought up outside the palace, but that the
elder brother, Liu Sheng, was suffering from an incurable illness and
was unfit to rule. She therefore placed the younger, Liu Long, upon
the throne, and even when he died a few months later, aged just over a
year old, she again passed over Liu Sheng in favour of Liu You, a
nephew of Emperor He, later known as Emperor An (reigned 106-125).
Inevitably, much of the information formed an intimate secret of the
state, and all the decisions and announcements were made on the
authority of the Dowager alone. |
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105-21 Regent Dowager Empress Deng Sui of China |
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Her
son, Aiu Long (Aidi) (105-06) was only 13 at his throne accession, and
together with her brother Deng Zhi, she controlled him, who was
nominal ruler during the Han-Dynasty period. Later she placed her
grandson, Shang, on the throne when he was barely 100 days old,
despite having two older brothers who were born from a consort. She
also raised Liu Hu, the twelve-year old cousin of Shangdi and future
Emperor Han Aidi, in the palace as the successor to the throne as
insurance against the baby emperor's death. Liu Hu ascended to the
throne when Shang passed away in 106; however, she still remained as
the regent. A decree by her during this reign shed light on
bureaucratic inefficiency. Also influential during the reign of her
grandson. When she died her most prominent relatives chose suicide.
She lived (80-121). |
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112-? Regent Dowager Queen Gespaepyris of Pontus
(Turkey) |
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Gespaepyris was born as Princess of Thrace and ruled on behalf of her
son Mithridates VI. in the kingdom in Asia Minor. |
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114
Queen Regnant Yasovati of Kashmir (India) |
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The
contemporary sources says abut her; "The ruins of Martanda and other
old temples are even now called 'Pandawa Houses' and Kalhana says it
was at Lord Krishna's advice that Yasovati was made Queen regent of
Kashmir after Krishna had defeated King Damodara, Yasovati's
husband". |
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120-25 Politically Influential Empress Yan of China |
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After Dowager Empress Deng's death, she dominated the court together
with the eunuchs Li Run and Jiang Jing, and her brother Yan Xian. |
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130-? Reigning Dowager Queen Laodike II Nysa of Cappadocia
(Turkey) |
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Following
the death of her husband, Ariarathes V, she poisoned 5 stepsons
and ruled in the name of her own son. |
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135-49 Regent Dowager Queen Ghadana of Iberia (Georgia) |
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The
widow of King Pharasmenes II Kveli (circa 116-32), she reigned for
grandson Pharasmenes III (135-185) after the death of her son
Rhadamiste I (or Ghadam). She was daughter of King Sanatroukes of
Armenia (b. circa 100). |
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144-50 Regent Dowager Empress Liang Na of the Eastern
Han Dynasty in China |
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When her husband, Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty died, she assumed the regency for his
only son, the infant Emperor, Hong, who died the following year. In
these circumstances an empress-dowager of Han acquired even greater
power, for she had undisputed authority to choose the next emperor
from any of the male members of the imperial family. The precedent for
this dated back to Former Han, but had been decisively confirmed by
the Dowager Deng in 105 and 106. Three weeks later she choose the
8-year-old Liu Zuan, a great-great grandson of Emperor Zhang, who also
died after one year on the throne and Liu Zhi was placed upon the
throne. For the next few years she held formal control of the
government in association with her brother Liang Ji. The historians
praised her for her devotion to duty in the difficult times, which
followed the second great rebellion of the Qiang people in the
northwest and a series of frontier disturbances with the Xiongnu of
the north. Inside China, reflecting these troubles, there were
frequent small-scale rebellions, increased feuding amongst local
gentry and a gradual alienation from the imperial regime. Apparently
she appointed good officials, sent out troops to deal with disorder,
and all the empire was settled by her efforts. Emperor Huan came of
age in 148, but she maintained her regency, on the grounds of the
disturbances in the empire. She formally relinquished her office in
the first month of 150, and she died a few weeks later.
She lived
(116-150). |
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Around 150 Joint Queen Regnant Ulfan of Elymias (Iraq) |
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Reigned together with Orodes IV of the Helleno-Iranian kingdom located
in what are now southeastern Iraq and the Zagros Mountains of Iran.
