The following is an incomplete list of women monarchs who are well known from popular writings, although many ancient and poorly documented ruling monarchs (such as those from Africa and Oceania) are omitted. Section 1 lists monarchs who ruled in their own right, such as queens regnant. Section 2 lists legendary monarchs. Section 3 lists constituent monarchs: monarchs who ruled in their own right, but had no constitutional standing or regal powers while in power. Section 4 lists various female rulers who were referred to with the title "Chieftainess." Regents, such as queens regents, are not monarchs and are not included in this page. Pretenders to thrones are also not included in this page.
Pharaonic Egypt The first verified female monarch of Egypt is Sobekneferu of the Twelfth dynasty. However, queens from earlier periods such as Neithhotep, Merneith and Khentkaus I held powerful positions and may have ruled Egypt in their own right, but the archaeological evidence is ambiguous.[2]
The title "Kabara" was used by female monarchs who ruled over the Hausa people in the Middle Ages. A line of matriarchal monarchs is recorded in the Kano Chronicle that ends with the reign of Daurama in the 9th century.[29] These queens reigned from c. 700toc. 1000.[30]
Amina – There is controversy among scholars as to the date of her reign, one school placing her in the mid-15th century, and a second placing her reign in the mid to late 16th century.
Raketaka Jombe Sudy (reigned 1842–1865 and 1874–1878) – she also ruled as regent twice, 1865–1868 and 1871–1874. After 1851 she took the name of Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane
The ModjadjiorRain Queen is the hereditary queenofLobedu, the people of the Limpopo ProvinceofSouth Africa. The succession to the position of Rain Queen is matrilineal, meaning that the Queen's eldest daughter is the heir, and that males are not entitled to inherit the throne at all. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall.
Wu Zetian (Chinese: 武則天) – Empress regnant of China, ruling from 690 to 705. She was the only orthodox reigning empress in the history of China.
Although Wu Zetian is the only undisputed empress regnant recognized in orthodox Chinese historiography, there are two other documented cases of a woman holding the title of "Empress regnant" in Chinese history:
Daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei (Chinese: 元氏 (北魏孝明帝女); reigned 1–2 April 528) – during Northern Wei Dynasty, Empress Dowager Hu, after her son Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei's death, falsely declared Emperor Xiaoming's daughter to be a son and declared the daughter to be the new ruler, but almost immediately revealed that the child was in fact female, and thereafter declared Yuan Zhao, the young son of Emperor Xiaoming's cousin Yuan Baohui (元寶暉) emperor. Emperor Xiaoming's daughter is also therefore not usually considered a true monarch.
Eastern Kingdom of Women [zh] InTibet, there was Nüguo (Chinese: 女國, lit. "Kingdom of Women"), also known as Dong nüguo (Chinese: 東女國, lit. "Eastern Kingdom of Women"), related to the tribe Sumpa.[56] Several queens regnant of there were recorded in Chinese history books.
Qudsia Begum (reigned 1819–1837) – in 1819, 18-year-old Qudsia Begum (also known as Gohar Begum) took over the reins after the assassination of her husband, Nawab Muiz Muhammad Khan Bahadur. She was the first female ruler of Bhopal. She declared that her 2-year-old daughter Sikander would follow her as the ruler; none of the male family members dared to challenge her decision. She ruled till 1837, when she died having adequately prepared her daughter for ruling the state.
Begum Sultan Shah Jehan (reigned 1844–1860 and 1868–1901) – Shahjahan was the only surviving child of Sikandar Begum, sometime Nawab of Bhopal by correct title, and her husband Jahangir Mohammed Khan. She was recognised as ruler of Bhopal in 1844 at the age of six; her mother wielded power as regent during her minority. However, in 1860, her mother Sikandar Begum was recognised by the British as ruler of Bhopal in her own right, and Shahjahan was set aside.
Damahaar (reigned before 990) – Damahaar, a Ranin (Queen) of the Aadeetta (Sun) Dynasty, is mentioned by al-Idrisi as having reigned over the Maldives at some time before the semi-legendary King Koimala; there are several other mentions by foreign travelers, mainly Arabs, of queens ruling over the Maldives at various times; these are not always named and their reigns cannot be precisely dated
Khadijah (reigned 1347–1363, 1364–1374, and 1376–1380)
Jayadevi (reigned 681–713) – during her rule, she was faulted in leadership which led the Chenla kingdom to break into two individual states, but then it record the period to be female-dominated dynasty with the wide range of female successors, totally driving the entire kingdom
Ang Mey (reigned 1835–1840 and 1844–1846) – also known as Ngọc Vân Quận chúa (Lady Ngọc Vân – Vietnamese) or Ksat Trey, she was proclaimed on the death of her father by the Vietnamese faction at court with the title of Mỹ Lâm Quận chúa (Lady Mỹ Lâm – Vietnamese). She was famous as a Vietnamese puppet queen
Queen Sisowath Kossamak (reigned 1960–1970, disputed) – After her husband King Norodom Suramarit's death, Kossamak kept her title of Queen and continued to function as the symbol and representative of the monarchy while Sihanouk assumed his position as monarch, but titled as Prince rather than King.
