10 most powerfull women in history

8/3/2019 10 Most Powerfull Women in History

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world as we know it. This is a list of ten of those incredibly powerful women.

10

Eleanor of Aquitaineborn: 1122?; died: 1204

Eleanor was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Europe and the world

during the High Middle Ages. Eleanor inherited the Duchy of Aquitaine and Poitiers afterher fathers death when she was only 15. As a result, Eleanor became an independent

ruler in her own right receiving the titles of Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of

Poitiers. Aquitaine was the largest and wealthiest province of France during the 12th

century. Unlike many other monarchs and women of the Middle Ages, Eleanor and herfamily were very well educated. Eleanor is credited for having transformed Aquitaine

into one of the largest intellectual and cultural centers in Medieval Western Europe.

Eleanor became Queen Consort to Louis VII of France in 1137. During her marriage toLouis, she participated in the Second Crusade in 1147 and even traveled with her

husband to the Byzantine Empire. Eleanor became a key figure in developing tradeagreements between Western Europe, Constantinople, and the Holy Land. She eventually

had the marriage to Louis annulled in 1152 and in 1154, Eleanor became Queen Consort

to Henry II of England.

In 1170, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was assassinated for going

against King Henry II. Eleanor, among many others, strongly opposed the assassination.

This eventually led to the Revolt of 1173-1174 in which Eleanor, three of her sons, andrebel supporters sided against Henry. The revolt failed, however, and Eleanor was

imprisoned for sixteen years.9Hatshepsut

born: 1508 BC?; died: 1458 BC

Hatshepsut was one of the most powerful women in the ancient world. She was the fifth

pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and she ruled longer than any otherwoman in Egyptian history. Hatshepsut was married to her sickly half brother, Thutmose

II, and the two of them began to co-rule after the death of their father, Thutmose I, in

1492 BC In 1479 BC, Thutmose II died and Hatshepsut continued to rule by herself untilher own death in 1458 BC

It is believed by many Egyptologists and historians that Hatshepsut was one of AncientEgypts most successful monarchs. She commissioned many building projects and

reestablished trade networks that had been disrupted by the Hyksos invaders of the

Second Intermediate Period. Hatshepsut also led a large-scale expedition to the Land of

Punt, a wealthy and sophisticated country to the south of Egypt. Hatshepsut is also


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believed to have led successful military campaigns in Nubia, the Levant, and Syria during

her reign.

8Maria Theresa of Austria

born: 1717; died: 1780

Maria Theresa succeeded her father, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, as empress of theHapsburg controlled lands of Central Europe in 1740. She made her son, Joseph II,

coregent in 1765 after the death of her husband.

In the same year Maria Theresa came to power, Fredrick II of Brandenburg-Prussiainitiated the War of Austrian Succession by invading the Hapsburg province of Silesia.

Fredrick refused to recognize Maria Theresa as the rightful heir to the throne. He rallied

other nations such as Bavaria, Saxony, France, and Spain to side with him and contribute

to the conflict. Maria Theresa retaliated by rallying Hungarian arms to her defense. As aresult, she was able to repel the invading armies and preserve the Hapsburg state as a

major European power. The war officially ended in 1748 with the signing of the Treaty ofAix-la-Chapelle.

Maria Theresa brought about many economic and political changes to her empire. She

increased the size of the army by 200 percent and increased taxes in order to guarantee asteady income for the government, and in particular for the military. She centralized the

government by combining the Austrian and Bohemian chancellaries, formerly separate,

into one administrative office. She also started what became known as the DiplomaticRevolution in 1756 when she created an alliance with France, a former enemy, to serve as

a coalition against the newly allied Prussia and Great Britain. Her reforms and political

decisions were successful in strengthening the economy and the state in general.

Maria Theresa was also a participant in the Enlightenment. She strongly promoted

education and liberal politics. She founded Imperial and Royal Academy of Science andLiterature in Brussels and she supported medical research by demanding that the

University of Vienna be given money to make the medical faculty more efficient. Some

of Maria Theresas civil reforms included the abolition of witch-burning and torture,

getting rid of capital punishment, and making education mandatory.7

Empress Theodora

born: 500 AD?; died: 548 AD

Empress Theodora was one of the most influential and powerful women in the Early

Middle Ages. She was the wife of Emperor Justinian I and joint ruler of the Byzantine

Empire.


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Prior to her marriage to Justinian, Theodora had been an actress and she entertained at

banquets for nobles. She also became a courtesan to many of the nobles she entertained.

