Alex Peek blog

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

List of Chinese political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Chinese political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 28 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Yu the Great

"...legendary king in ancient China... establishment of the Xia dynasty... successfully devised a system of flood controls that were crucial in establishing the prosperity of the Chinese heartland." (Wikipedia: Yu the Great,1.28.26 UTC 09:33)

Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC)

"...founder of the Qin dynasty... By 221 BC, he had conquered all the other warring states and unified all of China... greatly expanded the size of the Chinese state..." (Wikipedia: Qin Shi Huang, 2.6.26 UTC 04:35)

Emperor Gaozu of Han (c. 256 - 195 BC)

"...founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty... renounced his civil service position and became a rebel leader, taking up arms against the Qin dynasty... following the Battle of Gaixia, took control over much of the territory previously ruled by Qin..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Gaozu of Han, 2.10.26 UTC 04:56)

Emperor Wu of Han (156 - 87 BC)

"...reign resulted in a vast expansion of geopolitical influence... promotion of a hybrid Legalist-Confucian doctrine... successfully repelled the nomadic Xiongnu from systematically raiding northern China..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Wu of Han, 1.8.26 UTC 23:39)

Cao Cao (c. 155 - 220 AD)

"...taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation for the state of Cao Wei (220 - 265 AD)... ended the Eastern Han dynasty and inaugurated the Three Kingdoms period (220 - 280 AD)." (Wikipedia: Cao Cao, 2.9.26 UTC 03:27)

Emperor Wen of Sui (541 - 604 AD)

"...founding emperor of the Sui dynasty... reunifying China proper in 589 AD, bringing an end to nearly three centuries of political fragmentation... restoring Buddhism as the Sui's dominant religion..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Wen of Sui, 1.28.26 UTC 07:40)

Emperor Taizong of Tang (598 - 649 AD)

"...regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty... rebel against the Sui dynasty... His era, 'Reign of Zhenguan' is considered a golden age in ancient Chinese history..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Taizong of Tang, 2.10.26 UTC 05:14)

Wu Zetian (624 - 705 AD)

"...only female sovereign in the history of China.. empress consort of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty... She was the sole ruler of the self-styled Zhou dynasty 690 to 705... enforced stringent legal measures, purged members of the Tang royal house..." (Wikipedia: Wu Zeitan, 2.2.6 UTC 14:20)

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (685 - 762 AD)

"Through two palace coups, he seized the throne and inherited an empire still in its golden age... the empire reached its turning point and went into sharp decline and near collapse... ending in the An Lushan rebellion." (Wikipedia: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, 1.20.26 UTC 00:43)

Emperor Taizu of Song (927 - 976 AD)

"...founding emperor of the Song dynasty... military general of the Later Zhou dynasty... came to power after staging a coup d'état... conquered the states of Southern Tang, Later Shu, Southern Han and Jingnan, thus reunifying most of China proper." (Wikipedia: Emperor Taizu of Song, 1.26.26 UTC 08:51)

Hongwu Emperor (1328-1398)

"...founding emperor of Ming dynasty... joined a rebel force, soon proving his ability and rising to command his own army... declared himself King of Wu in 1364... implementing reforms to improve institutions..." (Wikipedia: Hongwu Emperor, 1.29.26 UTC 03:08)

Yongle Emperor (1360-1424)

"...third emperor of the Ming dynasty... rebelled against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, and launched a civil war known as the Jingnan campaign... emerged victorious and declared himself emperor in 1402... elevated Beijing to the status of a second capital..." (Wikipedia: Yongle Emperor, 2.24.26 UTC 14:43)

Jiajing Emperor (1507-1567)

"...the Great Rites Controversy, was a significant political issue at the beginning of his reign... Altan Khan launched raids and even attacked outskirts of Beijing... wokou pirates posed significant threat in southeastern China..." (Wikipedia: Jiajing Emperor, 1.20.26 UTC 16:33)

Nurhaci (1559-1626)

"...founding khan of the Jurchen-led Later Jin dynasty... united various Jurchen tribes (the later 'Manchu')... and launched attacked on both the Ming and Joseon dynasties... ordering the creation of a new written script for the Manchu language..." (Wikipedia: Nurhaci, 2.6.26 UTC 10:39)

Wanli Emperor (1563-1620)

"...reign of 48 years was the longest of the Ming dynasty... three major campaigns in the last decade of the 16th century... opposition Donglin movement continued to criticize the Emperor..." (Wikipedia: Wanli Emperor, 2.9.26 UTC 23:26)

Hong Taiji (1592-1643)