Its name is a Hellenization of "Elam", an ancient state in roughly the
same region. Its capital was Susa, the centre of the Achaemenid
Persian kings. |
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168-72 Regent Princess Dou Shi of China |
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Ruled in the name of her son Liu Hong (168-89). During the end of the
Han Dynasty, the rulers became more and more dissolute. But more
importantly, they were unable to deal with two factors: a population
shift from the Yellow River in the north to the Yangzi in the south;
and they simply could not control barbarian tribal raiders from the
north, which were one reason why people were moving to the south.
Eventually, in 220, the centre had lost so much control to the
provinces that it collapsed (a small rebellion in the north helped),
plunging China into 350 years of chaos and disunity. |
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180-90 Queen Regnant Somâ of Fu-Nan (Cambodia and Vietnam) |
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Soma succeeded her father, and ruled over a kingdom which extending
over much of present-day Cambodia and southern Vietnam from the 1st to
the 6th centuries. It owed its prosperity to its position on the great
trade route between India and China and subsequent Khmer dynasties
viewed Funan as the state from which they were descended. The name is
a transliteration of the ancient Khmer form of the word
phnom (= hill). |
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Circa
188-248 Queen Himiko of Yamataikoku (Japan) |
| 卑弥呼
is also referred to as Pimiko, she was ruler of an ancient state-like
formation thought to have been located either in the Yamato region or
in northern Kyushu of present-day Japan. Few records are available and
little is known about her, and the location of Yamataikoku is the
subject of a great, often emotionally charged, debate that has been
raging since the late Edo period. According to an ancient Chinese
history book, Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms she was a shaman who
controlled people through her paranormal abilities. The Nihonshoki, an
old Japanese history book, notes that Himiko was actually Empress
Jingū Kogo, the mother of Emperor Ōjin, but historians disagree. Some
speculate that she is conflated with Amaterasu, the Japanese sun
goddess. The Chinese chronicles book from 297 refers to the
inhabitants of the Japanese islands simply as the Wa, literally, "The
Little People", and dscribes a fragmented political structure of more
than a hundred or more separate tribes, nominally ruled by a female
shaman. According to an ancient Korean history book, Samguk Sagi, she
sent an embassy to King Adalla of Silla in May 172. However, Chinese
history books record Silla as having been established on 356, which
casts doubt on this claim. Himiko never married and it is recorded
that her younger brother assisted her as a political advisor. She is
said to have had one thousand female servants and to have never
appeared in public. There are indications that a tribal king,
posthumously now known as Emperor Shujin, raised military host against
her or her successor - reportedly another shamaness, her niece or
other relative, ultimately conquering their position and establishing
male rule with headquarters in central Japan. Himiko may have been a
Chinese corruption of Himemiko, princess-priestess, or lady shaman.