Nang Keo Phimpha (reigned 1438) – after her nephew Lan Kham Deng died, she seized control of Lan Xang and the next four kings were under her control. She only reigned for a few months in 1438 at the age of 95; she was then deposed and killed.
Queen of Maynila, name unknown (reigned c. 1521) – she succeeded her husband Salalila and was succeeded by her son Matanda; according to oral traditions, her name is "Ysmeria"
There were many chiefdoms on Timor, but according to the hierarchy among the Timorese domains, the ruler of Sonbai of West Timor, the ruler of Wehali of Central Timor, and the ruler of Likusaen (today: Liquiçá) of East Timor were three paramount rulers of Timor.[89]
Queen Trưng Trắc (reigned 40–43) – the Trưng sisters (Vietnamese: Hai Bà Trưng, lit. 'two ladies Trưng') were leaders who rebelled against Chinese rule for three years, and are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam. Her name is Trưng Trắc.
Anzaze (reigned 82/81–75 BC, following dates on the coins), she appears on coins together with king Kamnaskires III; they perhaps ruled together as on the coins she is called βασιλίσσης (the Genitive case of queen, βασίλισσα – basílissa)
Ulfan (reigned in the 2nd century) – she co-ruled with her husband Orodes III
Asma bint Shihab (reigned 1047–1087) – she was the co-ruler of Yemen in co-regency with her cousin and spouse, Ali al-Sulayhi, and later her son, Ahmad al-Mukkaram, and daughter-in-law, Arwa al-Sulayhi. Though there were many female monarchs in the Muslim world, Asma bint Shihab and Arwa al-Sulayhi were the only female monarchs in the Arab world to have had the khutba proclaimed in their name in the mosques as sovereigns.
Arwa al-Sulayhi (reigned 1067–1138) – she ruled Yemen firstly with her first two husbands and her mother-in-law and then as sole ruler. She was the greatest of the rulers of the Sulayhid Dynasty and was also the first woman to be accorded the prestigious title of hujjainIsma'ili branch of Shi'a Islam, signifying her as the closest living image of God's will in her lifetime.
Queen of Greater Yuezhi, name unknown (reigned in the 2nd century BC) – after the king of the Greater Yuezhi was killed by the Xiongnu, his wife became the new monarch of Greater Yuezhi[94][95]
Dynamis (reigned in 47 BC, 44–17 BC, and 16–14 BC) – she co-ruled with her first husband Asander in 47 BC and from 44 BC until 17 BC; then she co-ruled with her second husband Polemon I from 16 BC until her death
Cartimandua (reigned c. 43 AD – c. 69 AD) — queen of the Brigantes, a Celtic people in what is now Northern England; she came to power around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, and formed a large tribal agglomeration that became loyal to Rome; she is known exclusively from the work of a single Roman historian, Tacitus, though she appears to have been widely influential in early Roman Britain
Boudica (reigned c. 60 AD – c. 61 AD) — queen of the Brythonic Celtic Iceni, people of Norfolk, in Eastern Britain; in 61 AD, she led a major uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire
Seaxburh of Wessex (reigned c. 672–674) – she reigned jointly with her husband Cenwalh and, according to tradition, ruled Wessex as Queen for a year following Cenwalh's death in c. 672
Irene of Athens (reigned 797–802) – she normally referred to herself as basilissa (empress), although there are three instances of the title basileus (emperor) being used by her. From 792 she was a co-ruler.
Theodora the Armenian (reigned 842–856, disputed) - after the death of her husband she became the co-ruler of her son but in fact she ruled the empire alone; some historians regard her as an empress regnant rather than just a regent
Zoë Porphyrogenita (reigned 1028–1041 and 1042–1050) – she ruled with her consorts Romanos III and Michael IV between 1028 and 1041; she ruled with her sister Theodora and her third husband Constantine IX from 1042 to 1050
Theodora Porphyrogenita (reigned 1042–1056) – she ruled from 1042 jointly with her sister Zoe and Zoe's third husband Constantine IX; she ruled from 1055 until her own death as sole monarch.
