Qiu Ersao (; 1822 – 1853), was a Chinese rebel and military commander during the

Taiping Rebellion The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It last ...

. Originally a religious leader within the

Tiandihui The Tiandihui, the Heaven and Earth Society, also called Hongmen (the Vast Family), is a Chinese fraternal organization and historically a secretive folk religious sect in the vein of the Ming loyalist White Lotus Sect, the Tiandihui's ...

, she later had 500 female soldiers under her command.

Biography

Born in Qiaoxu, Guixian County,

Guangxi Province Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ( ...

, her husband was an opium addict, so she was in charge of supporting her family, preparing and selling sweets in the local market. Tired of corruption and abuse by the authorities, in the fall of 1849 she joined the Red Turban Rebellion (1854–1856) and learned martial arts. In 1850 she joined the Taiping Rebellion and, along with

Su Sanniang Su Sanniang (蘇三娘; 1830–1854), was a Chinese rebel during the Taiping Rebellion. The leader of a band of outlaws, she joined the rebellion with a band of 2000 soldiers. She was said to have powerful arms and could wield two swords with ease ...

, commanded the Rebellion's female troops. Qiu Ersao decorated her sword with red pompoms. As a combatant, she stood out as a speaker. She died in a confrontation with a local militia in the fall of 1853, when she fell from her horse after being struck by enemy fire.

References

* Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Clara Lau, A.D. Stefanowska:
Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: v. 1: The Qing Period, 1644–1911
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Qiu, Ersao 1822 births 1853 deaths 19th-century Chinese people People of the Taiping Rebellion Women in 19th-century warfare Women in war in China 19th-century Chinese women Tianduhui members Military leaders of the Taiping Rebellion