The name is said to mean "Sun Daughter" and there are also assessments
that she is the real person upon whom the myth of sun goddess
Amaterasu is built. Also Known as Yamatohime no Mikoto (d. 248) |
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189
Politically Influential Empress Dowager He Mou of Han China |
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Chief consort of Emperor Ling of Han Dynasty China. Along with
her half-brother He Jin, she was able to temporarily dominate power at
the imperial court after the death of Emperor Ling in 189, during the
reign of her son Liu Bian (b. 176); they presided over the imperial
court. Throughout much of the year, she acted as balancing force
between the eunuch faction, led by Jian Shuo and Zhang Rang, and the
official faction, led by He Jin and Yuan Shao. The climax of the
struggles came in September, when He Jin was assassinated by the
eunuchs at the imperial palace. In the chaotic fighting which
followed, she lost all the members of her clan of political
importance, including her brother He Miao and mother, the Lady of
Wuyang. Her son was deposed in favour of his younger half-brother Liu
Xie. Empress Dowager He was accused of the murder of Empress Dowager
Dong and ordered to move to the Yongle Palace, outside the main palace
complex. She was poisoned there by order of Dong Zhuo on 30 September
189. She was originally from a butcher's family from Wan county in
central China. |
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190-203 Politically Influential Lady Wu of
Wu (China) |
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The
chief consort of Emperor Ling of Han Dynasty China. Along with
A
master swordsman,
she was the advisor of her oldest son,
Sun Ce,
and
helped in directing military and state affairs. When Sun Ce died in
200, she asked the ministers to support her second son, Sun Quan and
since he was still young, she assisted in administering the army and
state. He
ruled
200-222 as Wu Wang (King of Wu) and 222-252 as Emperor of the
Wu Dynasty, and when he was
proclaimed emperor, he conferred the posthumous title of Empress Wulie
on her and the title of of Emperor Wulie Huangdi on his father. Mother
of 5 sons and 1 daughter. (d. 203). |
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193-217 Joint Ruler Iulia Domna of the Roman Empire |
|
One of the most powerful people in the Roman Empire. While her
emperor husband, Septimius Severus, was fighting rivals, pursuing
rebels, and subduing revolts in the far corners of the empire, she was
left to administer the vast Roman Empire. She played one powerful
general or senator against another, while keeping herself from falling
into the many traps set by political enemies at court. Caracalla had
murdered his brother Geta in her private apartments even as the
younger son sought protection in her arms. After Macrinus had murdered
Caracalla and seized the throne in 217, he sent her away from
Antiochia after it was reported that Julia was inciting troops to
rebel against him. At this time, she was believed to be about fifty
years old and was suffering from a painful illness, probably cancer of
the breast. Rather than face exile and the humiliation of being
reduced to the status of a private citizen, she decided to commit
suicide by starving herself. |
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200-69 or
343-380
Regent Dowager Empress Jingo-Kogo of Japan |
|
Jingu or
Jingû-Kōgō Tennō
was a
semi-legendary regent, descending from the legendary Empress Jummu (Sanohiko),
she was daughter of Prince Okinaga no Sukune and married to
Chuai-Tenno, who ruled (192-200). He died on the way on an expedition
to conquer Korea and though she was pregnant, she went on to Korea and
brought the kings of Koryo, Pekche and Silla under her suzerainty. She
returned to Japan and gave birth to Prince Homuda, the future
Ojin-Tenno. She refused to ascend to the throne, but ruled as regent.
According to the Korean historians the invasion took place in 346 and
she died 380. She was succeeded by son, and lived (169-269).
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Circa
216 Queen Regnant Wakana of Ethiopia |
|
Ruled for 2 days before she was deposed.
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218-222 (†) Joint De-facto Ruler Iulia Soaemias Bassiana of the
Roman Empire |
|
Plotted together with her mother, Julia Maesa, to substitute the
usurper, Macrinus, by her son Varius Avitus Bassianus (Heliogabalus)
(203-218-222). As the emperor's mother, with the title Iulia Soaemias
Augusta, she played a great role in government and administration and
was in fact the de facto ruler of Rome, since her son was concerned
mainly with religious matters. Their rule was not popular and soon
discontent arose. The Praetorian Guard killed Julia Soaemias and
Heliogabalus in 222, and she was declared public enemy and her name
erased from all records. She lived (circa 180-222). |
 |
218-222 Joint De-facto Ruler Iulia Maesa of the Roman Empire
222-225/26 (†) Joint Regent of the Roman Empire |
|
First she plotted together with her daughter, Julia Soaemias Bassiana
to have her grandson Elagabaleus placed on the throne and later she
was joint regent with her other daughter, Julia Masaea and her son,
Alexander Servus. She was sister of Julia Domna and closely related to
the Imperial family and grew up in Syria. |
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219-245 Queen Wu Mu of Hanzhong (China) |
|
Also known as Lady Wu her husband the warlord Prince Liu Bei, named
her as Queen of Hanzhong. It was period of many uprisings and various
Emperors. When he became Emperor in 221, she was named Empress to
serve the ancestral temple and be mother over the empire. His
successor, Liu Shan, named her as the Empress Dowager. She (d. 245). |
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222-228 (†) Regent Dowager Empress Iulia Mamaea of the Roman
Empire |
|
Behind the plot that ousted her sister, Julia Soaemias Bassiana,
and her son and had her infant son, son Alexander Servus, placed on
the throne. She ruled together her mother, Julia Mamesa and 16
senatorsm but as they were unable to defend the empire from the
attacking Germans, the Army killed both her and her son. |
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Circa
222-248 Army Leader Trieu Au (Trieu Thi Trinh) Vietnam
|
|
Sometimes referred to as the "Vietnamese Joan of Arc", she was a rebel
leader at the time when Vietnam was a territory of China. She led an
army from the mountains, which won more than 30 major battles against
the Chinese. She then set up her own administration in the freed
territory, which she kept independent for several months. She was
defeated in 248 and committed suicide. Also known as Ba Trieu – Lady
Trieu.
