10 Most Badass Princesses in History

Forget Ariel, Jasmine, and Merrida. Disney princesses may have an appeal to us, but history has a lot more to offer when it comes to princesses who are the definition of "badass."

They are not your typical damsels in distress that get abducted by dragons and kept in stone castles. No. These women fought in wars or gained their title by keeping ten steps ahead of their male counterparts. Of course, it also helps a little if you are related to Genghis Khan or a Spartan.

So buckle up and sharpen your swords! We are counting down to the 10 most badass princesses in history!

#10 - Urraca of Zamora

One of the five children of Ferdinand I The Great of Spain, Urraca was destined for greatness as she was able to fend off an advancing army intent on taking her city.

At the death of her father, Ferdinand I, she and her siblings were each bequeathed lands to which they can rule it as their own city-states in peace. Of course, if there is anything that history has shown us is that he – or she – who has the largest amount of land gains control of a significant portion of a territory or country. This was the case with the eldest of Ferdinand’s children, Sancho.

Deciding that he wanted all the lands to himself, Sancho effectively overthrew each of his siblings, leaving Urraca last. When Sancho reached the city-state of Zamora, his little sister was more than prepared, and Sancho’s armies were not able to enter Zamora’s walls. In a final attempt to topple Urraca, Sancho surrounded Zamora to prevent anyone from coming in or out, hoping to starve its citizens and Urraca.

The princess, however, was not deterred by Sancho and set up a plan to assassinate her brother – which was carried out successfully – and take down the family bully.

#9 - Tomoe Gozen

While she was not considered a princess or of royal birth, Tomoe Gozen deserves a spot on this list because being a female samurai is pretty much an equivalent of being a badass warrior princess.

The life of Tomoe Gozen is one of the few to have been ever recorded of a woman who rode to war. While female samurais were not completely uncommon in Japan, they are quite a few, and Tomoe was one who has exhibited an extraordinary amount of talent in martial arts, archery, and swordsmanship.

Her skills, therefore, earned her a spot in one of the history’s most respected and iconic warriors: the samurai.

Her greatest, recorded, the accomplishment was when she fought side by side with her husband in the Gempei War. As records of her life show, Tomoe single-handedly killed a group of advancing soldiers and decapitated their leader as he attempted to dismount her from her horse.

While historical records about her were kept as accurate as possible, her later years became clouded in obscurity. One account has it that, after the Gempei War, Tomoe retired her sword and entered a monastery where she lived out the rest of her life. In another story, because her husband did not survive the Gempei War, it was believed that Tomoe Gozen took her life through the ancient ritual of seppuku.

#8 - Olga of Kiev

She embodies the age-old saying, “Hell Hath no Fury As a Woman Scorned.” Olga of Kiev lived a peaceful and prosperous life in the Ukraine around the 10th century AD until her husband, Igor, was brutally murdered by invading Drevlians.

Believing that Olga was of weak stock because of her gender, the Drevlians forced her to marry one of their princes, which she did consent to. Still scorned by the killing of her husband, Olga led a group of Drevlians to a pit, which was dug overnight, and buried them alive!

She continued her systematic purge of the Drevlians and lured their most elite and influential citizens to bathhouses that she set on fire, burning alive that faction of the Drevlians in her domain – and during her husband’s funeral, she managed to get 5,000 Drevlians drunk and wiped them out.

As a final stroke to her vengeance, she returned all the pigeons that were offered to her as a sign of peace by the Drevlians but not before powdering their feathers with bits of sulfur that burned their town to ashes.

#7 - Nanny of the Maroons

On the shores of Jamaica in the 18th Century, escaped slaves built communities to protect themselves from the British. With the help of a member of the Ghanaian Royal family named Nanny, they were able to fend off the British effectively.

Coming to the shores of Jamaica on her own free will, Nanny helped the escaped African slaves, called Maroons, set up a lookout system across the entire island that would communicate through telegraph should British ships be spotted and prepare to defend their community.

Among many other systems she put in place, Nanny was even able to develop a potent herbal mixture that knocked their enemies out cold by its fumes alone.

Celebrated as a hero, her face can be found printed on Jamaican $500 bills, as well as having her name on several schools, buildings, and institutions around the island country.

