#33: The First Female Military Leader
According to historians, Fu Hao might be the first woman to serve as a military leader. Fu Hao lived in China during the Shang dynasty and is believed to have passed away around 1200 BCE. Very little historical information about Fu Hao has survived, but historians have learned a bit about her through her elaborate tomb and burial site.

It is believed that Fu Hao was one of King Wu Ding’s wives and rose up through the ranks of the royal household. Based on evidence found in her tomb, it appears that Fu Hao was a priestess, owned her own land, and may have served as a secondary queen. The presence of weapons and engraved oracle bones provide evidence that Fu Hao was probably in charge of several military campaigns during her life.