"...second khan of the Later Jin dynasty and the founding emperor of the Qing dynasty... conquered Inner Mongolia and the remainder of Manchuria and invaded Korea... responsible for changing the name of the Jurchens to 'Manchu' in 1635..." (Wikipedia: Hong Taiji, 1.26.26 UTC 08:04)

Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722)

"...reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history... attempt to revoke the fiefdoms of feudal princes sparked the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, which he suppressed... launched an expedition that incorporated Tibet into the empire." (Wikipedia: Kangxi Emperor, 2.7.26 UTC 18:23)

Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799)

"...series of campaigns into Inner Asia, Burma, Nepal and Vietnam and suppressed rebellions in Jinchuan and Taiwan... conquered Xinjiang from the Dzungar Khanate. He ordered the Dzungar genocide... ruled at the end of the High Qing era..." (Wikipedia: Qianlong Emperor, 2.6.25 UTC 10:36)

Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908)

"...assumed the regency along with Ci'an... Tongzhi Restoration, during which she rejected Western political institutions... supported the Boxers and declared war on the foreign powers... initiated reforms aimed at establishing a constitutional monarchy." (Wikipedia: Empress Dowager Cixi, 2.2.26 UTC 21:22)

Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975)

"...military commander who led the Republic of China (ROC)... defected in the Chinese Civil War... continued to lead the ROC government on the island of Taiwan... After the 1911 Revolution, he was a founding member of the KMT... (Wikipedia: Chiang Kai-shek, 2.11.26 UTC 16:47)

Mao Zedong (1893 - 1976)

"...founder of the People's Republic of China... After the start of the Chinese Chinese Civil War, he helped build the Chinese Red Army... oversaw the Great Leap Forward... followed by the Great Chinese Famine... launched the Cultural Revolution... (Wikipedia: Mao Zedong, 2.11.26 UTC 17:17)

Soong Mei-ling (1898-2003)

"...married Chiang Kai-shek and played a prominent role in Chinese politics and foreign relations in the first half of the 20th century." (Wikipedia: Soong Mei-ling, 2.9.26 UTC 18:58)

Zhou Enlai (1898-1976)

"...served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China... served under Chairman Mao Zedong... served as the Chinese foreign minister... attempts at mitigating the Red Guards' damage and his efforts to protect others from their wrath..." (Wikipedia: Zhou Enlai, 2.11.26 UTC 22:24)

Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997)

"...served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1989... opening up that transitioned the nation toward a socialist market economy... ordered the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests..." (Wikipedia: Deng Xiaoping, 2.11.26 UTC 17:13)

Puyi (1906-1967)

"...last emperor of China... After the Japanese invaded Manchuria and established the puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932, they installed Puyi as the state's chief executive... fled the capital and was captured by the Soviet Red Army." (Wikipedia: Puyi, 2.10.26 UTC 00:36)

Jiang Qing (1914-1991)

"...fourth wife of Mao Zedong... major role in the Cultural Revolution as the leader of the radical Gang of Four... Following Mao's death, she was soon arrested by Hua Guofeng..." (Wikipedia: Jiang Qing, 2.7.26 UTC 08:27)

Jiang Zemin (1926-2022)

"...general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1989 to 2002.. started several key infrastructure projects and privatized many state-owed enterprises... entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001..." (Wikipedia: Jiang Zemin, 2.6.26 UTC 21:02)

Xi Jinping (1953 - now)

"...leader of the fifth generation of Chinese leadership since 2012... introduced far-ranging measures to enforce party discipline and strengthen internal unity... expanded support for state-owned enterprises... increase in censorship and mass surveillance..." (Wikipedia: Xi Jinping, 2.11.26 UTC 16:49)

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

List of Byzantine political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Byzantine political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 6 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Justinian I (482 - 565 AD)

"...ambitious but only partly realized renovatio imperii, or 'restoration of the Empire'. This ambition was expressed by the partial recovery of the territories of the defunct Western Roman Empire... uniform rewriting of the Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis..." (Wikipedia: Justinian I, 2.9.26 UTC 22:39)

Theodora (c. 490 - 548 AD)

"...empress and wife of emperor Justinian I... one of his chief political advisers..." (Wikipedia: Theodora, 1.30.26 UTC 13:37)

Heraclius (c. 575 - 641 AD)

"...reign was marked by several military campaigns... took charge of the Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602-628... lost many of his newly regained lands to the Rashidun Caliphate..." (Wikipedia: Heraclius, 1.25.26 UTC 05:23)

Leo III the Isaurian (c. 685 - 741 AD)

"...put an end to the Twenty Years' Anarchy, a period of great instability in the Byzantine Empire between 695 and 717... successfully defended the Empire against the invading Umayyads and forbade the veneration of icons." (Wikipedia: Leo III the Isaurian, 1.13.26 UTC 04:21)

Basil II (958 - 1025 AD)