#6 - Lili’uokalani

She was the last reigning monarch and Queen of Hawaii. Spending her life on the throne protecting the native people of the islands and fiercely campaigning against the annexation of the United States, Lili’uokalani used brains and diplomacy and avoided violence as a means to maintain sovereignty and independence.

In one move, she attempted to pass an amended constitution that would restore power to the native people of Hawaii as well as grant her more political power to fend off any US involvement in their affairs.

Unfortunately, in 1898, she was forced off the throne and Hawaii was finally claimed by the United States. During her lifetime she advocated for peaceful resistance and resolutions to conflict, and despite losing her country to the Americans, she continued to preserve Hawaiian identity by curating all things related to its people and culture.

Not all of us may know this, but among her various contributions to Hawaiian culture was a song that she composed called “Aloha Oe.”

#5 - Zhao Pingyang

Pingyang lived in the 7th century AD when the Sui Dynasty was on the verge of crumbling. Originally, she was not of any royal descent, being only a daughter of a governor.

However, in this turbulent time, her father saw an opportunity to topple the Sui Dynasty through rebellion. As her father amassed a force to take on the Emperor, he warned Pingyang and her husband to leave their home – which was a stone throw’s away from the Emperor’s palace – because they would soon be labeled as enemies of the state and will likely be executed on sight.

Pingyang urged her husband to leave town first to join the rebel army. On the way to meet her husband and her father, Pingyang sold her family’s estate and used the money to raise an army to help bring down the Sui Empire.

Eventually, she began to lead an army of 700,000 soldiers from one victory to the next that the Emperor assembled a special force just to kill her. Unfortunately for the Sui forces, Pingyang and her army were able to rout them, destroying the Emperor’s hopes of ridding the rebellion of their female leader.

The Sui Dynasty was later toppled and replaced by the Tang Dynasty with Pingyang’s father as the country’s new emperor.

In honor of her daughter’s victory and contributions to the successful rebellion, the Emperor commemorated her with a military parade and bestowed her with the title of “Zhao, ” and she was crowned as princess of the Tang Dynasty. She was only 20 years old.

#4 - Chiomara

At the height of the Roman Empire when they marched from one country to the next; conquering, pillaging, and abducting women, they came across a tribe of people that were on their list of subjugating next.

As part of bringing the tribe to their knees, the Romans abducted a woman named Chiomara who was, incidentally, the wife of the chief.

While with the Romans, Chiomara had to endure some abuses and sexual assaults. One centurion promised Chiomara that she would be returned to her tribe if a ransom in gold would be paid in her exchange.

Eventually, the tribe agreed to pay her ransom and she was returned. While the centurion was busy counting the gold, Chiomara ordered her rescuers to behead the centurion, and they did. To add more insult to injury, Chiomara took the head of the centurion and carried it like a trophy as she walked back home. Meeting her husband, the chief, she throws the centurion’s head at his feet and declares, “Only one man who has lain with me shall remain alive.”

#3 - Isabella of France

Called the “She-wolf of France,” Isabella had it hard from the beginning when she was married to her, presumably homosexual husband, Edward. It was even said that to keep her from losing power, she had to also build an alliance with Edward’s lover.

It was when Edward found a new lover that Isabella’s life went upside down.

During a failed skirmish in Scotland after the death of William Wallace, Edward suddenly decided to flee and abandoned Isabella and her entourage. Before they were captured by the advancing Scottish army, Isabella, her entourage, and a few knights that stayed with her managed to steal boats to escape back to England.

Unfortunately, Isabella did not receive a warm welcome back home. Her lands and her many estates were confiscated, and her household staff were thrown in jail. To add more salt to the wound, her children were sold off to her political enemies.

Sensing that trouble was closing in on her, Isabella regrouped in her home country of France and raised an army and returned to England to overthrow Edward and his new lover, Hugh. She was later joined by multiple factions during her campaign who were equally fed up with Edward.

Sensing that they are close to being cornered, Edward and Hugh fled but were caught. Hugh’s father, who was Edward’s adviser and Isabella’s fiercest political enemy, was also captured and sentenced to be dragged by a horse, hanged, and decapitated.

Hugh suffered a much harsher fate. Like his father, he was dragged by a horse, hanged until he was mostly dead, then disemboweled and decapitated with his head put on a spike on display at the London Bridge.

