• Empress Wu, Taiping Princess, and Empress Wei had control for more than half a century
  • Tang as age of female prominence arises in large part due to this
• Princesses helped seal political alliances through giving them in marriage
• Relative autonomy of Tang women is demonstrated in manuals of female conduct
• While Tang was time of freedom and power for elite women, others became economic commodities
• Distinguishing wives from concubines was important both to marriage and social hierarchy