Sunday, January 19, 2014

China Power-Hungry Empress



China Power-Hungry Empress

              The dowager Cixi (Tsoo-Shee) never ruled in China but she had great power at the end of the 19th century.  She was a lesser concubine of the Emperor Xianfeng and gained stature as the mother of his first son.  In 1861 the emperor died; her son was 5 years old and Cixi became one of the regents for the young emperor.

Her power was ruthless; she declared her enemies traitors. Another regent, Su Shun was beheaded in the public market.  The Taiping Rebellion in 1864 was crushed with 100,000 rebels slain.  

In 1873 Cixi’s son turned 17 and she was no longer regent. The young emperor died 2 years later.  One of his wives was pregnant but died.   Cixi adopted her nephew, 4 years old, and again ruled as his regent.

In 1889 she retired again.  Her nephew wanted reforms, but in 1898 army officers forced him to give up power.  They named Cixi regent again.  Europeans made the Chinese sign a treaty giving up many rights.  Many people blamed her for Europeans (and the Americans) invading China.  The ruling family fled and the Cixi forces were powerless.

Cixi died in 1908 after she named a new emperor to the throne.  He was the last emperor of China; he ruled only until 1912. 

The only other woman in this reference book of “Merciless Monarchs and Ruthless Royalty” by Miriam Aronin, 2013, (p. 24-27) is Bloody Mary who reigned from 1553 to 1558 in England.  She restored Catholicism, burned at the stake about 300 Protestants and was succeeded by Elizabeth I.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Misogyny and the Churches



Misogyny and the Churches

“The Subversion of Women as Practiced by Churches, Witch-hunters, and other Sexists” by Nancy van Vuuren, 1973, tells the story of misogamy from the beginning of Christian power and continuing in Catholic Reformation periods.  She continues the story in witchcraft and discussion of marriage laws and practices.  Non-Catholic religious groups have been late in providing women with ministerial possibilities.

It is a very sad story, and also are the traits which women have developed to survive in this climate.  They include withdrawal and passivity, self-hate, sympathy with all victims, slyness and cunning, aggression and revolt, obsessive concern and suspicion. (p. 25-26).  The misogynists have used these coping mechanisms to further oppress.  The author writes that woman “can only be a slave or a despot – never a companion.”  Only two types of women are praised in the church. The first are nuns who have to be silent because they are cloistered.  The second are the women who produce numerous children.

She includes the full text of Pope Innocent VIII’s full bull appointing as inquisitors from which there is no escape from Henry Kramer and James Sprenger in December 9, 1484.  This statement permitted the more than 300 years of church approved terror.   Women are signaled out for witchcraft because they are “feebler in both mind and body;” they are insatiably carnal, and more ready to be impressed by the devil. On these qualities thousands and thousands of the accused women died.
She equates most marriages with prostitution.  She finds very few couples are truly equal, which she feels is a requirement for marriage.

This book was published when the fight for ERA was still unknown; ratification of ERA was needed as a boon for equality. Other goals for society must include equal pay, women should be 50% of appointments at all government levels, 50% of political candidates for all elected offices.