Due to Edward’s existing political influence and allies outside of England, Isabella had no choice but to place him behind bars where, according to historians, he “accidentally died.”

#2 - Khutulun

She was the real Warrior Princess, and that title was well deserved. After all, what other title could you be given if you were the great, great granddaughter of Genghis Khan and your family ruled a third of the globe for centuries?

Known for her independent spirit, Khutulun was a Mongolian Royalty whose reputation preceded her wherever she went. Part of her life was chronicled by Marco Polo himself where he took note of her incredible abilities in wrestling among many other impressive skills.

Her political ambitions were fueled by her father from whom she learned the fierce military strategies of the Mongol army.

Naturally, her father wanted her to marry and bear children to carry on the legacy of her bloodline but, not wanting to be married off to anyone, Khutulun issued a challenge to anyone wishing to court her: that he should beat her in wrestling before she consents to be betrothed.

Another condition was that if a man lost to her challenge, he must give her a horse.

She ended up with 10,000 horses before she finally consented to be wed.

#1 - Rani Lakshmi Bai

Before you ask why Khutulun did not make it to number one, hear us out on this and you will be surprised why Rani Lakshmi Bai landed the top spot on today’s list.

Born in 1835 in India, Lakshmi Bai was the daughter of one of India’s Prime Minister’s aides who gave her the opportunity to grow up in a royal setting. Not content to just sit around and learn needlework or other tasks usually designated to women during that time, Lakshmi Bai spent a great deal of her youth learning to use a sword, mastering archery, and wielding guns.

Married to a prince at the age of 12, Lakshmi Bai’s road to power was being paved for her. Soon enough, her husband became raja, and they adopted a son to complete their family. Unfortunately, her husband died and a certain Lord Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, cited a legislation called the Doctrine of Lapse to justify seizing her family’s lands and further stated that, according to the British government – who was occupying India – Lakhsmi Bai and her son were not of royal descent and therefore was forced out of the throne.

After emotionally and mentally recovering from the trauma dealt with her by the British Empire, she began gathering an army of men and women to rebel against the Empire. Taking on the mantle of their leader, she led her army of rebels head on against British soldiers with her adopted son strapped to her back. You heard that right. Now if that isn’t the most badass thing in history, I don’t know what is.

Labelled by her enemies as “the most dangerous of all rebel leaders,” Rani Lakshmi Bai was eventually killed at the Battle of Gwalior while charging and firing at the man who had shot her in the back.

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And that wraps up our 10 most badass princesses in history! Let us know what you think by commenting below!

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Sources:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19478_5-real-princesses-too-badass-disney-movies.html

https://www.nylon.com/articles/badass-women-in-history

http://flavorwire.com/514284/10-badass-princesses-youve-probably-never-heard-of

http://www.refinery29.com/2016/10/127504/disney-rejected-princesses-jason-porath-book#slide-21

The Food Chinese Emperors Ate

What kinds of delicious food did the emperors eat in Imperial China? Since the time of emperors living in magnificent palaces, there were such things as imperial foods. Specially prepared meals exclusively for the emperors, their wives, concubines, and royal family members Imperial food represented the best cuisine that a dynasty had to offer. The emperors and those who cater to their health and nutrition used their resources and influence to discover the very best delicacies from across the nation and picked the top cooks to them.

While Imperial food is a reflection of each dynasty's diet, it's also an indispensable part of Chinese cultural heritage that endures even into our modern era.

What is Chinese Imperial Cuisine?

Chinese Imperial Cuisine's diverse cooking styles originated from different Chinese regions and are a collection of various dishes and delicacies that were originally invented by the common people. The royal chefs studied and refined the dishes until fit for an emperor.

The Imperial cuisines are characterized by:

1. intricate cooking methods,
2. meticulous selection of quality raw materials,
3. time-consuming and complicated preparation, and
4. elaborate visual presentation.