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227-43
Influential Queen Denak
of the Sasanian Empire
(Iran) |
|
Sister and wife of Ardeshir Papakan,
the founder of the Sasanian Dynasty. One of her seals has survived and is
currently at the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg and shows her without her husband. The Sasanian
aristocratic women had great wealth and influence and managed their extensive
wealth with their own administration.
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238-41 Regent N.N. of the Roman Empire |
|
Her
name is not known, but she was the daughter of Emperor Marcus Antonius
Gordianus Sempronianus Romanus Africanus (Gordian I) and married to a
senator, whose name is also not known. After Emperor Maximus I Thrax
was murdered, her 13-year-old son, Emperor Gordianus III (225-38-44)
was placed on the throne with her in charge of the regency.
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Circa
250-66 Queen Regnant Toyo of Japan |
|
Succeeded her relative Himiko. In 266 she was mentioned in the Chinese
annals for sending an envoy to China. |
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Around 256/74 Queen Regnant of Vakataka in Bhadramukhas (India) |
|
The
wife of Rudrasena II of Bhadramukhas (256-274), she ruled
independently for 20 years. |
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266-283 Queen Regnant Maleqorobar of Meroe (Sudan) |
|
Also known as Malegereabar. |
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268-71 Queen Regnant Zenobia of Palmyra (Syria) |
|
Following the assassination of her husband, King Odenathus, in which
she is believed to have been implicated, Zenobia succeeded to power as
regent for their young son. Within three years, she extended her rule
to all of Syria, to Egypt, and to most of Asia Minor, ostensibly in
alliance with Rome. In 271, however, because of Zenobia's
aggressiveness in the East, the Roman emperor Lucius Domitius Aurelian
took up arms against her. After gaining control of nearly Zenobia’s
entire domain, Aurelian besieged the city of Palmyra. It fell, and
Zenobia was captured and taken to Rome. Later she was given an estate
at Tibur (now Tivoli, Italy), where she spent the rest of her life in
pensioned retirement. |
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268-270/271
Politically Influential Augusta Victoria in the Gallic Empire
(A number of Roman Provinces) |
|
Also known as Victorina or Vitruvia
she was a wealthy noblewoman.
It was due to her influence that her son, Marcus Piavonius Victorinus I, was
cosen as a Co-Consul to Postumus about the 265. 3 years later her son was
declared emperor by the troops in the Gallic Empire (in Latin Imperium Galliarum) - the independent realm that existed 260-274, consisting of the breakaway Roman provinces of Gaul, Britannia, and Hispania.