She later converted to Monophysite Christianity and gave up her former lifestyle. Shemarried Justinian in either 523 AD or 525 AD and following the death of Emperor Justin

I in 527 AD, both Justinian I and Theodora took control of the empire. Many decisions

concerning the government were made by Theodora. For example, 532 AD, resentmentover high taxes, religious controversy, and political corruption led to the Nika riot in

Constantinople. Fearing for his life, Justinian, tried to flee the city. Theodora intervened

and was able to convince her husband to stay. With Theodoras support, Justinian wasable to successfully crush the revolt.

Theodora participated in making Constantinople one of the worlds most sophisticated

cities and promoting womens rights. She had bridges, aqueducts, and churches built.One such building, the Hagia Sophia, built between 532 AD and 537 AD, is considered

one of the greatest examples of Byzantine architecture. She had laws passed that

prohibited forced prostitution and closed brothels. Theodora also gave women more

rights in divorce and property ownership. She gave mothers guardianship of theirchildren, instilled a death penalty for rape, and forbade the killing of a wife who

committed adultery.

Theodora died from cancer on June 28, 548 AD She and Justinian are both considered

saints by the East Orthodox Church.

6Empress Wu Zetian

born: 625 AD; died: 705 AD

Empress Wu Zetian is considered to be one of the most powerful women in Chinesehistory. She lived during the Tang Dynasty and was born to a wealthy and noble family.

She was also very well educated. When Wu Zetian was 13, she was sent to Emperor

Taizongs court to be one of his concubines. After Emperor Taizongs death in 649 AD,Emperor Gaozong came to power and Wu Zetian was sent off to become a Buddhist nun.

Empress Wang, Gaozongs wife, had come into a power struggle with one of his favorite

concubines, Consort Xiao. In order to distract Gaozongs attention from Consort Xiao,

Empress Wang brought Wu Zetian back to the palace to become another concubine to herhusband. This plan, however, backfired on Empress Wang. Wu Zetian eventually became

one of Gaozongs favorites and the power struggle between the three women: Wu Zetian,

Empress Wang, and Consort Xiao intensified.

Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, former rivals, eventually decided to join forces in

order to stop Wu Zetians influence over Gaozong. This plan backfired too because in654 AD, Wu Zetian gave birth to a daughter and her daughter died shortly after. Gaozong

and court officials accused Empress Wang of killing the infant. As a result, Gaozong

replaced Wu Zetian as his empress. In 655 AD, both Consort Xiao and former Empress


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Wang were accused of witchcraft and they were both executed on Empress Wu Zetians

orders.

As empress, Wu Zetian became extremely powerful. Toward the end of Gaozongs life,

she was making virtually all of the major decisions that affected the government.

Emperor Gaozong eventually died in 683 AD and Wu Zetian became empress dowager.In 690 AD, Wu Zetian crowned herself Emperor of China and she interrupted the Tang

Dynasty by creating her own; the Zhou Dynasty. Wu Zetian is the only woman in

Chinese history to rule as emperor.

Despite her ruthlessness to gain power and having many noblemen and noblewomen

killed or exiled in the process, Wu Zetian accomplished many things when she was in

power. She influenced the spread of Buddhism in China and eventually made it theofficial religion; replacing Taoism. She was also successful in lowering high taxes and

increasing agricultural production. The Empress died in 705 AD at the age of 80.

5

Isabella I of Castileborn: 1451; died: 1504

Isabella I is considered to be one of the most powerful, yet controversial, queens in

Spanish history. She is best remembered for sponsoring Christopher Columbuss voyageto the Western Hemisphere, initiating the Spanish Inquisition, and unifying the remaining

independent Spanish kingdoms into one nation. Isabella I co-ruled with her husband,

Ferdinand of Aragn, from 1474 up until her death in 1504.

Isabella I, like her husband, was a devout Catholic. Despite the fact that Spain had been a

religiously diverse society with Catholics, Jews, and Muslims living together for many

centuries, Isabella and Ferdinand believed it was their obligation to make RomanCatholicism the dominant religion of Spain. As a result, in 1478, Isabella and Ferdinand

initiated the Spanish Inquisition. Thousands of Jews who had in recent times converted to

Roman Catholicism were looked upon suspiciously. It is estimated that as many as 2,000Jews were tortured, killed, or forced to leave the country during the Inquisition. There

were possibly as many as 40,000 Jews who chose to be baptized to avoid expulsion or

persecution. The remaining Muslim population in Spain was later targeted. Isabella isknown in the Catholic Church as Servant of God Isabella as she has achieved the first

step towards becoming a Saint.