History of Chinese Imperial Cuisine

Styles and tastes of Imperial Chinese Cuisines differ from one dynasty to another, with each dynasty possessing its own distinctive features. China’s dietetic culture started from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. However, the nation’s imperial cuisine evolved rapidly during the Qin and Han Dynasties' ruling periods and thrived in the Tang, Song, and Yuan Dynasties. It reached considerable heights in the more recent Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Although China’s dietetic culture developed much earlier than the Zhou Dynasty, most agree Chinese imperial food can trace its roots there. Not only was the Zhou Dynasty's Imperial Cuisine an improvement from those prepared in the early Xia and Shang Dynasties, it was also during this period that a complete imperial food management system of the royals and noblemen began. From procurement, diets, and preparation, to staffing, supervision, and the development of meal grades for the members of the imperial family, these responsibilities were handled in accordance with the empire’s established “eating rites.”

As prescribed in the “Rites of the Zhou Dynasty,” “when the emperor took a meal, there were 12 deep bowls with legs and 12 plates. Music was played to urge him to eat.” The rites also indicated that the three daily meals that the emperor would consume included beef, pork, mutton, fish, cured meat, intestine, and stomach.

Even banquets and feasts held by the emperor and his officials had rules to follow. For example, according to the Rites of the Zhou Dynasty, “When the Emperor gives a banquet, there must be six cereals and six animals for food, the six clears for drink, 120 delicacies, eight dainties, and 120 urns of sauce.” The six cereals mentioned in the Rites were rice, broomcorn, wheat, sorghum, millet and wild rice stem, while the six animals the Rites referred to were cow, pig, chicken, sheep, horse, and dog.

Zhou Dynasty

In the Zhou Dynasty, 22 departments were tasked with handling and managing imperial foods prepared and served in the palace. More than 2,300 staff members had different responsibilities and positions in the department like chief cook, internal cook, external cook, assistants, nutritionists, and even wine officers. This complex organization of the royal kitchen assured a detailed and well-defined division of labor that maintained the premium quality of the meals served to the emperor.

Food in Chinese politics became very important during the Zhou, Qin and Han Dynasties, as holding banquets became standard practice whenever the emperor hosted meetings with princes, dukes, or royal family. The imperial food in the later Han and Wei dynasties largely followed this Zhou Dynasty system. However, China’s empowered economy and openness for cultural exchange allowed the palace to attain external sources of raw materials, superior cooking utensils, widespread use of ironware, and higher quality standards for imperial dishes and the skills to make them.

Sui, Tang, & Song Dynasties

The imperial food of the Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties also picked up the established system and rules of the previous dynasties, but there were also a lot of changes implemented during these periods in what kinds of food were served to the emperor and members of his family and how they were prepared. There were also more variety in the dishes that were made during these dynasties, as the royal kitchen paid a lot of its attention in diversifying the flavor, tastes, color, and presentation of these dishes. They also took great lengths into naming these dishes. Some popular imperial dishes handed down to us today are quick-friend prawns, fried ringing bells, crab rolls, and steamed Mandarin fish with no soy sauce.

Song & Qing Dynasties

Foods during the Song and Qin dynasties were very similar. However, when the Ming Dynasty usurped Mongolian rule in China, the royal kitchen abandoned the Mongolian food style served to the Yuan emperors. Instead, imperial cuisine during the Ming Dynasty was mostly inspired by Southern Chinese flavors because the emperor preferred it. Protecting the emperor’s health also became an important factor in the preparation of imperial meals, and the rulers of the Ming Dynasty were particularly mindful of protecting their well-being by eating the right healthy foods.

Ming Dynasty

Imperial cuisine of the Ming dynasty was essentially grain-based. At the time, meat and beans were used less in the emperors’ meals compared to their significant use in the earlier dynasties of China. The meat and fish eaten by the emperors were limited to chicken, pheasant, goose, duck, carp, golden carp, Mandarin fish, bream, rabbit, and deer.

The menu in the Ming Palace also changed daily, and the royal kitchen did not repeat the meals and light refreshments they served to the emperors on a daily basis. Some dishes worth noting are shark’s fin soup and edible bird’s nest. Prawns and sea cucumbers were also served in the palace during the Ming Dynasty. Peking Duck, a dish which was first heard of during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, were also fully developed during this time and included in official menus of imperial dishes cooked in the Ming Palace.

There are very few differences between the imperial food served during the Ming Dynasty and the subsequent Qing Dynasty, and even today, the cuisines from these two dynasties remain important to those with Chinese ancestry in different parts of the world. In the Forbidden City, around the imperial rule of the Qing Dynasty, the Imperial Household Department was the division in the Chinese empire’s government that was given the mandate involving the management of the emperor’s meals. There was also a special organization known as the “Imperial Kitchen” in the Qing palace that was tasked with the preparation of imperial cuisine for the emperor.

