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Empress Yang (Song Dynasty)
Empress Yang (30 June 1162 – 18 January 1233), formally titled Empress Gongsheng, was a Chinese empress consort whose political acumen allowed her to become '' de facto'' empress regnant for a period of 30 years. Also known by the name Yang Meizi, she is considered "one of the most powerful empresses of the Song dynasty and... ossiblythe Southern Song dynasty's most powerful Empress." Yang is generally asserted to have been intelligent, ruthless and, at times, malicious, while outwardly maintaining a saintly and liberal image. She was the second Song empress after Empress Dowager Liu to come from a humble background, and, like Liu, was an astute wielder of power both at court and in the palace. Her later claim to be from a distinguished military family is believed by modern historians to be a fabrication for political reasons. Recent historiography uncovered a connection between Empress Yang and an artist named Yang Meizi, who were believed for centuries to have been two diffe ...
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Emperor Ningzong Of Song
Emperor Ningzong of Song (19 November 1168 – 17 September 1224), personal name Zhao Kuo, was the 13th emperor of the Song dynasty of China and the fourth emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. He reigned from 1194 until his death in 1224. He was the second son and the only surviving child of his predecessor Guangzong and like his father, Ningzong was weak-minded; easily dominated by women. During Ningzong's reign, he had built 75 commemorative shrines and steles, the most in Song history. He was a great patron of art, promoting artists such as Liang Kai and Ma Yuan to painter-in-waiting and writing poems about their paintings. Upon Ningzong's death, a minor official and a remote relative of Ningzong became Emperor Lizong. Reign He was noted for the cultural and intellectual achievements made during his reign. In particular, Zhu Xi wrote some of his most famous Neo-Confucianist works during this period. However, Emperor Ningzong was known for his aversion towards the spre ...
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Empress Han
Empress Han (1165 – 14 December 1200) was the empress consort of Emperor Ningzong during the Song dynasty. Biography Han was born in modern-day Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ..., the descendant of a prominent Northern Song official. She became a concubine of Ningzong along with her older sister. She was selected as the primary consort of Ningzong, and appointed his empress after his succession. Empress Han and her family managed to attain influence over the affairs of state, backed by the so called 'War/Militant party', succeed in persuading Ningzong to depose and disgrace senior minister Zhao Ruyu and replaced him with her militarist relative, Han Tuozhou.Justin Wintle:China References Notes Works cited * 1200 deaths Song dynasty empresse ...
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Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince'' as a descriptive term has been used throughout history for the prince who is first-in-line to a throne and is expected to succeed (i.e. the heir apparent), barring any unforeseen future event preventing this. In certain monarchies, a more specific substantive title may be accorded and become associated with the position of heir apparent (e.g. Prince of Wales in the United Kingdom, Prince of Asturias in the Spain, Kingdom of Spain and formerly the Dauphin of France, Dauphin in Kingdom of France, France). In these monarchies, the term crown prince may be used less often than the substantive title (or never). Until the late twentieth century, no modern monarchy adopted a system whereby females would be guaranteed to succeed to the throne ...
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Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy ( ) is a system of organization where laws or regulatory authority are implemented by civil servants or non-elected officials (most of the time). Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected officials. Today, bureaucracy is the administrative system governing any large institution, whether publicly owned or privately owned. The public administration in many jurisdictions is an example of bureaucracy, as is any centralized hierarchical structure of an institution, including Corporation, corporations, Professional association, societies, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit organizations, and Social club, clubs. There are two key dilemmas in bureaucracy. The first dilemma relates to whether bureaucrats should be autonomous or directly accountable to their political masters. The second dilemma relates to bureaucrats' responsibility to follow preset rules, and what degree of latitude they may have to determin ...
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Balance Of Power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, balance of power is a situation in which one or more members of a parliamentary or similar chamber can by their uncommitted vote enable a party to attain and remain in minority government. The term may also be applied to the members who hold that position. The members holding the balance of power may guarantee their support for a government by either joining it in a coalition government or by an assurance that they will vote against any motion of no confidence in the government or will abstain in such a vote. In return for such a commitment, such members may demand legislative or policy commitments from the party they are to support. A person or party may also hold a balance of power in a chamber without any commitment to government, in which case both the government and opposition groupings may on occasion need to negotiate for that person's or party's support. Australia House of Representatives In the 1940 federal election of the 74 seats in the ...