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By the time Isabella and Ferdinand had come to power, the Reconquista was coming to

an end. Most of Spain, with the exception of the small Muslim kingdoms under the

Nasrid Dynasty in Andalusia, had been unified and brought under Catholic control.However, from 1485 to 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand sought to complete the Reconquista

process by conquering the remaining Muslim kingdoms and forcing the Muslim

population into exile.

Also in 1492, Isabella sponsored Christopher Columbuss voyages to the Western

Hemisphere. Columbuss exploration, with Isabellas support, contributed to thefoundation of an overseas Spanish Colonial Empire that would bring great wealth and

power to Spain overtime. In other words, Isabella I contributed to making Spain a World

Power.

4Elizabeth I of England

born: 1533; died: 1603

Even though past queens such as Empress Matilda, Lady Jane Grey, and Mary I had allruled England in their own right, Elizabeth was truly the first crowned queen to

successfully rule with absolute power. She never married and has often been referred to

as the Virgin Queen. Elizabeth is best remembered for bringing the Renaissance to

England. She is also remembered for defeating the Spanish Armada and establishingProtestantism in England, replacing Roman Catholicism. Elizabeth was the daughter of

King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn and she ruled from 1558 until her

death in 1603. She was last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty and her reign is known as theElizabethan Era.

Elizabeth was a true intellectual and she was educated by renowned scholar, RogerAscham. As a student, she studied Greek, Latin, rhetoric, and philosophy; she mastered

all of these subjects. Not surprisingly, when Elizabeth came to power, she transformed

the English court into a center for poets, writers, musicians, and scholars. She hadconnections to literary figures such as William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, and

Christopher Marlowe.

Elizabeth also transformed England from a Catholic nation to a Protestant one. Despiteher Protestant sympathies, Elizabeth was known to be tolerant of all religions in England.

Her reign and religious transformation were highly contested by other Catholic European

nations. For years, Elizabeths cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, had felt she was the rightfulheir to the English throne. Mary had plotted for Elizabeth to be assassinated for years. As

a result, Mary lived much of her life in England under house arrest. Finally, however,

enough was enough and Mary was executed in 1587.

Marys execution and Englands longtime support for the Protestants in the Spanish

Netherlands, was the last straw. In 1588, Elizabeths former brother-in-law, Phillip II of

Spain, sent out his navel fleet, the Spanish Armada, to invade England, dethrone


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Elizabeth, and reestablish Roman Catholicism as the official religion. Elizabeth, however,

proved to be no shrinking violet; she retaliated and won. The defeat of the Armada left

Spain bankrupt and Phillip II humiliated. Elizabethan England, however, moved towardprosperity and gradually replaced Spain as a World Power.

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Empress Dowager Cixiborn: 1835; died: 1908

Cixi was probably most powerful woman in China since Empress Wu Zetian of the

seventh century Zhou Dynasty. In fact, Cixi may have been even more powerful than Wu

Zetian. She was an ambitious and conservative leader. She opposed foreign influence andsupported the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. Anyway, I place Cixi at third rank on this list.

Cixi was a consort of Emperor Xianfeng. After her husbands death, she acted as regent

for her son, Emperor Tongzhi, and later for her nephew, Guangxu. Her rule began in

1861 and lasted until her death in 1908. Cixi was the last empress dowager of the ethnic-Manchu Qing Dynasty and the last empress dowager of China.

Cixi was sent to the Forbidden City in 1851 to be a concubine to Emperor Xianfeng. In

1856, Cixi gave birth to her son and the future emperor, Tongzhi. After the birth of her

son, Cixis status was elevated in the royal court and she became a consort. Emperor

Xianfeng soon died in 1861 and Tongzhi became emperor with Cixi acting as regent.Cixi, in reality, held the real power because she had total control over state affairs. She

surrounded herself with good advisors which also contributed to her success in

maintaining power.

Internal chaos and foreign challenges plagued China during Cixis time. The country was

suffering from the aftermath of the Second Opium War as well as the Taiping Rebellion.Cixi appointed General Zeng Guofan to handle the Taiping situation, and as a result, the

revolt was successfully crushed. In 1881, she dealt with the concern of too much foreign

influence by ending Chinas so-called learn from foreigners program with the West. Asa result, she put a halt to sending Chinese children abroad to study and promoted hostility

toward the West.