During the rule of Emperor Qianlong, the kitchens for the imperial tea and meals were separated into two groups: the External Kitchen and the Internal Kitchen. The External Kitchen handled the Qing palace’s official food-related events such as feasts, banquets, and sacrificial rites. The Internal Kitchen, on the other hand, was divided further into departments assigned in the management and preparation of vegetables, meat dishes, roasting, rice cooking, and baking. The meat department, for one, was responsible for cooking delicacies from both land and sea. The bakery was assigned with making cakes and pastries, and the rice-cooking department was the team designated with the preparation of cooked rice and different porridges.  

The Imperial cuisine was a significant part of the lives of the royal family members residing in the Qing Palace. The rites of preparing and serving imperial dishes during this time are arguably the greatest of all Chinese dynasties. They included the number of individuals required to make them, and the quality, variety, and cost of the courses served at every meal. Some of the notable dishes of this period were, for example, the Dezhou Braised Chicken – a which is a traditional cuisine that originated from Dezhou in Shangdong Province – and the Wensi Tofu – a soup dish that can be traced back to Jiangsu cuisine.

With how much of its legacy managed to endure until today, Chinese imperial cuisine cannot be dismissed as a minute and irrelevant element of the country’s history. In reality, besides reflecting the dedication, effort, and ingenuity of all the preparers, servers, and inventive common people, Chinese imperial cuisine is also an integral part of all Chinese people's cultural heritage.

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Sources:

http://www.cits.net/china-travel-guide/imperial-cuisine-museum-of-china.html
http://www.china.org.cn/english/imperial/25995.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/english/imperial/26109.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/english/imperial/26110.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/english/imperial/26112.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Imperial_cuisine
http://gbtimes.com/life/forbidden-city-how-did-emperor-eat
https://www.quora.com/What-dishes-best-represent-Chinas-history-and-culture

5 Most Feared Emperors in Chinese History

In ancient China, the emperor is believed to be the “son of heaven,” and he theoretically held supreme and absolute power to rule over the entire nation. Over its five thousand years of history, China has witnessed the rise and fall of dozens of dynasties and hundreds of emperors. A number of these emperors have gained renown for being feared by their enemies and even their own people, either for their intelligence and brilliant abilities as leaders or for their ineptitude as well as the madness and terror that reigned during their rule.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER VIDEO

1. Emperor Shi Huangdi of the Qin Dynasty

Emperor Shi Huangdi is not only the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, he also created the first unified Chinese empire in 221 BC. As the first emperor of Qin, his legacy is in the establishment of a strengthened and centralized government, which he accomplished partly by taking away the properties of his feudal lords. He was also a strong follower of Legalism – a philosophy that regards people as individuals who are inherently evil and undisciplined – and so, Qin Shi Huang was not tolerant of dissent of any kind. In fact, he had books about Daoist, Confucian philosophies and other non-Legalist books seized and set on fire in 213 B.C. and had about 460 non-Legalists buried alive a year after that.

While he is considered to be a talented politician and a military genius, Shi Huangdi held no sentimental feelings for his people and was only concerned with maintaining a strong and unified China at the time of his reign. In his campaign for the unification of China, he resorted to massacring, enslaving and exiling royal members of rival states. He was also not above executing his own high-ranking officials and generals.

During his reign, he ordered the construction of a great wall – which is considered to be a prequel to today's Great Wall of China – and a massive mausoleum which contained 6,000 life-size terra-cotta soldier statues. Many workers who built the wall died in the process, while those who built the mausoleum were killed to keep its secrets.  

2. Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty

Emperor Yang Guang was the second emperor of the Sui Dynasty and most agree he rose to power by cunningly framing his older brother Yong. So their father, Emperor Wen, appointed Yang Guang as crown prince instead. People believe Yang even killed his father to seize the throne and as the new emperor even took his father’s favorite concubines.

Yang went down in history as one of the worst most self-indulgent tyrants in ancient Chinese history. While there were some achievements during his rule, his abuse of power damaged the nation causing his people to suffer. For example, he imposed very heavy taxes to finish huge expensive construction projects like the Grand Canal, rebuilding the Great Wall, and redesigning the eastern capital of Luoyang. He also initiated a series of wars to subdue Goguryeo – one of the three old kingdoms that once ruled in the land of Korea – but each attempt ended in failure.

