A Woman’s Voice: 13 Powerful Women Rulers Everyone Should Know

A Woman’s Voice Series: Today we will talk about 13 Powerful Women Rulers Everyone Should Know. For almost all of written history, almost all times and places, men have held most of the top ruling positions.  For a variety of reasons, there have been exceptions, a few women who held great power. If you want to demonstrate basic historical literacy, you’ll want to know about at least these powerful women rulers — key queens, pharaohs, empresses, listed chronologically in the next pages, from earliest to latest..

Hatshepsut- B. Ancient Egypt – D. January 16,  1458 BC

Long before Cleopatra reigned over Egypt, another woman held the reins of power: Hatshepsut. We know her mainly through the major temple built in her honor, which her successor and stepson defaced to try to erase her reign from memory.

Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt- B. January 69 BC – D. August 30, BC

Cleopatra was the last Pharaoh of Egypt, and the last of the Ptolemy dynasty of Egyptian rulers. As she tried to keep power for her dynasty, she made famous (or infamous) connections with Roman rulers Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.

Empress Theodora-B. C. 500 AD- D. June 28, 548 AD

Theodora, empress of Byzantium from 527-548, was probably the most influential and powerful woman in the empire’s history.

Amalasuntha- B. 498 AD- D. April 30, 535 AD

A real Queen of the Goths: Amalasuntha was Regent Queen of the Ostrogoths; her murder became the rationale for Justinian’s invasion of Italy and defeat of the Goths. Unfortunately, we have only a few very biased sources for her life.

Empress Suiko-B. 554 AD- D. April 15, 628 AD

Although the legendary rulers of Japan, before written history, were said to be empresses, Suiko is the first empress in recorded history to rule Japan. During her reign, Buddhism was officially promoted, Chinese and Korean influence increased, and, according to tradition, a 17-article constitution was adopted.

Olga of Russia (Born c. 890-935. Died. 11 July 969)

A cruel and revengeful ruler as regent for her son, Olga was named the first Russian saint in the Orthodox Church, for her efforts in converting the nation to Christianity.

Eleanor of Aquitaine- B. 1122- D. April 1, 2104

Eleanor ruled Aquitaine in her own right, and occasionally served as regent when her husbands (first the King of France then the King of England) or sons (kings of England Richard and John) were out of the country. Eleanor of Aquitaine certainly had a long and interesting life!

Isabella, Queen of Castile and Aragon (Spain)- b. 22 April 1451 – d. 26 November 1504

Isabella ruled Castile and Aragon jointly with her husband, Ferdinand. She’s famous for supporting Columbus’ voyage; she’s also credited for her part in expelling the Muslims from Spain, expelling the Jews, instituting the Inquisition in Spain, insisting that theNative Americans be treated as persons, and her patronage of arts and education. 

Alexandrina Victoria was the only child of the fourth son of King George III, and when her uncle William IV died childless in 1837, she became Queen of Great Britain. She’s known for her marriage to Prince Albert, her traditional ideas on the roles of wife and mother which often conflicted with her actual exercise of power, and for her waxing and waning popularity and influence. 

Cixi (or Tz’u-hsi or Hsiao-ch’in)- B. November 29, 1835-D. November 15,1908

The last Dowager Empress of China: however you spell her name, she was one of the most powerful women in the world in her own time — or, perhaps, in all of history.