Download or read book Tales of Empresses and Imperial Consorts in China written by Xizhi Shang and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Women Shall Not Rule written by Keith McMahon and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2013-06-06 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chinese emperors guaranteed male successors by taking multiple wives, in some cases hundreds and even thousands. Women Shall Not Rule offers a fascinating history of imperial wives and concubines, especially in light of the greatest challenges to polygamous harmony—rivalry between women and their attempts to engage in politics. Besides ambitious empresses and concubines, these vivid stories of the imperial polygamous family are also populated with prolific emperors, wanton women, libertine men, cunning eunuchs, and bizarre cases of intrigue and scandal among rival wives. Keith McMahon, a leading expert on the history of gender in China, draws upon decades of research to describe the values and ideals of imperial polygamy and the ways in which it worked and did not work in real life. His rich sources are both historical and fictional, including poetic accounts and sensational stories told in pornographic detail. Displaying rare historical breadth, his lively and fascinating study will be invaluable as a comprehensive and authoritative resource for all readers interested in the domestic life of royal palaces across the world.
Download or read book Celestial Women written by Keith McMahon and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-04-21 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume completes Keith McMahon’s acclaimed history of imperial wives and royal polygamy in China. Avoiding the stereotype of the emperor’s plural wives as mere victims or playthings, the book considers empresses and concubines as full-fledged participants in palace life, whether as mothers, wives, or go-betweens in the emperor’s relations with others in the palace. Although restrictions on women’s participation in politics increased dramatically after Empress Wu in the Tang, the author follows the strong and active women, of both high and low rank, who continued to appear. They counseled emperors, ghostwrote for them, oversaw succession when they died, and dominated them when they were weak. They influenced the emperor’s relationships with other women and enhanced their aura and that of the royal house with their acts of artistic and religious patronage. Dynastic history ended in China when the prohibition that women should not rule was defied for the final time by Dowager Cixi, the last great monarch before China’s transformation into a republic.
Download or read book Chinese Imperial Women 2010 Edition EPUB written by Lim SK and published by Asiapac Books Pte Ltd. This book was released on 2018-11-12 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The word 'harem' often conjures up images of beautiful, half-dressed oriental women lounging in some stately pleasure dome, waiting for the opportunity to satisfy their masters. And in some ways this was not far from the truth. Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuanzong had 40,000 women in his harem, while the Qing emperors would fill their harem with the most eligible girls in the country for both pleasure and procreation. Some emperors were blessed with empresses who led their dynasties to prosperity and stability. Many emperors, however, found out that they had taken on more than they expected with the arrival of talented, ruthless and ambitious beauties. Wu Zetian was one such woman. Arriving in the harem of Tang Emperor Taizong as a sweet-faced 14-year-old, she went on, through treachery and murder, to become empress. This book tells the stories of the outstanding, the outrageous, the glorious as well as the tragic empresses and concubines of the Chinese palace.
Download or read book Imperial Woman written by Pearl S. Buck and published by . This book was released on 2022-12-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times bestselling account of Tzu Hsi, the concubine who became China's last empress, from the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Good Earth. Tzu Hsi ascended from concubine rank to become the working head of the Qing Dynasty, and Pearl S. Buck brings her narrative to life in Imperial Woman. Tzu Hsi, a poor girl, falls in love with her cousin Jung Lu, a gorgeous guard, but she is chosen, along with her sister and hundreds of other girls, to be sent to the Forbidden City while still a teenager. She's already distinguished by her beauty, but she's determined to be the emperor's favourite, and she puts all of her talent and guile into it.
Download or read book Tales about Chinese Emperors written by Baojun Luan and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Tales from Ancient China s Imperial Harem written by Xiaoyan and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is more than a series of tales about intrigues, illicit love affairs, jealousies, and murders committed by the various women who populated the harems of China's many emperors. It is a unique retelling of major events in China's more than 3,000-year-old history as seen through the eyes of these courtesans of the rear palace. Each emperor had thousands of beauties at his beck and call. Most of them, separated at a young age from their families, lived in the rear palace in loneliness and seclusion. A few, however, wielded great power or even gained supremacy over the imperial court. Their stories vividly portray the social customs and palace life in ancient China, and give new insights into the important role of women in Chinese history.
Download or read book Empress Dowager Cixi written by Jung Chang and published by Random House Canada. This book was released on 2013-10-29 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the beloved, internationally bestselling author of Wild Swans, and co-author of the bestselling Mao: The Unknown Story, the dramatic, epic biography of the unusual woman who ruled China for 50 years, from concubine to Empress, overturning centuries of traditions and formalities to bring China into the modern world. A woman, an Empress of immense wealth who was largely a prisoner within the compound walls of her palaces, a mother, a ruthless enemy, and a brilliant strategist: Chang makes a compelling case that Cixi was one of the most formidable and enlightened rulers of any nation. Cixi led an intense and singular life. Chosen at the age of 12 to be a concubine by the Emperor Xianfeng, she gave birth to his only male heir who at four was designated Emperor when his father died in 1861. In a brilliant move, the young woman enlisted the help of the Emperor's widow and the two women orchestrated a coup that ousted the regents and made Cixi sole Regent. Untrained and untaught, the two studied history and politics together, ruling the huge nation from behind a curtain. When her boy died, Cixi designated a young nephew as Emperor, continuing her reign till her death in 1908. Chang gives us a complex, riveting portrait of Cixi through a reign as long as that of her fellow Empress, Victoria, whom she longed to meet: her ruthlessness in fighting off rivals; her curiosity to learn; her reliance on Westerners who she placed in key positions; and her sensitivity and desire to preserve the distinctiveness of China's past while overturning traditions (she, as Chang reveals--not Mao, as he claimed--banned footbinding) and exposing its culture to western ideas and technology.
