Picture this: your dad is a respected ruler of his kingdom and on the brink of ushering in some of the most prosperous times his people have ever seen, which you can take a little credit for because he made you his co-ruler when you were just 12 years old. Then dad dies and leaves you the throne, but everyone is all like “but you’re a girl, you can’t rule.” What do you do? Well, if your Tamar of Georgia you pull a Beyoncé and make them bow down. Oh, and then proceed to be awesome and demand everyone call you “king.”

This is the story of Tamar of Georgia, who ruled from 1184 to 1213—the peak of Georgia’s Golden Age—and was the kingdom’s first woman ruler. Noted for her intellect, Tamar’s father, King George III, made her his heir and co-regent in 1178, but the aristocrats weren’t so happy about that. Tamar expertly silenced the haters, though, and—with some help from the rulers before her—built and maintained a flourishing, growing kingdom with many political and military successes. Though certainly a power play on her part as well, Tamar was likely called “king” because the Georgian word for “queen” connotes less power—simply the king’s consort, and that would not do for this awesome monarch.

And there’s even more badassery to her than just being a general boss. Tamar, a great beauty with many offers that she rejected, was married twice: first to an obviously unworthy prince that she eventually divorced and expelled from the country for being lame, and second to an Alan prince that she had a son and a daughter with, both of whom became future rulers. Oh, and she was canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church as Holy Righteous King Tamar. No big deal.

(h/t Badass Females in History)