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The Most Formidable Women in History that Made Men Cower Before Them

Khalid Elhassan April 23, 2022 35 min

22. This Woman Dominated a Bronze Age Court

Badass Women - Fu Hao — Fu Hao. Pinterest

Fu Hao (died circa 1200 BC) was one of the most powerful women of Chinese history. She was one of the Shang emperor’s numerous wives, but she was so remarkable that she swiftly cemented her place as the imperial favorite. She also became the leading figure in court and throughout China in her lifetime. In addition to being a wife and mother, she was also a formidable general who led armies into battle, as well as a priestess and a capable politician.

It was traditional for Shang Dynasty emperors to secure the allegiance of neighboring tribes by marrying a wife from each. That is how Fu Hao came to be one of Emperor Wu Ding’s 64 wives. Once at court, she exhibited remarkable intelligence, as well as military aptitude, and rose rapidly to become the emperor’s favorite wife and most trusted confidant. She also rose to command the Shang armies, led them into battle, defeated and subdued restive tribes, and brought them into the Chinese fold.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.