Top 5 Greatest Statesmen/Emperor/King/Queen/President in History
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Huayna Capac357
Deity
If you want to have an example of an important and independent female ruler, what about Wu Zetian. She not only was basically the ruler the whole time Gaozong was "emperor" after 665, she deemed her son incompetent and took the crown herself for 15 years. She expanded your religion, Buddhism,'s standing in China, and ordered the conquering of Korea and the northwest, bringing the Tang Dynasty to its largest size. She also expanded the bureaucracy started by Tang Taizong.
(picture this but plus Korea, and you have the Tang Dynasty at its greatest extent, in 668)
Remind me what evidence you came up with, again?
LightSpectra
me autem minui
Well it's great to know you're not going to argue with yourself like a schizophrenic, but that doesn't do much for your case.
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Huayna Capac357
Deity
Please enlighten us (meaning me).
Late eighth-century Byzantine "Emperor" - a title used because "Empress" was actually a fairly well-defined office in the Byzantine state, as opposed to "Emperors" who did the job of ruling - who revamped the bureaucracy, ended that stupid iconoclastic controversy (the first time), and successfully conquered large amounts of territory in Thrace, providing both a greater amount of agriculturally productive territory for the Empire and a larger buffer zone against the Bulgars.
My generally high impression of her tends to come from Treadgold, Byzantine Revival, Herrin, Women in Purple, and James, Empresses and Power, if any of that helps you at all.
My generally high impression of her tends to come from Treadgold, Byzantine Revival, Herrin, Women in Purple, and James, Empresses and Power, if any of that helps you at all.
Ajidica
High Quality Person
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Doesn't Norwich have a mediocre opinion of her though? He basicaly asserts that the conquest of Thrace was inevitable and she wasted too much time with Iconoclasm only to have it flare up a decade or two later. (It was another Leo, right?)
However, she does make for excellent alt-hist, what with her possible marriage to Charlemagne.
However, she does make for excellent alt-hist, what with her possible marriage to Charlemagne.
Norwich sucks. 
But seriously, the conquest of Thrace was hardly inevitable. If Konstantinos V couldn't do it (and if the Byzantines would lose some of that territory a few decades on), well...plus, it was important that she didn't just have it converted into a military frontier, and actually attempted to engineer some economic growth and settlement in the region. This wasn't some pissant fortress-war like what Konstantinos and Leon were doing with Kamachon. Also, it was hardly her fault that iconoclasm started up again.
That's also not a particularly good althist (arguably neither one of them was seriously interested); a better imperial marriage one is Zoe to Otto III. Less for the diplomatic implications than for the wonderful, wonderful effect of getting Zoe out of the Empire.
But seriously, the conquest of Thrace was hardly inevitable. If Konstantinos V couldn't do it (and if the Byzantines would lose some of that territory a few decades on), well...plus, it was important that she didn't just have it converted into a military frontier, and actually attempted to engineer some economic growth and settlement in the region. This wasn't some pissant fortress-war like what Konstantinos and Leon were doing with Kamachon. Also, it was hardly her fault that iconoclasm started up again. That's also not a particularly good althist (arguably neither one of them was seriously interested); a better imperial marriage one is Zoe to Otto III. Less for the diplomatic implications than for the wonderful, wonderful effect of getting Zoe out of the Empire.
hewhoknowsall
Warlord
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From a moral and progressive standpoint:
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Federick(sp?)
Saladin
Cyrus (or am I wrong with this one?)
etc.
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Federick(sp?)
Saladin
Cyrus (or am I wrong with this one?)
etc.
if we want to recognize a great stateswoman how about Cleopatra. Egypt's position was becoming quite untenable, but she somehow turned Caesar's visit into a bid for regional empire with Mark Antony. even if she failed spectalularly
LightSpectra
me autem minui
If you want to be gender-inclusive, even within the realms of ancient Egypt, you find Hatchesput, far more deserving of a spot than Cleopatra.
not Octavian's loose lipped gossip campaign, but simply from Mark Antony's own actions and inactions. I don't really blame Cleopatra, more so Antony's fascination with her.
For a real Femme Fatale, how about Theophano ?
well no if you'd rather not.
There was also the mysterious death of Romanos before him.
Tzimiskes turned out to be every bit as good a general as Nikephoras, whose success he attributed to his own leadership. What I found interesting was that after doing it, John had to choose between her and the throne. He chose the throne obviously, and another bride; Theophano was sent off into exile. But he must have had a soft spot for her, because sometime later Theophano was granted a personal audience, whereupon she unleashed a torrent of abuse at him, physically assaulted the chamberlain, and denounced her son (future Basil II) as a bastard. Somehow she escaped prosecution for all her adventures and may have been invited back to court by Basil II in his reign, having survived all three of her royal consorts.
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
In no particular order
Bismarck, Napoleon, Stalin, Catherine II, Ashoka.
I'm not particularly good at history but that's all I've got. >_>
Bismarck, Napoleon, Stalin, Catherine II, Ashoka.
I'm not particularly good at history but that's all I've got. >_>