In 1898, Emperor Guangxu, Cixis nephew, felt China needed cultural, political, andpolitical reform so he initiated what became known as the Hundred Days Reform. He

began turning to the West. Cixi put an end to this by launching a coup and placing

Guangxu on house arrest. The resentment toward Western influence continued with theBoxer Rebellion of 1900 in which Western Christian missionaries became targets for

attack. The rebellion failed, however, when Western powers intervened and stopped the

revolt. Ironically, between 1902 and 1908, Cixi softened her views of the West and beganencouraging the modernization of China. I wonder what changed her mind.

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Catherine II of Russia

born: 1729; died: 1796


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Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, I feel, deserves second rank on my list.

She ruled over Russia which was and still is the worlds largest country geographically.

Catherine is remembered for bringing Enlightenment ideas to Russia as well expandingthe empire. Her rule lasted or 34 years, beginning in 1762 and ending with her death in

1796.

Catherine was born in modern day Poland to a minor German prince of the Lutheran

faith. In 1744, Catherine, already having mastered the Russian language, moved to Russia

to marry Peter III who was heir to the Russian throne. She also converted to Russian

Orthodoxy in 1744. The marriage took place a year later and overtime it proved not to bea happy one for Catherine. She saw her husband as arrogant and immature and, finally, in

1762, Catherine conspired with the imperial guard to overthrow her husband in a palace

coup. As a result, Catherine was declared Empress of Imperial Russia.

As empress, Catherine continued the process of Westernizing Russia like Peter the Great

and Tsarina Elizabeth had done before her. She incorporated Enlightenment ideas intoher politics, commissioned art, and created a successful foreign policy. She also

expanded the Russian Empire to the Black Sea by defeating the Ottoman Empire in two

major wars. Catherines empire spanned over three continents: Europe, Asia, and part of

North America. It stretched from the Arctic Ocean to the North, the Black Sea to theSouth, Alaska and the Pacific to the East, and the Baltic Sea to the West.

Catherine reformed the system by creating a legislative commission in 1767, introducinga system of local self-government in 1775, and issuing the Charter to the Nobility in

1785. However, in 1773, a Cossack named Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev, led a

rebellion near the Ural Mountains. This rebellion became known as the PugachevRebellion and its followers consisted of Cossacks and discontented ethnic minorities such

as Bashkirs, Tatars, Kazakhs, and Kalmyks. Pugachev claimed that he was the long-lost

Peter III who some people believed escaped from being murdered eleven years beforeand sought to reclaim the throne. The revolt infuriated Catherine and it contributed to her

changes in policies. Catherine crushed the Pugachev revolt as well as other revolts around

the country, placed more restrictions on society, and made serfdom even more prevalent

than before. In other words, Catherine wasnt about to have her power threatened byanyone or anything.

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Queen Victoriaborn: 1819; died: 1901

Ok, ranking number one on my list is Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. I would

strongly consider Victoria being the most powerful woman in history because not only


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was she the queen of the United Kingdom in her own right, she was head of the vast

colonial British Empire.

Victorias empire covered 14.2 million square miles, spanning six continents, and

controlling countries such as Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, South

Africa, and Sudan as well as many others. Geographically, the British Empire was thelargest colonial empire in the nineteenth century and the largest in history. Victoria ruled

over 400 to 458 million people during her reign. Victoria inspired a worldwide trend

known as the Victorian Era. The Victorian Era influenced conservative religious andsocial attitudes, fashion, and politics in her country as well as in the United States and

other nations abroad. Victorias reign began in 1837 and ended with her death in 1901.

She ruled for 63 years; the longest of any British monarch.

Despite having to share her power with the British Parliament, Victoria still exerted a

certain amount of power over political decisions. For example, Victoria played a role in

appointing some cabinet ministers as well as a prime minister at one time. She was even

responsible for appointing particular ambassadors and bishops of the Church of England.She also consulted regularly with her prime ministers by letter and in person.

Victoria contributed to massive political and social reforms in the United Kingdom as

well as in the British Empire. She supported an act of Parliament in 1838 which abolished

slavery throughout all colonies in the British Empire. In 1847, she supported the Factory

Act which reduced the working day in textile mills to ten hours. Last but not least,Victoria supported the Third Reform Act of 1884, which granted the right to vote to all

male householders and effectively extended the vote to most British men.

10 most powerfull women in history

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