Download or read book Empresses of China s Forbidden City written by Daisy Yiyou Wang and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Empresses of China's Forbidden City: 1644-1912 accompanies the exhibition of the same title organized by the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the Freer]Sackler, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC, and the Palace Museum, Beijing, China."
Download or read book Empresses and Consorts written by Shou Chen and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here rendered into English for the first time, these chapters provide important insights into the worlds of palace women and court politics, while revealing much about the lives of upper-class women in general at the close of the third century."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Chinese Empresses written by Bret Hinsch and published by Asian Voices. This book was released on 2024-01-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chinese Empresses highlights the stories of Chinese imperial women and how male authorities attempted to curb their power. It disputes the notion that Chinese empresses were simply hapless or powerless victims of the male-dominated political system. This book is not a compendium of biographies of Chinese empress. The objective is more fundamental. By analyzing details from the lives of representative empresses, it is possible to understand how women gained and used political power, and how male rivals opposed them. The significance of this topic extends far beyond the scope of Chinese studies. In China, monarchy stretches back to high antiquity, providing hundreds of case studies that can be used to understand the nature and applications of female power. Whereas the histories of most places describe only a few powerful women, Chinese chronicles offer numerous examples that reveal how rulers' consorts gained, maintained, and used power. The length and richness of Chinese history make it the best historical field for exploring female power in detail.
Download or read book Imperial Woman written by Pearl Sydenstricker Buck and published by . This book was released on 2014-05-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fictionized biography of Tzu-hsi, the last empress of China, who was known as "Old Buddha."
Download or read book China under the Empress Dowager Being the history of the life and times of Tz Hsi written by J. O. P. Bland and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 2024-07-01 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the intriguing world of "China under the Empress Dowager: Being the History of the Life and Times of Tzŭ Hsi" by J. O. P. Bland and Sir E. Backhouse, a vivid portrayal of one of the most influential figures in Chinese history. Explore the captivating story of Empress Dowager Tzŭ Hsi, a woman of immense power and influence who ruled China for nearly half a century. Bland and Backhouse's meticulously researched narrative takes readers on a journey through the tumultuous era of late Qing dynasty China, revealing the complex political intrigues, cultural shifts, and historical events that shaped her reign. Delve into the character analysis of Empress Dowager Tzŭ Hsi, a formidable yet enigmatic figure whose decisions impacted the course of Chinese history. The authors illuminate her role in navigating China through internal strife, foreign encroachment, and the challenges of modernization, offering profound insights into her leadership style and legacy. Through rich historical detail and vivid storytelling, Bland and Backhouse capture the overall tone and mood of late 19th and early 20th-century China, painting a comprehensive portrait of a nation in transition. Their narrative skillfully intertwines the personal and political, providing a nuanced perspective on Tzŭ Hsi's life and the era she dominated. "China under the Empress Dowager" has garnered critical acclaim for its scholarly rigor and compelling narrative. It appeals to readers interested in Chinese history, gender studies, and the influence of powerful women in shaping global events. Whether you're a historian, a student of Asian studies, or simply curious about the life of one of China's most controversial figures, Bland and Backhouse's account offers a fascinating exploration of power, politics, and culture in late imperial China. Order your copy today and immerse yourself in the life and times of Empress Dowager Tzŭ Hsi. Don't miss this opportunity to uncover the secrets of China's last Empress Dowager. Bland and Backhouse's compelling narrative will transport you to a bygone era of imperial splendor and political intrigue.
Download or read book Crossing the Gate written by Man Xu and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2016-10-24 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Challenges the accepted wisdom about women and gender roles in medieval China. In Crossing the Gate, Man Xu examines the lives of women in the Chinese province of Fujian during the Song dynasty. Tracking womens life experience across class lines, outside as well as inside the domestic realm, Xu challenges the accepted wisdom about women and gender roles in medieval China. She contextualizes women in a much broader physical space and social network, investigating the gaps between ideals and reality and examining womens own agency in gender construction. She argues that womens autonomy and mobility, conventionally attributed to Ming-Qing women of late imperial China, can be traced to the Song era. This thorough study of Song womens life experience connects women to the great political, economic, and social transitions of the time, and sheds light on the so-called Song-Yuan-Ming transition from the perspective of gender studies. By putting women at the center of analysis and by focusing on the local and the quotidian, Crossing the Gate offers a new and nuanced picture of the Song Confucian revival.
Download or read book Imperial Woman written by Pearl Sydenstricker Buck and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Tales of Empresses and Imperial Consorts in China written by Xizhi Shang and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women written by and published by M.E. Sharpe. This book was released on with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
