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624
Wu Zhou is born
Wu Zhou was born to the Chinese world -
638
Wu becomes concubine to the emperor
Wu Zhou becomes a junior concubine of the emperor Taizong -
649
Wu Zhou sent to live in nunnery
In 649 CE, the emperor died, so Wu Zhao was sent to live in a Buddhist nunnery -
683
Wu Zhou appoints new emperor
When Gaozong died in 683 CE, she appointed one of her sons, Zhongzong as emperor -
690
Wu Zhou starts new dynasty
By 690 CE, Wu Zhao decided to stop being the ‘power behind the throne’. She crowned herself empress regent and set up her own dynasty, the Zhou. -
705
Wu Zhou dies
Wu Zhou died in 705 CE, after controlling the empire for almost half a century.