She had considerable
influence over him at times. Victorinus was murdered in 270 or early 271 by
Attitianus, one of his officers, whose wife he had supposedly seduced. She continued to hold power after the death of Victorinus and she arranged
for his deification and, after considerable payment to the troops, the
appointment of Tetricus I as his successor. She adopted by the Roman Empresses
after Faustina the Younger. According to “Historia Augusta” she even minted
coins in her name. She died soon after Tetricus' accession. |
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275
Sole Regent Dowager Empress Ulipia Serverina of The Roman
Empire (March-September) |
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Reigned alone after her husband, Aurelianus' death until Tacitus was
named emperor. |
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Around 280 Mahrani Regnant Prabhavati Gupta of Magadha
(India) |
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Her
Poona plate mentions her as the daughter of Chandra Gupta II and
Kubera Naga, who ruled independently and issued charters without the
sanction of any extraneous higher authority. Though not much evidence
is available, from the available records it is understood that Sri
Gupta could be the first King of the Gupta lineage who at the time
ruled in the Bengal. She was married to Sri Gupta (240-280). |
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290-291 Co-Ruler Dowager Empress Yang Zhi of China |
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Married Emperor Wu after the death
of her cousin, Empress Yang Yan in 276. Their only son, Sima Hui died
in 283. After he conquered Eastern Wu in 280, he became largely
obsessed with feasting and women, and tired of handling important
matters of state and her father, Yang Jun and uncles Yang Yao and Yang
Ji became those who made actual decisions and became very powerful.
She was instrumental in keeping Crown Prince Zhong's wife Jia Nanfeng
from being deposed after she personally had several of the crown
prince's pregnant concubines killed. After her husband's death her
father became regent for the mentally deficient new emperor. The
regent quickly showed himself to be autocratic and incompetent,
drawing the ires of many other nobles and officials. He ordered that
all edicts should be signed by both the emperor and Yang Zhi before
they could be promulgated. When the allies of Empress Jia attacked,
she wrote an edict ordering assistance for Yang Jun and put it on
arrows, shooting it out of the palace, but then made the bold
declaration that the Dowager Empress was committing treason. Her
father was quickly defeated, and her clan was massacred. Yang Zhi was
deposed from her position and made a commoner, and her mother, Lady
Phang was executed and Yang Zhi committed suicide by refusing to eat.
(d. 292). |
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291-300 De facto Ruler
Empress
Jia Nanfeng of China |
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When her
mental deficient husband, Emperor Sima Zhong,
succeeded to the throne the father of his stepmother, Dowager Empress Yang Zhi
was named regent, and they kept her away from the government. She staged a coup
deposing Yang Zhi and her father, Yang Ju and taking over power and since then
made all the important decisions for the state and
effectively ruled the country.
She
eliminated any who appeared to be a threat to her position, including a her
husband's pregnant concubines, and in 291 she deposed her husband's stepmother,
Empress Yang Zhi and her father, Yang Jun, who was the regent., In addition, her
victims even included the Crown Prince.
In 300 the King of Zhao
led a coup against her, and she was killed along with
several others in her faction. In addition, Emperor Zhong was placed under house
arrest. Not long after putting down this insurrection and regaining power, the
kings began to fight amongst each another.
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300-308 Queen Regnant Patrapeameni of Meroe (Sudan)
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Also known as
Nahidemani. The Meroeans developed a unique form of
art uniting styles from Black Africa and Mediterranean Egypt.
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308-320 Queen Regnant Amanipilade of Meroe (Sudan) |
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The
kingdom declined under attacks by little known invaders, desert
nomads, called the Blemyes and Nobatae by around 200. Meroe was
finally taken over by Axum. |
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310-32? Regent The Dowager Queen of Persia (Iran) |
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Her
husband Hormozd II died before the birth of their son Shahpur II the
Great (310-79), who was elected king before his birth, or possibly as
an infant after her brother-in-law Adarnarseh had been on the throne
for a short while. During her son's minority reign Persia had a weak
government of regents and suffered raids from its neighbours,
particularly the Arabs who invaded southern Persia. Rome, however,
which had gained some of the western Persian cities in Mesopotamia
during the reign of Narse, Shahpur's grandfather, left Persia in
peace. |
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Around 317 Queen Regnant Une' B'alam of Tikal (Guatemala) |
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The
state was an important Classic-Age Mayan city-state located in
northwestern Guatemala. Her name means Baby Jaguar, and she was
succeeded by king K'inich Muwaan Jol.
