Most Powerful Women Around

Despite some of the barriers women faced in past eras, many notable figures still secured immense power and left a massive mark on the world. From the most powerful rulers to masterminds in their own rights, here are 20 of the most influential women in history.

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1. Theodora

The empress of the Byzantine Empire lived from 500 to 548 CE. She was born in Constantinople and worked as an actress and courtesan before catching the eye of Emperor Justinian I. Once she married him and gained power, she advocated for women’s rights, including divorce protections and anti-trafficking laws.

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2. Wu Zetian

She lived in Shanxi, China from 624 to 705 CE and was the only woman to rule China as an emperor during the Tang dynasty. With her power, she expanded the empire, reformed bureaucracy, and was both admired and feared.

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3. Isabella I of Castile

Born in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Isabella lived from 1451 to 1504. She unified Spain after marrying Ferdinand of Aragon and was even one of the sponsors behind Christopher Columbus’s famous voyage. In addition to this, she stood out as a ruler as she led the Spanish Inquisition.

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4. Tamar of Georgia

Tamar lived from 1160 to 1213 and was the first woman to rule Georgia in her own right. Known as King Tamar, she was responsible for Georgia’s golden age noted for its cultural flourishing and military victories. Her diplomatic nature even allowed for the flourishing of religious tolerance.

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5. Yaa Asantewaa

Born in Besease in the Ashanti Empire, Yaa lived from 1840 to 1921, making her relatively recent compared to others. She was the queen mother and even took on duties of a military leader in the 1900 War of the Golden Stool where she fought British colonial rule.

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6. Maria Theresa

Maria was born in Vienna, Austria and lived from 1717 to 1780. She was not only the mother of Marie Antoinette, but was the first woman to rule the Habsburg dominions. This earned her the title of Holy Roman Empress, and she is best known for military reform and stronger education implementation.

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7. Eleanor of Aquitaine

Born in Aquitaine, France, Eleanor lived from 1122 to 1204. She had a stint both as queen of France and queen of England due to her marriages, and was a powerful political figure during the Crusades. She would also be the mother of impressive historical figures including Richard the Lionheart and King John.

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8. Indira Gandhi

With no relation to the other Gandhi as it is a common name, Indira was born in Allahabad, India and was the very first female Prime Minister. She served as Prime Minister of India twice, from 1966 to 1977, then again from 1980 to 1984. Through her rule, she centralized power and combatted against Pakistan.

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9. Cleopatra

Certainly one of the most famous female rulers to ever exist, Cleopatra was born in Alexandria, Egypt and was the last Ptolemaic ruler in Egypt. She was famous for her romantic alliances with other notable figures, but in essence, she was a skilled diplomat with political savvy and a sharp mind.

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10. Agrippina the Younger

Born in Cologne, which is now modern-day Germany, Agrippina was the mother of Emperor Nero. As such, she used her say in Roman politics to orchestrate terrible events in order to maintain power. She would even go on to harm her own son.

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11. Catherine the Great

Catherine was born in Stettin, Prussia and lived from 1729 to 1796. She conducted a coup against her husband Peter III to seize power, and would bring in an era of enlightenment, arts, and modernized governance.

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12. Lady K’abel

Born in the Maya Kingdom in the 7th century, Lady K’abel is known as a powerful military ruler and supreme warlord. She apparently ruled the Wak Kingdom and is one of the Maya queens known for her militant power.

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13. Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II only passed recently in 2022, but reigned over the United Kingdom longer than any other British monarch at 70 years. She oversaw decolonization and modernized the monarchy, and was best known for the stability of her era.

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14. Empress Dowager Cixi

Born in Beijing, China, Cixi lived from 1835 to 1908 and received criticism for conservatism. Despite this, she worked her way from a courtesan to the ruler of the Qing dynasty, and would go on to maintain her power through court manipulations.

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15. Hatshepsut

Considered one of the most successful female pharaohs, later rulers would try to hide the existence of this powerful queen. She ruled Egypt for 20 years, and in her time, built monumental architectures and even wore a fake beard to solidify her standing as a valid ruler.

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16. Golda Meir

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Golda lived from 1898 to 1978 and was the first female Prime Minister of Israel. She was known as the Iron Lady when it came to Israeli politics and was integral during the Yom Kippur War.

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17. Nzinga of Ndongo & Matamba

Considered the mother of Angola, Nzinga lived from 1583 to 1663 and was a ruler who resisted Portuguese colonization. She drew on both diplomacy and warfare to protect her people, and was known best for her strategic thinking.

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18. Margaret Thatcher

Another relatively recent figure, Margaret was born in England and lived from 1925 to 2013. She was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and was known to advance economic and privatization policies.

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19. Amanirenas

Amanirenas lived from 40 BCE to 10 BCE and was known as the Queen of Kush. She protected Nubia against the Roman invasion and masterminded resistances, eventually negotiating peace with Augustus after years of warfare.

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20. Zenobia

Born in Palmyra, Syria, Zenobia lived from 240 CE to 275 CE and ruled the Palmyrene Empire. Using her authority, she would even challenge Rome and conquered Egypt and certain territories before eventually being defeated by Emperor Aurelian. Regardless, she goes down in history as an ambitious and intelligent ruler.

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