Who is trung sisters

Unlike those in China , women in Vietnam could serve as judges, soldiers, and even rulers and had equal rights to inherit land and other property.

To the Confucian Chinese, it must have been shocking that the Vietnamese resistance movement was led by two women — the Trung Sisters, or Hai Ba Trung — but the made a mistake in 39 A. The Chinese would have expected a young widow to go into seclusion and mourn her husband, but Trung Trac rallied supporters and launched a rebellion against foreign rule — along with her younger sister Trung Nhi, the widow raised an army of some 80, fighters, many of them women , and drove the Chinese from Vietnam.

In the year 40, Trung Trac became the queen of northern Vietnam while Trung Nhi served as a top advisor and possibly co-regent. The Trung sisters ruled over an area that included about sixty-five cities and towns and constructed a new capital at Me-linh, a site long associated with the primordial Hong Bang or Loc Dynasty, which legend holds ruled Vietnam from to B.

China's Emperor Guangwu, who had reunified his country after the Western Han kingdom fell apart, sent his best general to crush the upstart Vietnamese queens' rebellion again a few years later and General Ma Yuan was so pivotal to the emperor's successes that Ma's daughter became the empress of Guangwu's son and heir, Emperor Ming.

Ma rode south at the head of a battle-hardened army and the Trung sisters rode out to meet him on elephants, in front of their own troops. For more than a year, the Chinese and Vietnamese armies fought for control of northern Vietnam. Finally, in 43, General Ma Yuan defeated the Trung sisters and their army. Vietnamese records insist that the queens committed suicide by jumping into a river, once their defeat was inevitable while the Chinese claim that Ma Yuan captured and beheaded them instead.

Thousands of the Trungs' supporters were executed, and many Chinese soldiers remained in the area to ensure China's dominance over the lands around Hanoi. Emperor Guangwu even sent settlers from China to dilute the rebellious Vietnamese — a tactic still used today in Tibet and Xinjiang , keeping China in control of Vietnam until China succeeded in impressing many aspects of Chinese culture upon the Vietnamese, including the civil service exam system and ideas based on Confucian theory.

However, the people of Vietnam refused to forget the heroic Trung sisters, despite nine centuries of foreign rule. Even during the decades-long struggles for Vietnamese independence in the 20th century — first against the French colonists, and then in the Vietnam War against the United States — the story of the Trung sisters inspired ordinary Vietnamese.

Indeed, the persistence of pre-Confucian Vietnamese attitudes about women may help to account for a large number of female soldiers who participated in the Vietnam War. To this day, the people of Vietnam perform memorial ceremonies for the sisters every year at a Hanoi temple named for them. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance.

Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Eventually, the sisters enlisted 80, soldiers, including many women.

The eldest sister appointed herself chief of staff and her younger sister her deputy. From this army, they selected 26 women and trained them to become commanders. The large number of soldiers they enlisted allowed them to enlist something else that was essential to war: elephants. The Chinese army might have been skilled, but who would stand in the way when elephants were flocking? Trung Trac became the Queen of Southern Vietnam, and her sister became her deputy and substitute.

They ruled over an independent Vietnam for three years. It was the first time that Vietnam was independent since ancient times. They abolished Chinese taxes, and established a more egalitarian system of government than was customary under Chinese rule. Losing the war was one thing, but losing to an army of women? The Chinese general came to Vietnam prepared, backed up with an army, elephants, and a numerical and technological advantage.

Still, the sisters managed to last for another three years before eventually being overwhelmed by the Chinese supremacy. Chinese sources claim that the were decapitated, while Vietnamese sources say that they committed suicide before being captured, as per tradition. During the years following the fall of their kingdom, the Chinese deepened their economic and cultural control of Vietnam. One of the tragic consequences was a huge setback in the status of women in the country.

To this day the sisters are considered national heroes in Vietnam, and their statues adorn many places. Their importance in the Vietnamese national ethos grew in the 20th century, as their story became a symbol during the Vietnamese battle against French and later American colonialism. Every year in February, a national holiday is celebrated in their memory.

They have had a province named after them, as well as schools, streets, and monasteries. Their story was preserved from two main sources. One is Chinese and the other Vietnamese, and both were written after their death. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. September 8, No Comments. A parade in memory of the sisters in Ho Chi Minh City. Share on linkedin.