Wang Cong'er (, c. 1777–1797) was a female

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

leader of anti-

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...

White Lotus Rebellion The White Lotus Rebellion (, 1794–1804) was a rebellion initiated by followers of the White Lotus movement during the Qing dynasty of China. Motivated by Millenarianism, millenarian Buddhists who promised the immediate return of the Buddha, it e ...

along with

Wang Nangxian Wang Nangxian (, 1778–1798), Chinese:王囊仙; was a female Chinese leader of the anti- Manchu White Lotus Rebellion along with Wang Cong'er during the reign of the Qing dynasty. Another female member of the rebellion along with Wang Cong'er, ...

during the reign of the Qing dynasty.

Life

Reportedly born in 1777, Wang Cong'er was a native of

Xiangyang Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...

City.

White Lotus Sect

The

White Lotus Sect The White Lotus () is a syncretic religious and political movement which forecasts the imminent advent of the "King of Light" (), i.e., the future Buddha Maitreya. As White Lotus sects developed, they appealed to many Han Chinese who found solac ...

originated during the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

. Wang Cong'er along with Wang Nangxian led the uprising of the White Lotus sect against the Qing regime. She reportedly used Kung Fu and acrobatics, and fought with a sword in each hand. Intent on avenging the death of her husband at the hands of the Qing, Wang led an army of men into battle against the Qing army. Though Wang's peasant troops were at an obvious disadvantage, they overcame and surprised the Qing troops repeatedly by using guerrilla tactics. The contemporary records of the Qing Court stated that "the deadliest of all the rebels are those led by Madam Wang, wife of Qi" and "it is said that all the rebel factions from Hubei and Shanxi were stirred up by Wang". The Qing General Ming Liang eventually recruited local landlords to build forts and lock civilians inside whenever rebels were in the area, cutting off support from civilian sympathizers who were a key part of the rebels' supply chain. In 1797, the Qing forces, with an increased number of warriors, ambushed Wang Cong'er and her fighters in the mountains near Yunxi, Hubei. After thousands of her men were defeated, Wang was forced to retreat. With no escape route available, she reportedly jumped to her death. Despite being defeated, Wang Cong'er has been credited with creating a precedent for revolts against Chinese imperial rule.

References

Women in Chinese History
* Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Clara Lau, A.D. Stefanowska:
Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: v. 1: The Qing Period, 1644-1911
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Wang Cong'er Qing dynasty people 1770s births 1797 deaths Year of birth uncertain 18th-century rebellions Women in war in China Women in 18th-century warfare Suicides by jumping in China People from Xiangyang Generals from Hubei 18th-century Chinese women 18th-century Chinese people Qing dynasty rebels

Life

White Lotus Sect

See also

References