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Wu Zhou
Chinese imperial dynasty (690–705) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about an interregnal period of the Tang dynasty. For other dynasties named Zhou, see Zhou (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Wu Zhu.
Zhou, known in historiography as the Wu Zhou (Chinese: 武周), was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty that existed between 690 and 705. The dynasty consisted of the reign of one empress regnant, Wu Zhao (Wu Zetian), who usurped the throne of her son, the Emperor Ruizong of Tang, in 690. The dynasty lasted until another one of Wu Zhao's son, the Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, was restored to the throne in the Shenlong Coup in 705, marking the restoration of the Tang dynasty. Historians generally regard the Wu Zhou as an interregnum of the Tang dynasty.
Quick Facts Zhou周, Status ...
Zhou 周 | |||||||||||||
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690–705 | |||||||||||||
![]() Wu Zhou, c. 700 | |||||||||||||
Status | Empire | ||||||||||||
Capital | Shendu (Luoyang) | ||||||||||||
Common languages | Chinese | ||||||||||||
Religion | Buddhism (state religion), Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion | ||||||||||||
Government | Absolute hereditary monarchy | ||||||||||||
Emperor of China | |||||||||||||
• 690–705 | Wu Zetian | ||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||
• Established by Wu Zetian | 17 October[1] 690 | ||||||||||||
21 February[2] 705 | |||||||||||||
Currency | Chinese coin, Chinese cash | ||||||||||||
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Wu named her dynasty after the ancient Zhou dynasty, from whom she believed herself to be descended.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Wu_Zetian_%E5%94%90%E5%BE%8C%E8%A1%8C%E5%BE%9E%E5%9C%962.png/640px-Wu_Zetian_%E5%94%90%E5%BE%8C%E8%A1%8C%E5%BE%9E%E5%9C%962.png)