Queens regnant in the East, from ancient Egypt to China, India, and Byzantium, ascended to power despite prevailing patriarchal norms. These women navigated complex religious and legal landscapes to secure their positions. Many utilised religious concepts to legitimise their rule. Legal succession rights often favored male heirs, but exceptions were made due to political necessity or lack of male successors. These queens often patronized religious institutions, interpreted laws flexibly, and leveraged political alliances to maintain their power, significantly impacting their realms' cultural, religious, and political landscapes.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

SUGGESTED READING

• Hidden Power: The Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China, Mary M. Anderson
• Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire, Ira Mukhoty
• Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan, Ruby Lal
• Wu Zhao: China's Only Woman Emperor, N. Harry Rothschild
• The Rise of Female Kings in Europe, 1300-1800, William Monter

COURSE OUTLINE

• Historical and Cultural Context: Overview of the regions and time periods; Prevailing attitudes towards female leadership; Wu Zetian (624-705 CE): The only female emperor in Chinese history, ruling the Tang Dynasty; Empress Suiko (554-628 CE): The first recorded empress regnant in Japanese history; Queen Seondeok of Silla (606-647 CE): One of the three queens of the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla
• Paths to Power: Strategies used to overcome gender barriers and ole of family connections and alliances; Instances of regency leading to full rule; Theodora (500-548 CE): Byzantine Empress who ruled alongside her husband Justinian I and was known for her own political power; Sultana (1205-1240 CE): The only female sultan of the Delhi Sultanate in India.
• Legitimisation and Maintenance of Authority: Use of religious symbolism and patronage and adaptation of masculine royal imagery; Political manoeuvring and alliance-building; Court dynamics and potential rivals; Queen of Sheba (10th century BCE): A legendary figure mentioned in Ethiopian, Hebrew, and Islamic traditions; Hatshepsut (1507-1458 BCE): One of the most powerful pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
• Legacy and Historical Impact: Major accomplishments and policies of each queen; Long-term effects on their respective societies; Representation in historical records and cultural memory; Comparative analysis of their reigns and lasting influence; Queen Manduhay (1449-1510): Ruler of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia; Nur Jahan (1577-1645): While not officially a queen regnant, she effectively ruled the Mughal Empire alongside her husband Jahangir; Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908): Though not officially an empress regnant, she wielded significant power in late Qing Dynasty China

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyse the interplay between religious, cultural, and political factors that influenced the ascension and reign of female monarchs in various Eastern cultures.
2. Critically evaluate the strategies employed by these queens to legitimize and maintain their authority, assessing their effectiveness in different historical contexts.
3. Develop a comparative framework to examine the reigns of these ten queens, synthesizing information to create original insights into female leadership in pre-modern Eastern societies.
4. Apply their understanding of historical gender dynamics to explain how these queens navigated and sometimes challenged the patriarchal norms of their respective societies.