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Circa
325-ca.34 Queen Regnant Zaela Ahyawa of Ethiopia |
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Also known as Ahyawa Sefya or Eguala Anbasa, she succeeded her husband
and converted to Christianity 327. |
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325-28 Regent Dowager Empress
Yu
Wenjun of Eastern Jin
(China) |
Joint regent with two others for Sima Yan (321-25-42) of the Eastern
Dong (Jin), in a period that saw a severe fragmentation of central
authority, as northern barbarians succeeded in laying waste too much
of China, and establishing their own states in turn. |
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343-357, 364-365 and 373-76 Regent Dowager Empress Chu Suanzi
of the Eastern Jin Kingdom (China) |
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When her husband, Sima Yue, died after 1 year as Emperor Kang, her
1-year-old son Mu succeeded with her as regent. During the next years
many of Later Zhao's southern provinces switched their allegiance to
Jin, but not firmly so and a number of military campaigns followed. In
357, as Emperor Mu turned 14 and she officially stripped herself of
her role as regent, and moved to Chongde Palace, which would be her
residence for the rest of her life. But 4 years later, her son died
without heirs, and she named cousin Prince Sima Pi of Langye as
Emperor Ai. In 364 he was poisoned by pills given by magicians he was
taking trying to seek immortality and could not handle matters of
state. She again served as regent. After he died sonless in 365, she
ordered that his younger brother Sima Yi succeed him (as Emperor Fei).
After some years he was deposed and replaced by Emperor Jianwen, who
died in 372, and when his son Emperor Xiaowu succeeded him, she was
persuaded to become regent again until he turned 14 in 376. For the
rest of her life, she was again referred to as Empress Dowager Chongde.
She lived
(324-384). |
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349
Regent Empress Dowager Liu of the Kingdom of Later Zhao (China) |
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After Later Zhao’s founding emperor Shi Le captured her father, the
last Han Zhao emperor, Liu Yao, in 329, she fled together with her
brothers Crown Prince Liu Xi and Prince Liu Yin of Nanyang from the
capital Chang'an to Shanggui. Soon after her brothers were defeated
and killed and she was captured by Zhang Chai. In 348 Emperor Shi Hu
picked their son as his Heir and she was named Empress. When the
Emperor grew ill the following year, he appointed his two sons as
joint regents for her son, Shi Shi, but when he died she took over as
regent for her son, holding power jointly with her husband. She tried
to placate the sons of the later Emperor giving them high posts, but
instead they marched on the capital. She then tried to placate them by
offering them the office of regent and the nine bestowments, but
instead he executed her husband, and then forged her to sign an edict
deposing her son. She was given the title of Princess Dowager of Qiao,
but soon both she and her son were executed.
She lived
(318-349). |
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Circa
370-80 Queen Regnant Mavia of the Saracens (Egypt) |
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Succeeded her husband as head of the Bedouin tribe, which lived in the
area around the Sinai Peninsular. She organized raids against Rome's
eastern frontier into Phoenicia and Palestine. Her troops defeated a
Roman army and she made peace only on the condition that a hermit
named Moses was appointed Bishop of her tribe. She married her
daughter to a Roman commander in chief. She is probably the same
person described as Mawi, Queen of Syria and possibly she was from
Ghassar, an Arab Kingdom in the Sinai Peninsular. |
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Around 371 Arabian Leader Mauriya of the Nabatan (Arabia) |
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The
Nabatan was an old people in Arabia, and is believed to have invented
the basis for the Arab script. |
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375-83 Joint Ruler Dowager Empress Iustiana of the Roman Empire
383-? Regent |
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Reigned together with son Gratianus and regent for Valentianus II (383-92),
who ruled the Western division of the Empire, encompassing Rome itself
together with Italy, Gaul, Britain, Iberia, and northwestern Africa,
though the state was already disintegrating faced with the barbaric
invasions. |
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378
Queen Regnant Zarmandukht of Greater Armenia |
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Her
name is also spelled Zarmandux, she was widow of King Pap, who was
known to have been gay and was killed on the orders of the Byzantine
general Terent. In the first instance his cousin Varazdat was king
until 378. She took power, but from 378 until his death in 385, Manuel
Mamikonean, was the real ruler of Armenia. He ruled as a "trustee" of
the monarchy in the name of her son, and kept both of them in the
king's place and causing them to circulate around in honour. He
nourished her two sons Arshak and Vagharsha as his foster-children and
honoured her. |
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378
De-facto Regent Dowager Empress Domnica of The Byzantine Empire
(Covering what is now Greece and Turkey) |
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Held the City of Byzanz after the death of her husband, Valens and
defended the city against the attacks of the Goths, before the arrival
of the successor, Theodosios. |
