The Women Who Ruled China: Buddhism, Multiculturalism, and Governance in the Sixth Century, by Stephanie Balkwill

May combine two claims.

Empress Dowager Ling reached the highest station available to a woman, acting as regent for her son Emperor Xiaoming.

“She rose to the highest position possible for a woman, reigning as regent for her son, Emperor Xiaoming 孝明 (Yuan Xu 元詡) (r.515-28).”

May combine two claims.

Empress Dowager Ling survived a coup, was implicated in her son's murder, and replaced him on the throne with her granddaughter.

“She survived a coup and was implicated in her son's murder whom she replaced on the throne with her granddaughter.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Empress Dowager Ling is blamed for her dynasty's fall, which was accelerated by an attack on Luoyang by an angry general who also killed her.

“She is blamed for the downfall of her dynasty, hastened by an attack on Luoyang by an outraged general, who also murdered her.”

May combine two claims.

According to her official biography, Empress Dowager Ling escaped an attempt on her life and then killed her rival.

“according to her official biography she evaded an attempt on her life, only to respond in kind and murder her rival.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

Buddhist sources can correct or at least complicate the official account of events.

“Such sources can provide a corrective to, or at least problematize, the official version of events.”

May combine two claims.

Shi Sengzhi held posts in both civil and religious administrations and was called a Dharma master.

“Sengzhi held positions in both the civil and religious administrations, and perhaps uniquely for a nun in the Northern Wei, was referred to as a Dharma master (fashi 法師).”

May combine two claims.

The Wei shu biography was commissioned by the first emperor of Northern Qi and was implicated in Northern Wei's downfall and benefited from Empress Dowager Ling's murder.

“The Wei shu biography was commissioned by the first Emperor of the Northern Qi 北齊, the direct successor to the Northern Wei, and clearly involved in bringing down the latter and benefitting from the Empress Dowager's murder (76-77).”

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  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Wu Zetian used The Great Cloud Sūtra, through a commentary she commissioned, to suggest that she was a female manifestation of Maitreya.

“That Wu Zetian 武則天 (624-705) used The Great Cloud Sūtra (Da Yunjing 大雲經) to suggest (via a commentary she commissioned) that she herself was a manifestation of Maitreya, a bodhisattva in female”

May combine two claims. The quote only partly states this claim.

The Wei shu biography uses the tropes of the bad last ruler and the licentious female usurper, allowing it to abandon the usual balanced blame-and-praise approach and present Empress Dowager Ling unequivocally negatively.

“This biography employs two well-used tropes-the”

May combine two claims.

Northern Wei's relationship with Buddhism was ambivalent: most rulers supported Buddhism and sponsored building, yet they also tried to control similar non-elite Buddhist activity to prevent uprisings legitimated by Buddhism.

“The relationship the Northern Wei had with Buddhism was ambivalent; most of the rulers were enthusiastic Buddhists and sponsored building projects in support of their faith, but they simultaneously sought to control similar behaviour on a smaller scale by non-elite Buddhists for fear of fuelling the type of Buddhism that legitimated any uprising against them.”

May combine two claims.

Nuns may have reached the northern Han border as early as the third century, and by the Northern Wei many women had chosen monastic life, though legitimate ordination remains unclear.

“Nuns may have appeared at the northern border of the Han empire as early as the third century, and by the Northern Wei, many women had chosen this path (although whether and when they were legitimately ordained is not so clear).”

May combine two claims.

Wu Zhao and Empress Dowager Ling both used Han dynastic symbols and structures to legitimate their rule, even though those symbols did not provide ideological room for women to take direct power.

“There are many parallels in the lives of Wu Zhao and her less famous predecessor; both relied on Han dynastic symbols and structures to legitimate their rule despite the fact these did not provide”

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Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

Omitting Empress Dowager Ling from the story distorts the whole picture.

“Leaving the Empress Dowager out of the story distorts the entire picture”

May combine two claims.

A convincing argument throughout the book is that Empress Dowager Ling served as a model for Wu Zhao (Wu Zetian) and for Queen Seondeok of Silla, her prototype.

“A convincing argument running throughout this work is that the Empress Dowager was a model for a much more famous female Buddhist ruler, the only woman to rule China in her own right, Emperor Wu Zhao 武曌 (Wu Zetian), and her”

May combine two claims.

Shi Sengzhi was Empress Dowager Ling's aunt and the person who recommended her to the court.

“She was the Empress Dowager's aunt, and the one who recommended her to the court.”

May combine two claims.

Balkwill convincingly argues that Empress Dowager Ling may have known a version of The Great Cloud Sūtra and may have considered it when she put her granddaughter on the throne.

“Balkwill makes an innovative and convincing case that the Empress Dowager may have had access to a version of this sūtra and might have had it in mind when making the audacious (but doomed) move to place her granddaughter on the throne.”