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Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point in Chinese civilisation, and a Golden age (metaphor), golden age of cosmopolitan culture. Tang territory, acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers, rivalled that of the Han dynasty. The House of Li, Li family founded the dynasty after taking advantage of a period of Sui decline and precipitating their final collapse, in turn inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted during 690–705 when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the Wu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chinese empress regnant. The An Lushan rebellion (755 ...
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Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was List of rulers of China#Tang dynasty, Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as queen consort , empress consort through her husband Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Emperor Gaozong and later as empress dowager through her sons Emperors Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Ruizong, from 660 to 690. She subsequently founded and ruled as Empress Regnant of the Wu Zhou dynasty of China from 16 October 690 to 21 February 705. She was the only female sovereign in the history of China who is widely Mandate of Heaven, regarded as legitimate. Under her 45-year reign, China grew larger, becoming one of the great powers of the world, its culture and economy were revitalized, and corruption in the court was reduced. She was eventually removed from power during a coup () and died a few months later. In early life, Wu was the concubine of Emper ...
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Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a person hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, memoirs, magazine articles, or other written material. Memoir ghostwriters often pride themselves in "disappearing" when impersonating others since such disappearance signals the quality of their craftsmanship. In music, ghostwriters are often used to write songs, lyrics, and instrumental pieces. Screenplay authors can also use ghostwriters to either edit or rewrite their scripts to improve them. Usually, there is a confidentiality clause in the contract between the ghostwriter and the credited author (or publisher) that obligates the former to remain anonymous, or obligates the latter to not reveal the ghostwriter. Sometimes the ghostwriter is acknowledged by the author or publisher for ...
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Ministry Of Rites
The Ministry or Board of Rites was one of the Six Ministries of government in late imperial China. It was part of the imperial Chinese government from the Tang (7th century) until the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Along with religious rituals and court ceremonial the Ministry of Rites also oversaw the imperial examination and China's foreign relations. A Ministry of Rites also existed in imperial Vietnam. One of its tasks was enforcing the naming taboo. History Under the Han, similar functions were performed by the Ministry of Ceremonies. In early medieval China, its functions were performed by other officials including the Grand Herald. Under the Song (10th-13th centuries), its functions were temporarily transferred to the Zhongshu Sheng. Its administration of China's foreign relations was ended by the establishment of the Zongli Yamen in 1861. Functions *Management of imperial court ceremonies and ritual offerings. *Registration and supervision of Buddhist and Taoist pr ...
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Shi Miyuan
Shi Miyuan (; February 23, 1164 – November 27, 1233) was a Chinese politician during the Southern Song Dynasty. He was instrumental in installing Emperor Lizong on the throne, despite the fact that Lizong was not in the line of succession. Under Lizong's rule, Shi was appointed Grand Chancellor. Shi hailed from a family of bureaucrats and was adept in politics. He took the Imperial examinations at the age of only seventeen, and placed first in his class. After the dismissal of Han Tuozhou as Chief Councillor, Shi was appointed to the position in 1208 (a number of historians accuse Shi of orchestrating Han's murder). Once in power, he reversed many of Han's policies, making peace with the Jin and revoking proscriptions against the Neo-Confucianism of Zhu Xi, although he still did not allow adherents of Zhu Xi's theories any great political power. He generally promoted officials on merit and was able to restore a degree of stability to government. Imperial succession When the ...
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Li Fengniang
Li Fengniang (1144 – 16 July 1200), posthumously honored as Empress Ciyi, was a Chinese empress consort of the Song dynasty, married to the Emperor Guangzong of Song. She was as the '' de facto'' ruler of the Song dynasty during the reign of her spouse. Life Empress Li was born as ''Fengniang'', daughter of general Li Dao, a military commissioner from Anyang Anyang ( zh, s=安阳, t=安陽; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan, China. Geographical coordinates are 35° 41'~ 36° 21' north latitude and 113° 38'~ 114° 59' east longitude. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the eas .... According to legend, a Daoist priest and matchmaker one day predicted that she was destined to be the mother of the people. After having made the prediction, the priest asked for an audience with the emperor, and successfully negotiated for her to be accepted as consort of the emperor's grandson Zhao Dun, the future Emperor Guangzong. As crown princess Li was accepted a ...
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