"...early years of Basil's reign were dominated by civil wars... then oversaw the stabilization and expansion of the eastern frontier... and the complete subjugation of the First Bulgarian Empire..." (Wikipedia: Basil II, 1.21.26 UTC 02:15)

Manuel I Komnenos (1118 - 1180 AD)

"...saw the last flowering of the Komnenian restoration, during which the Byzantine Empire experienced a resurgence of military and economic power... last Eastern Roman emperor to attempt reconquests in the western Mediterranean." (Wikipedia: Manuel I Komnenos, 2.1.26 UTC 14:11)

Monday, February 9, 2026

List of ancient Greek political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of ancient Greece political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 10 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Lycurgus

"...legendary lawgiver of Sparta... involving political, economic, and social reforms to produce a military-oriented Spartan society..." (Wikipedia: Lycurgus, 1.19.26 UTC 18:34)

Draco (7th century BC)

"...replaced the system of oral law and blood feud by the Draconian constitution, a written code to be enforced only by a court of law. His laws were supposed to have been very harsh..." (Wikipedia: Draco, 2.5.26 UTC 12:57)

Solon (c. 630 - 560 BC)

"...credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy... overturning most of Draco's laws." (Wikipedia: Solon, 2.9.26 UTC 00:44)

Themistocles (c. 524 - 459 BC)

"...role in the defeat of Xerxes' invasion of Greece. Against overwhelming odds, Greece survived... doctrine of Athenian naval power and the establishment of Athens as a major power in the Greek world..." (Wikipedia: Themistocles, 12.15.25 UTC 22:25)

Pericles (c. 495 - 429 BC)

"...promoted the arts and literature, and it was principally through his efforts that Athens acquired the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world..." (Wikipedia: Pericles, 1.31.26 UTC 19:17

Alcibiades (c. 450 - 404 BC)

"...played a major role in the second half of the Peloponnesian War... changed political allegiance several times." (Wikipedia: Alcibiades, 1.24.26 UTC 05:02)

Demosthenes (384 - 322 BC)

"...statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess... played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great." (Wikipedia: Demosthenes, 1.26.26 UTC 05:21)

Philip II of Macedon (c. 359 - 336 BC)

"...achieved domination over Greece... by the reformation of the Macedonian army... led the effort to establish a federation of Greek states known as the Hellenic League..." (Wikipedia: Philip II of Macedon, 2.1.26 UTC 13:49)

Alexander the Great (356 - 323 BC)

"...spent most of his reign conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Asia and Egypt. By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history..." (Wikipedia, Alexander the Great, 1.30.26 UTC 15:22)

Pyrrhus of Epirus (c. 319 - 272 BC)

"...king of the Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house, and later became king of Epirus. He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome... saw action during the Wars of the Diadochi..." (Wikipedia: Pyrrhus of Epirus, 1.18.26 UTC 23:33)

List of Roman political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Roman political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 14 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Cato the Elder (234 - 149 BC)

"...first to write history in Latin... As censor, he tried to save Rome's ancestral customs and combat Hellenistic influences." (Wikipedia: Cato the Elder, 2.1.26 UTC 14:30)

Gracchi brothers (2nd century BC)

"...advocates for social reform who were both killed by a reactionary political system... established a commission to survey Roman public land, reassert state claims to it, and redistribute it to poor rural farmers." (Wikipedia: Gracchi brothers, 1.24.26 UTC 15:43)

Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC)

"...dictator of the Roman Republic at various points from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC... led the Roman armies through the Gallic Wars and defeated his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil war." (Wikipedia: Julius Caesar, 2.8.26 UTC 19:07)

Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD)

"...founder of the Roman Empire and the first Roman emperor... annexing Egypt, Dalmatia, Pannonia, Noricum, and Raetia... Africa and completing the conquest of Hispania." (Wikipedia: Augustus, 2.10.26 UTC 00:16)

Tiberius (42 BC - 37 AD)

"...laid the foundations for the empire's northern frontier... had a difficult resentful relationship with the Senate and suspected many plots against him." (Wikipedia: Tiberius, 2.8.26 UTC 15:06)

Caligula (12 - 41 AD)

"...said to have been... self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant, and sexually perverted thereafter, an insane, murderous tyrant... " (Wikipedia: Caligula, 2.9.26 UTC 04:11)

Nero (13 - 68 AD)

"...sources offer overwhelmingly negative assessments of his personality and reign. Most contemporary sources describe him as tyrannical, self-indulgent, and debauched." (Wikipedia: Nero, 1.26.26 UTC 18:51)

Domitian (51 - 96 AD)

