A Companion to Global Queenship (Arc Companions)

This collection brings together case studies of premodern queenship in a truly global context, ranging from seventh century China to nineteenth century New Zealand and featuring examples from across Africa, Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Europe. It highlights the central spot that women occupied at the heart of the realm and shows show that whether we name them "queen" or "empress" or "malika" or "rangatira" there is always a vitally important place for women in the core mechanism of monarchy. Placing Queenship Into A Global Context / Elena Woodacre -- When The Emperor Is A Woman : The Case Of Wu Zetian (624-705), The Emulator Of Heaven / Elisabetta Colla -- Tamar Of Georgia (1184-1213) And The Language Of Female Power / Lois Huneycutt -- Regnant Queenship And Royal Marriage Between The Latin Kingdom Of Jerusalem And The Nobility Of Western Europe / Hayley Bassett -- Queenship And Female Authority In The Sultanate Of Delhi (1206-1526) / Jyoti Phulera -- Anna Jagiellon : A Female Political Figure In The Early Modern Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth / Katarzyna Kosior -- Female Rule In Imperial Russia : Is Gender A Useful Category Of Historical Analysis? / Orel Beilinson -- The Transformation Of An Island Queen : Queen Béti Of Madagascar / Jane Hooper -- Female Rangatira In Aotearoa New Zealand / Aidan Norrie -- The Social-political Roles Of The Princess In Kyivan Rusʹ Ca. 945-1240 / Talia Zajac -- Impressions Of Welsh Queenship In The Twelfth And Thirteenth Centuries / Danna R. Messer -- Queen Zaynab Al-nafzawiyya And The Building Of A Mediterranean Empire In The Eleventh-century Maghreb / Inês Lourinho -- Ai-dalfa' And The Political Role Of The Umm Ai-walad In The Late Umayyad Caliphate Of Ai-andalus / Ana Miranda -- The Khitan Empress Dowagers Yingtian And Chengtian In Liao China, 907-1125 / Hang Lin -- Dowager Queens And Royal Succession In Premodern Korea / Seokyung Han -- The Ambiguities Of Female Rule In Nayaka South India, Seventeenth To Eighteenth Centuries / Lennart Bes -- Helena's Heirs : Two Eighth-century Queens / Stefany Wragg -- The Hohenstaufen Women And The Differences Between Aragonese And Greek Queenship Models / Lledó Ruiz Domingo -- The Honourble Ladies Of Nasrid Granada : Female Power And Agency In The Alhambra (1400-1450) / Ana Echevarría And Roser Salicrú I Lluch -- Comparing The French Queen Regent And The Ottoman Validé Sultan During The Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries / Reneé Langlois -- Queens And Courtesans In Japan And Early Modern France / Tracy Adams And Ian Fookes -- The Figure Of The Queen Mother In The European And African Monarchies, 1400-1800 / Diana Pelaz Flores. Edited By Elena Woodacre. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This collection brings together case studies of premodern queenship in a truly global comparative context, highlighting the vitally important place that women occupied at the heart of the realm. Cover 1 Contents 5 Untitled 8 Acknowledgements 9 Contributors 9 1. Introduction 13 2. When the Emperor Is a Woman 25 3. Tamar of Georgia (1184–1213) and the Language of Female Power 39 4. Regnant Queenship and Royal Marriage between the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Nobility of Western Europe 51 5. Queenship and Female Authority in the Sultanate of Delhi (1206–1526) 65 6. Anna Jagiellon 79 7. Female Rule in Imperial Russia 91 8. The Transformation of an Island Queen 107 9. Female Rangatira in Aotearoa New Zealand 121 10. The Social–Political Roles of the Princess in Kyivan Rus’, ca. 945–1240 137 11. Impressions of Welsh Queenship in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries 159 12. Queen Zaynab al-Nafzawiyya and the Building of a Mediterranean Empire in the Eleventh-Century Maghreb 171 13. Al-Dalfa’ and the Political Role of the umm al-walad in the Late Umayyad Caliphate of al-Andalus 183 14. The Khitan Empress Dowagers Yingtian and Chengtian in Liao China, 907–1125 195 15. Dowager Queens and Royal Succession in Premodern Korea 207 16. The Ambiguities of Female Rule in Nayaka South India, Seventeenth to Eighteenth Centuries 221 17. Helena’s Heirs 245 18. The Hohenstaufen Women and the Differences between Aragonese and Greek Queenship Models 257 19. The “Honourable Ladies” of Nasrid Granada 267 20. Comparing the French Queen Regent and the Ottoman Validé Sultan during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries 283 21. Queens and Courtesans in Japan and Early Modern France 297 22. The Figure of the Queen Mother in the European and African Monarchies, 1400–1800 311 Index 321 Queenship;,Politics;,Gender;,Power;,Agency;,Global;,Female Queenship,Politics,Gender,Power,Agency,Global,Female This collection expands previous regional and individual studies of queenship and female political agency in order to engage in a comparative study of premodern female rule on a global scale. While the field of queenship studies and examinations of gender and power have been flourishing, the literature has tended to be dominated by studies of European royalty. This volume aims toembrace and develop the trend towards an increasingly global outlook for the field of queenship studies. Case studies of women from different periods, places, and religions are deliberately mixed to compare and contrast the realities of queenship in varied settings. Lesser studied examples of queens are provided alongside fresh perspectives on more familiar figures and regions. The authors increase our understanding of understudied individuals and groups of queens, and they encourage the comparison of the practice of queenship in the premodern era. This authoritative and comprehensive Companion will be required readingfor all scholars and students of premodern gender and political studies.