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390
Queen Regnant Prabhavati Gupta of the Deccan Region (India)
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As
ruler of the Deccan region, she introduced the Gupta culture of
northern India to the Vakata Kingdom. (Probably the same as in 280). |
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Circa
390-410 Regent Dowager Queen Sita Mahadevi of Vakatakas (India) |
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After the death of her husband, Rudrasena II who died five years after
coming to the throne, she took over the reins for their under-age
sons, and had coins struck in her name. She was daughter of Chandra
Gupta II. In the early part of the Christian Era when Bharasivas were
suzerains, we have the seal of Mahadevi Rudramati, the last royal
document of the Vakatakas before the state virtually became a part of
the Gupta empire. |
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449/50 Augusta Justa Grata Honoria of the Roman Empire (in the
West) |
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The
sister of Valentin III, she acted in her capacity as Augusta. |
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400-04 De-facto Ruler Empress Eudoxia of The Byzantine Empire
(Covering what is now Greece and Turkey) |
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A
significant figure in the government because she had the ear of her
husband
Emperor Arcadius of the East Roman Empire until her own death in 404.
She was strong and strident, dominating her weak and passive husband. |
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414-55 De-facto Ruler Augusta Pulchera of The Byzantine Empire
(Covering what is now Greece and Turkey) |
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At
the age of 15 Princess Aelia Pulcheria was crowned Augusta and assumed
a dominant role in guiding the affairs of state. In 420/22 she may
have organized the Byzantine campaign against Persia, she replaced the
emperor as director of power, but the ultimate power resided with her
brother. In the mid-420s she engaged in a power struggle with her
sister-in-law, Eudokia, and Pulchera was forced into semi-retirement.
She established herself as a holy virgin dedicated to God, and this
gave her access into the altar to receive the communion with priests
and deacons, something normally barred to women. When her brother died
in 450 she took control of the government of the Eastern Empire, and
married Marcian, Army Chief of Staff, and named him co-Emperor. She
spoke Greek and Latin and had a deep interest in medicine and natural
science lived (399-453). |
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421-442/443 Politically influential Empress Athenais-Eudokia of
The Byzantine Empire (Covering what is now Greece and Turkey) |
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In
423 her husband, emperor Theodosius II gave her title of Augusta. She
fought for power and influence over emperor with her sister Pulcheria,
was very well educated and was involved in the founding of an
university in Constantinople. 442/443-460 she was in exile in
Jerusalem. The daughter of the philosopher Leonciushe, she died in
460. |
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423-50 Regent Dowager Empress Galla Placidia of the Roman
Empire (Covering Italy, Spain, France and Northern Africa) |
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In Rome at the time of its sack by Alaric and the Visigoths, and
after Alaric’s death in 414, she married his brother and successor as
king of the Visigoths, Athaulf. After his death, Placidia returned
home in 416 to marry Constantius, who was made Co-augustus in the West
in 421 and became the Roman emperor Constantius III. He died of
pleurisy after a reign of only seven months. In 423 her brother
Emperor Honorius died and Galla Placidia was made Augusta and regent
for her six-year-old son Valentinian III. Placidia proved to be a
hard-nosed ruler who knew how to manage a declining economy and
rebellious subjects. Even after her son's death, she managed the Roman
government in the West for twenty years during one of the most
perilous periods of its existence. She lived (388-450). |
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465-71 and 476-90 Regent Dowager Queen Feng Shi of Touba Wei
(China) |
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Also known as Wenming, she dominated politics in Northern Wei for
twenty-five years as regent during the reigns of two emperors: Xianwen
(Toba Hong) (465-76) whom she had poisoned in 476, then her grandson,
Xiaowen (476-99). Xiaowen is known for his sinicization zeal, as
flamboyantly demonstrated by moving the capital from Datong to Luoyang,
forbidding Xianbei clothes and language, legislating Han names, and
encouraging intermarriage and Chinese law. The Xianbei aristocracy was
against full-scale sinicization and even though the opposition was
contained by Xiaowen, the dissent later split the Northern Wei into
Eastern and Western Wei. She was Han - a member of the Northern Yan
imperial family who entered the Northern Wei court as a concubine
after Wei conquered Northern Yan. In the south, a series of ethnically
Chinese dynasties managed to endure on the lower Yangtze. She
lived (441-90). |
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474-84 Politically Influential Empress Verina of The Roman
Empire and Byzantine (Italy etc, Greece and Turkey)
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Her
husband, Leo I was succeeded by their grandson Leo II (seven years
old), who appointed his father Zeno as Co-Emperor with her support,
but after Leo's death in November 474 she fought for power with Zeno.
