Wu Zetian

Wu Zetian (Wu Tse-tien; ; 625 AD – 705 AD), was the first female monarch of China. She ruled under the name of her self-proclaimed Zhou Dynasty, from 690 to 705. She had previously been a member of the Tang Dynasty. Wu was a concubine of Emperor Taizong. After his death, she married his successor and 9th son, Emperor Gaozong in 655. After Gaozong's stroke in 660, Wu Zetian ruled as effective sovereign until 705. She is the only woman to have ruled China in her own right.