Queen Vashti was the queen of Persia during the reign of King Ahasuerus. Her story is found in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament.
According to the Bible, King Ahasuerus held a great feast for his officials and subjects. During the feast, he commanded his queen, Vashti, to appear before him and display her beauty to the guests. However, Vashti refused to comply with the king's request.
In any case, King Ahasuerus was outraged by Vashti's disobedience and consulted with what the bible calls wise men. They suggested Vashti's act of defiance be addressed. If word got out that women may defy their husbands without recourse it would create a wave of defiance from women across the land and they will begin to despise their husbands, creating resentment and wrath from the men. They suggested that he depose of Vashti and select a new queen who would be more obedient and submissive. The king sent out a decree commanding all wives to give their husbands honor in both great and small. This decree was established in all 127 provinces Ahasuerus had rule over.
As a result, a search was launched throughout the empire to find a new queen. Ahasuerus appointed officers in all of his provinces to gather all the pretty young virgins in his kingdom. The young women that were brought to the palace were sent to the chamberlains to go through a purification process before meeting the king. The purification process lasted for one whole year. The book of Esther chapter 2:12 states the women were treated with oil of myrrh for six months and with sweet odors and with other things for purification. Esther, a Jewish orphan, was eventually chosen as the new queen. King Ahasuerus loved Esther above all of the other women and she obtained favor in the king's sight. Esther became instrumental in saving her people from a plot to destroy them.
The bible does not go into detail Vashti's reason for saying no to the king but, no one could defy the king without penalty. Not even the queen. While she faced consequences for her actions, she remained true to herself despite the outcome. Her story also highlights the vulnerability of women in positions of power, who can be subject to the whims and demands of male rulers.