In January 475 he was overthrown by her and her allies. She wanted to
make her brother Bazyliskos, and Patrikios, Emperors. She planned to
marry Patrikios. She personally crowned her brother, but he killed
Patrikios, and she again entered into an alliance with Zeno, who
regained the throne in 476. Afterwards Veria became one of the most
influential and powerful persons on the court and later fought for
power with Illus. In 477-78 she organized two unsuccessfully coup
d'etats against Illus, who took her hostage. In 481 her daughter,
Empress Ariane, organized an unsuccessful coup d'etat against Illus to
free her, the same year the emperor forced Illus to leave for
Constantinople, where he announced a patrician Leoncius as the real
emperor. Veria joined to him, and at 19th July 484 she personally
crowned Leoncius. She published a document for the administrators of
provinces and for the citizens of Antiochia, where she wrote, that the
imperial power belonged to her. She had, after her husband's death,
chosen Zeno as Emperor, but she had not know, that Zeno was so greedy,
and therefore she now wanted to a pious and just Christian as Emperor,
who would repair the state and bring peace. This is seen as an example
of the fact that public and political personal power could pass down
trough the female line in The Byzantine Empire. The Augusta could
legitimize the rule of their husband's or others. But all power was
vested in the Emperor, and everybody else - including officials at
court - depended on his will. One of her three daughters, Ariane was
married to Emperor Zeno. She died in 484. |
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478-79 Rebellion Leader
Princess Leontia of the Byzantine Empire
(Covering what is now Greece and Turkey) |
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She was the youngest daughter of
Emperor Leo I and Empress Aelia Verina. Her older sister was Empress
Ariadne. Leontia was first married to Patricius, a son of Aspar.
Their marriage was probably annulled when Aspar and another of his
sons, Ardabur, were assassinated in 471. Leontia then married
Marcian, a son of Anthemius and Marcia Euphemia. The couple led a
failed revolt against Zeno in 478-479. They were exiled to Isauria
following their defeat. |
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484-85 Princess Regent Iitoyo Ao no Kōjo of
Yamato (Japan) |
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As Emperor Seinei (reigned 479-484) lay dying without having named a successor, serious
conflict between the various factions at court seemed inevitable. To avoid this,
the nobles chose her, the highest ranking shamaness as a
consensus sovereign. A daughter of the 16th
Emperor Richu and with a lineage that
could be traced back to Õjin, she lived within Takaki (Tall Stockade)
tending to the spiritual needs of the Yamato people. She declined to assume
the title of tennõ but
ruled until the children of her late
brother could be brought back from exile. She lived (440-485). |
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Circa
490 Queen Regnant Lobamba of Kuba (Congo-Brazzaville) |
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Daughter of Loko Yima and succeeded by Woto. The state developed east
of the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers, before the Kubans
migrated to its present habitat in the Kuba area. |
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491
Regent Dowager Empress Ariane of The Byzantine Empire (Covering
what is now Greece and Turkey) |
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Also known as Aelia Ariadane, she was the daughter of Leo I (447-74).
She was married to Tarasicodissa, who became Emperor Zeno, and after
his death in 491 the Senate officially requested her to choose another
candidate to rule and she married Anastasios I, who became emperor. |
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