Project Paper-Comparative Essay

Posted: March 27th, 2020

Project Paper-Comparative Essay

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Project Paper-Comparative Essay

Tang Empress Wu Zetian, ruled China around 690-705AD and Cleopatra ruled Egypt from around 51-31BC. The women became leaders at different times in history, and they were from diverse cultures. However, they share many similarities in their leadership, which they had to overcome to maintain their sovereign authority. They had to take stringent measures to deal with internal strife, which included facing their relatives and those who were close to them. Both Cleopatra and Wu had to make tough decisions in the beginning and development of their rule, and they had to deal with opposition from the status quo and overcome the challenges of leading in respect to their gender.

Both leaders had to deal with traditions that limited them because of their gender. The women ruled in a time when women leadership was hardly recognized, and they had to hide behind the men in their lives. Initially, Cleopatra had to use her brother for her to claim leadership. The strategy was even though her brother was eight years younger than her and only a child when she became a leader (Mark, 2014). On her end, Empress Wu had to claim leadership behind her husband’s name. She had to force her way to command officially, after making all the decisions regarding the country during her husband’s reign. The women were both determined, and they made decisions without consulting these men irrespective of what the traditions dictated.

Cleopatra and Wu had to deal with opposition from the courts and administrators who had been used to the status quo. They had to be firm to overcome this opposition and to instill their authority. Both leaders learned how to make decisions and act upon them even without consulting the court officials. The women were not afraid to make tough decisions that, during their time, involved exiling and executing people, including those who were close to them (Mark, 2014; Mark, 2016). Cleopatra was responsible for the death of her half-sister while Wu expelled her people and commanded the execution of others.

The women understood the strategies to use to get the right people on their side and to lead effectively. Cleopatra was unlike other leaders because she learned different languages, thereby ensuring that she was not limited diplomatically when dealing with people from other nations. Although she was of Greek and Macedonian heritage, she learned the Egyptian language as well as the languages of other people in the region, and this led to better relations with the people (Mark, 2014). On her end, Wu understood the importance of getting the right people to support her cause. In addition, she used spies to gain intelligence, and she interacted with the people. Doing this enabled her to know the problems the people were experiencing. Sometimes, nations find it necessary to engage in wars for different reasons. The women understood this, and they were willing to use this approach. Engaging in war was not only essential for survival, but it ensured that the Wu and Cleopatra expanded their nation’s territories as well. In addition, the leaders held their kingdoms together.

Cleopatra is recognized for her intellect and charm. She was able to get along with many leaders and other people. She was also feared and respected because she was a female pharaoh, and she was the last pharaoh in Egypt. However, Wu had visible and tangible accomplishments during her reign. She changed the form of government, established an intelligence-gathering system, reduced government spending, enhanced efficiency in the government, and ensured that the leaders worked for the people. Moreover, she disregarded status and social connections when making appointments, but instead chose to appoint people based on merit. She looked for individuals with intelligence, and who were dedicated to her and their work (Mark, 2016). By doing this, she recognized her humble beginnings, and she appreciated the fact that people are capable of performance irrespective of their backgrounds. Wu reduced bureaucracy during her time, and the people felt closer to the government. She gave the people a voice since they could suggest and make complaints directly to the government without going through many officials. Cleopatra could never relate to the people in the same capacity. This was because of the different approaches to governance during her time and in her culture. At the same time, she had been brought up in loyalty, and she might have been less aware of the challenges that the people had.

The women were different in their upbringing. Cleopatra had been born in loyalty, and she lived the same lifestyle until her death. She associated with people of high esteem, and her life was full of luxury. On the other hand, Wu started as a concubine, and she took every opportunity she had to rise to the top. While leadership and greatness were foreseeable for Cleopatra because of her upbringing, Wu had to work her way to the top, as she had started as a concubine. She ended up holding a position of which she could only dream. However, in the end, both women experienced similar challenges, and they realized that they had to make tough and hard decisions to maintain their rule.

References

Mark, E. (2016). Empress Wu Zetien. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Wu_Zetian/

Mark, J. J. (2014). Cleopatra VII. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Cleopatra_VII/