In 690 AD, the first year of Tianshou, Wu Zetian proclaimed himself emperor, made Luoyang the capital, and changed the name of the country to Zhou. Wu Zetian was the first recognized female emperor in history and the only one in history. The reason why Wu Zetian was able to repla

In 690 AD, the first year of Tianshou, Wu Zetian proclaimed himself emperor, made his capital Luoyang, and changed the country's name to Zhou. Wu Zetian was the first recognized female emperor in history and the only one in history. The reason why Wu Zetian was able to replace Li Tang was partly due to chance and coincidence, but mostly it was a reflection of her personal abilities.

Wu Zetian's life is very legendary. She was first favored by Tang Taizong Li Shimin , and then entered Ganye Temple as a nun. If she hadn't had a relationship with Tang Gaozong Li Zhi, she might have always been there. He became a monk in Ganye Temple. Wu Zetian was brought back to the harem by Li Zhi, and with superb emotional intelligence and means, she defeated the king and queen and Xiao Shufei , and became the queen.

In 660 AD, Li Zhi suffered from a stroke and became dizzy and unable to handle government affairs, so he asked Wu Zetian to handle it on his behalf. From then on, Wu Zetian was unstoppable and showed strong political ability . During this period, Wu Zetian used the power in her hands to win over many ministers and establish her own political power to compete with the Li and Tang royal families.

One of the most important moves was to move the capital to Luoyang. In fact, Wu Zetian had already begun preparations for moving the capital to Luoyang before she became emperor. So why did Wu Zetian insist on moving the capital to Luoyang? There were several very key political reasons for this. If the capital was not moved to Luoyang, it would be difficult for her to secure her throne.

Get rid of the influence of the Li Tang royal family

From the establishment of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan to the Tang Dynasty to the period of Wu Zetian, more than sixty years have passed. The Li Tang royal family is deeply rooted in Chang'an . If Wu Zetian did not start anew, even if she became emperor, she would not be able to get rid of the influence of the Li and Tang royal families.

Power confrontation, with constraints everywhere, will not only make the throne unstable, but will also further consume the national power of Datang . After moving the capital to Luoyang, she could get rid of the influence of the Li Tang royal family and establish a new political system. For her rule, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

Promote economic development

Under the circumstances at that time, Luoyang's economic conditions were definitely higher than Chang'an. During the Han Dynasty, the agricultural economy in Chang'an was relatively developed. However, after the Han Dynasty, as the capital of Chang'an, the population doubled and the ruling institutions were bloated. The land suitable for farming in the Guanzhong area has become less and less, so food supply has become a necessity for the ruling class. important issues to consider.

So what are Luoyang’s advantages? In fact, since the Sui Dynasty, Luoyang has become the hub of transportation between the north and the south. In order to better reserve grains, many granaries were built in Luoyang during the Sui Dynasty, such as Luokou Granary, Huiluo Granary, Ziluo Granary, etc. With its convenient transportation, Luoyang naturally became the concentration center of supplies for the Sui Dynasty, which also solved the problem of insufficient food supply.

Advantages of geographical location

In fact, as early as the period of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Guang had already realized that Chang'an, as the capital, had gradually lost its role in controlling the world because Chang'an was located in the west. Starting from the Sui Dynasty, the political center and economic center of gravity at that time began to shift to the eastern region.

If you want good control, the only way is to move the capital closer to the east. This is the main reason why Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty spared no effort to build the eastern capital Luoyang. Wu Zetian's political vision was so unique, how could she not see the connection? Therefore, her ideas and strategies are basically consistent with those of Emperor Sui Yang.

Furthermore, Luoyang has the Yellow River and Mang Mountain as barriers. It has the danger of Yique in the south, controls Weihan in the west, strangles Hulao in the east, and has the Yiluo Plain in the middle. It controls three rivers and is solidly surrounded by four fortresses. These The natural barrier can protect Luoyang very well.

Objectively speaking, Wu Zetian’s road to the throne was full of ruthlessness and bloodshed, but her achievements cannot be easily wiped out. She developed the imperial examinations, reemployed poor families, reduced taxes economically, and stabilized the frontiers militarily. She can be called a great leader. Excellent female emperor. Moving the capital to Luoyang particularly demonstrated his outstanding political vision and ability.