"...strengthened the economy by revaluing the Roman coinage, expanded the border defenses of the empire, and initiated a massive building program to restore the damaged city of Rome. Significant wars were fought in Britain..." (Wikipedia: Domitian, 1.30.26 UTC 14:34)

Trajan (c. 53 - 117 AD)

"...presided over one of the greatest military expansions in Roman history, during which... the Roman Empire reached its maximum territorial extent... oversaw the construction of building projects such as the forum named after him, the expansion of social welfare policies..." (Wikipedia: Trajan, 2.2.26 UTC 13:52)

Hadrian (76 - 138 AD)

"...known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Britannia. In Rome itself, he rebuilt the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma." (Wikipedia: Hadrian, 1.31.26 UTC 02:25)

Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 AD)

"...fought the Parthian War of Lucius Verus with a revitalized Parthian Empire and the rebel Kingdom of Armenia. Marcus defeated the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatian lazyges in the Marcomannic Wars." (Wikipedia: Marcus Aurelius, 2.3.26 UTC 08:41)

Diocletian (c. 242 - 312 AD)

"...stabilized the empire and ended the Crisis of the Third Century. He initiated the process of the Roman Empire split... Diocletian reigned in the Eastern Empire."

Constantine the Great (272 - 337 AD)

"...proclamation of the Edict of Milan in 313, which legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. He convoked the First Council of Nicaea... He built a new imperial residence in the city of Byzantium, which was officially renamed New Rome, while also taking on the name Constantinople in his honor." (Wikipedia: Constantine the Great, 2.9.26 UTC 11:55)

Theodosius I (347 - 395 AD)

"...won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed... Theodosius was the last emperor to rule the entire Roman Empire before its administration was permanently split between the Western Roman Empire and East Roman Empire." (Wikipedia: Theodosius I, 2.2.26 UTC 02:52)

Sunday, February 8, 2026

List of ancient Egyptian leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of ancient Egyptian leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 11 leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Narmer (c. 3100 BC)

"Many scholars consider him the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, and in turn the first king of a unified Egypt." (Wikipedia: Narmer, 2.2.26 UTC 01:32)

Thutmose I (r. 1506 - 1493 BC)

"During his reign, he campaigned deep into the Levant and Nubia, pushing the borders of Egypt farther than ever before in each region... built a tomb for himself in the Valley of the Kings..." (Wikipedia Thutmose I, 2.8.26 UTC 15:28)

Hatshepsut (c. 1479 - 1458 BC)

"One of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt, she oversaw large-scale construction projects... most famously, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut..." (Wikipedia: Hatshepsut, 1.27.26 UTC 18:31)

Thutmose III (1479 - 1425 BC)

"...conducted between 17 and 20 military campaigns, all victorious, which brought ancient Egypt's empire to its zenith." (Wikipedia: Thutmose III, 1.31. 26 UTC 23:55)

Akhenaten (r. 1353 - 1336 BC)

"...noted for abandoning the traditional, polytheistic ancient Egyptian religion, and introducing Atenism, or worship centered around Aten." (Wikipedia: Akhenaten, 2.8.26 UTC 02:51)

Nefertiti (c. 1370 - 1330 BC)

"...great royal wife of Pharoah Akhenaten... If Nefertiti did rule as pharaoh, her reign was marked by the fall of Amarna..." (Wikipedia: Nefertiti, 1.30.26 UTC 23:54)

Tutankhamun (c. 1341 - 1323 BC)

"...instituted the restoration of the traditional polytheistic form of ancient Egyptian religion... The cult of the god Amun at Thebes was restored to prominence..." (Wikipedia: Tutankhamun, 2.8.26 UTC 08:22)

Ramesses II (c. 1303 - 1213 BC)

"...regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom... one of ancient Egypt's most successful warrior pharaohs..." (Wikipedia: Ramesses II, 2.5.26 UTC 06:05)

Ramesses III (r. 1185 - 1154 BC)

"His long reign saw the decline of Egyptian political and economic power, linked to a series of invasions and internal economic problems... However, his successful defense was able to slow down the decline..." (Wikipedia: Ramesses III, 1.31.26 UTC 05:31)

Ptolemy I Sotor (c. 369 - 282 BC)

"...successor of Alexander the Great who went on to found the Ptolemaic Kingdom centered in Egypt." (Wikipedia: Ptolemy I Sotor, 1.22.26 UTC 03:24)

Cleopatra (70 - 30 BC)

"...Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh... After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire." (Wikipedia: Cleopatra, 1.31.26 UTC 03:52)

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Thursday, February 5, 2026

List of Wikipedia quote posts

List of post is a list of Wikipedia quote posts for this blog. This post was last updated February 2026. There are 122 posts listed below chronologically.

2017

History of economic thought: economists

2019

Principles of quantum mechanics

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026