Eudokia Makrembolitissa (reigned 1067, disputed) - after the death of her husband she became a ruler; some historians regard her as an empress regnant rather than just a regent
Charoba – A queen mentioned in a history of Egypt written by 12th-century Arab writer Murtada ibn al-'Afif.[104]
Daluka of the Soleyman Dynasty – An Antediluvian monarch from medieval Coptic and Arabic texts who supposedly built a wall around Egypt to protect the country from invasion and also was said to have built a pyramid and a nilometeratMemphis. Sometimes claimed to be a cousin of Charoba and her immediate successor.[104]
Borsa of the Soleyman Dynasty – Mentioned in medieval Coptic and Arabic texts as a ruler of Egypt in the Antediluvian era.[105] Sometimes described as a "priestess".[104]
The following names all come from a regnal list written in 1922, which is partially based on native traditions and older regnal lists, but also contains additional names of Coptic and Nubian origin, the latter due to its association with the word "Aethiopia" in ancient and Biblical texts. Claimed dates follow the Ethiopian calendar.[106]
Borsa (reigned 4321–4254 BC) – Originated from Coptic tradition.[105]
Eylouka (reigned 3776–3731 BC) – Originated from Coptic tradition.[105]
Mumazes reigned (1675–1671 BC) – Daughter of king Bonu I.[107]
Aruas (reigned 1671 BC) – Daughter of Mumazes.[106]
Helena (reigned 1358–1347 BC)
Makeda (reigned 1013–982 BC) – The Biblical queen of Sheba in Ethiopian tradition and mother of Menelik I. She succeeded to the throne after the death of her father king Kawnasya.[108]
Chen Shuozhen (reigned 653) – She led a peasant uprising in 653. During the rebellion, she declared herself huangdi. Jian Bozan recognized her as a female huangdi.[116]
Caroline, reigning queen of Easter Island (reigned 1877)[118] – after the death of Dutrou-Bornier, his widow Koreto briefly installed their daughter Caroline as Queen
^Tyldesley, Joyce. Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt. pp. 26–29, 33–34, 52–53.
^Schneider, Thomas (2006). "The Relative Chronology of the Middle Kingdom and the Hyksos Period (Dyns. 12-17)". In Hornung, Erik; Krauss, Rolf; Warburton, David (eds.). Ancient Egyptian Chronology. Leiden: Brill. p. 174. ISBN978-90-04-11385-5.
^Hornung, E.; Krauss, R.; Warburton, D. A., eds. (2006). Ancient Egyptian Chronology. Leiden: Brill. p. 492. ISBN9789047404002.
^Bennett, Chris. "Arsinoe II". Egyptian Royal Genealogy.
^Kuckertz, Josefine (2021). "Meroe and Egypt". UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology: 6.
^Adam Simmons, 'A Short Note on Queen Gaua: A New Last Known Ruler of Dotawo (r. around 1520-6)?', Dotawo: A Journal of Nubian Studies (2023), doi:10.5070/D60060625.
^Duquette, Danielle Gallois (1983). Dynamique de l'art bidjogo (Guinée-Bissau): contribution à une anthropologie de l'art des sociétés africaines (in French). Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical. p. 71. Bernatzik, durant son voyage, entendait vanter le reine Idiana Ibop qui avait succédé à son mari, jusqu'à sa mort trois saisons des piuies auparavant, tellement elle s'était imposée à Canhabaque par son intelligence et sa bonté
^Association of the Buddha Jayanti (1959). Japan and Buddhism. Tokyo News Service. p. 23.
^Yoshie, Akiko; Tonomura, Hitomi; Takata, Azumi Ann «Gendered Interpretations of Female Rule: The Case of Himiko, Ruler of Yamatai». US-Japan Women's Journal, 44, 1, 2013, pàg. 13. DOI: 10.1353/jwj.2013.0009.
^James George Scott; John Percy Hardiman (1901). Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States, Part 2, Volume 2. p. 6. Hkun Hkawt, a brother of Hkun Lek, was appointed Sawbwa, but died in four years. In 1228 B.E. (1866), therefore, his youngest sister, one of the Queens, was appointed to the charge of Lai Hka with the title of Myoza. She appointed myooks and myo-teins to govern the State for her. This continued for two years and then the former Sawbwa, Hkun Mawng, now become a youth, was appointed to the State.
^Mair, Victor H., ed. (1998). The Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Peoples of Eastern Central Asia. Vol. 2. The Institute for the Study of Man in collaboration with The University of Pennsylvania Museum Publications. p. 777. ISBN978-0-941694-63-6. Among the Greater Yuezhi it appears that a lady was appointed to be the ruling queen on at least one occasion. "Zhang Qian zhuan" 張騫傳 (Biography of Zhang Qian) in the History of the Han records that after the king of the Greater Yuezhi was killed by the Xiongnu, his wife was appointed to be the queen.
