Every leader is given a chance to change things. A leader of a huge empire is given a chance to revolutionize both their territory and the world. This brings up the question of who took the greatest advantage of this. Who affected their land, their people, and the world the most? Who do we need to learn about in textbooks today? Two well-known leaders of ancient China include Shi Huangdi and Empress Wu Hou. Shi Huangdi (sometimes called Qin Shi Huang, Shihuangdi, or Shi Huang), first named Zhao Zeng, was born in 259 B.C. Empress Wu Hou, also known as Wu Chao or Wu Zetian, was born in 625 A.D. At age 13, Zhao Zeng inherited the throne of the Qin clan of China from his father Zhuang Xing. At age 13, Wu became a junior concubine (unmarried partner) for emperor Taizong.
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Wu used her position to gain the attention of Gaozong, son of Taizong, who made her his concubine when he became emperor. Eventually, by framing or killing the competition, she rose to the title of Empress and declared herself ruler of China a few years after Gaozong’s death. When he came into power, Zhao renamed himself Shi Huangdi, which means “1st emperor.” Both had major effects on China- Wu lowered taxes, promoted Buddhism, altered the examination system for potential government officials, and more. Shi Huangdi raised taxes, united China, built the 1st great wall, and more. Both were ruthless and killed or imprisoned anyone seen as a threat to their rule. While Empress Wu and Shi Huangdi are both very important parts of Chinese history, Shi Huangdi was much more crucial than Wu Zetian in terms of their immediate impact on the territory of China, their immediate impact on the people of China, and their long-term impact on both China and the world as a whole. Therefore, he deserves more attention in a
Wu used her position to gain the attention of Gaozong, son of Taizong, who made her his concubine when he became emperor. Eventually, by framing or killing the competition, she rose to the title of Empress and declared herself ruler of China a few years after Gaozong’s death. When he came into power, Zhao renamed himself Shi Huangdi, which means “1st emperor.” Both had major effects on China- Wu lowered taxes, promoted Buddhism, altered the examination system for potential government officials, and more. Shi Huangdi raised taxes, united China, built the 1st great wall, and more. Both were ruthless and killed or imprisoned anyone seen as a threat to their rule. While Empress Wu and Shi Huangdi are both very important parts of Chinese history, Shi Huangdi was much more crucial than Wu Zetian in terms of their immediate impact on the territory of China, their immediate impact on the people of China, and their long-term impact on both China and the world as a whole. Therefore, he deserves more attention in a