Emperor Yang also indulged in a very raunchy lifestyle with his concubines and embarked on extravagant tours of his empire. Eventually, people could no longer tolerate his rule or accept him as their emperor leading to one uprising after another. Then in 618, Emperor Yang hung himself in Jiangdu after the coup by his general, Yuwen Huaji.

3. Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty

Empress Wu Zetian is recognized as the one true Empress in Chinese history and for one of its most talented rulers. Starting as a 14-year-old junior concubine, Wu rose through the ranks and eventually established herself as the Empress of China. People have varying views regarding Wu Zetian’s reign. To some, she was an autocrat, who ruthlessly disposed of people standing her way to gain and keep her power. To others, she was simply doing what she had to do as an ambitious individual and as the determined leader of an empire. She acted the same as male emperors during that time. Although many of her actions were demonized, experts also note how she effectively ruled China during one of its more peaceful and thriving periods.

Of course, her achievements as an effective leader do not discount the fact that she did ruthlessly eliminate her opponents by dismissing, exiling, or executing them. And in some cases, some she brought to their knees were her own family members. One particular victim to Wu Zetian’s maneuvers was Emperor Kao Tsung's wife, Empress Wang. She accused Empress Wang of murdering her newborn daughter and Wu eventually replaced Empress Wang becoming Empress Wu Zetian.

Wu Zetian’s brutal tactics and talent for governance as a ruling empress instilled fear in China’s neighboring nations, especially since the military leaders she handpicked successfully took control over large parts of the Korean peninsula.

4. Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty

The Emperor Hongwu was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which ruled all of China for almost three centuries. The emperor was born to a poor farming peasant family. He eventually rose through the ranks of a rebel army and emerged as the supreme leader of the rebels that sought to overthrow the Mongol or Yuan Dynasty. In January 1368, he proclaimed himself to be the emperor of the new Ming Dynasty with the primary objective of pushing the Mongols out of Chinese territory and restoring Han Chinese leadership in China. Soon after, people in many areas began rejecting everything Mongolian.

However, Emperor Hongwu held a grudge for the gentry class since his humble origins as a peasant farmer leading to a growing distrust of his ministers and generals. He demanded everyone obey his rules and, to consolidate his control over different government departments, he killed many "unqualified" officials in infamous purges. In one instance, he gave an order for extermination that massacred intellectuals, district officials, and nobility throughout the entire country. These repeated and increased in scale, assuring his absolute power as emperor.

As time went on, Emperor Hongwu grew suspicious of rebellions and coups from people mocking his poor background. Thus, he even executed his close advisers.

5. The Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty

The Emperor Kangxi reigned for 61 years, making him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history and the world. He is also considered to be among China’s greatest emperors, having brought long-term stability and wealth to the nation after years of war and chaos.

While he was a benevolent and wise leader that brought economic and cultural growth to the empire and its citizens, the Kangxi Emperor’s military tactics instilled fear in the hearts of his enemies and the empire’s neighboring nations. The leadership of the emperor successfully suppressed the Revolt of the Three Feudatories and forced the Taiwan Tungning Kingdom and Northern Mongol rebels to submit to Qing Empire rule. Emperor Kangxi faced Russian threats advancing from the north, and after a series of border conflicts along the Amur River region, the Qing Empire triumphed gaining control of the area. His leadership and genius also guaranteed the success of the empire’s invasion of Tibet.

The Kangxi Emperor also set strict military rules to be faithfully obeyed. According to this traditional military system, commanders and foot soldiers who returned from battle alone were put to death. This policy was strictly observed to motivate soldiers and commanders to fight together in battle fearlessly as one body.

The examples of Chinese emperors we discussed in this video were not just puppet leaders in their entire reign. These emperors from China were feared at some point - if not the entire duration – of their reign because they held an almost unlimited power that allowed them to freely make fate-changing decisions on the lives nobles, common people, and enemies. While the manner in which they exercised their power was not always for nor always lead to the betterment of the nation, they left a resounding impact through the Chinese empire and permanent mark in our global history.

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Sources:

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