Trưng Sisters

The Trưng sisters ( (), 𠄩婆徵, literally "Two Ladies amedTrưng",
14 – c. 43) were Luoyue military leaders who ruled for three years after commanding a rebellion of Luoyue tribes and other tribes in AD 40 against the first Chinese domination of Vietnam. They are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam. Their names were Trưng Trắc (; chữ Hán: ; Chinese pinyin: ''Zhēng Cè''; Wade–Giles: ''Cheng¹ Ts'e⁴''; Old Chinese: ''*trəŋ- sək'') and Trưng Nhị (; chữ Hán: ; Chinese pinyin: ''Zhēng Èr ''; Wade–Giles: ''Cheng¹ Erh⁴''; Old Chinese: ''*trəŋni s''). Trưng Trắc was the first female monarch in Vietnam, as well as the first queen in the history of Vietnam (Lý Chiêu Hoàng was the last woman to take the reign and is the only empress regnant), and she was accorded the title Queen Trưng ( chữ Quốc ngữ: , chữ Hán: ) in the ''Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư''.

The sisters were born in Jiaozhi (Giao Chỉ), a commandery of the Chinese Han dynasty in modern-day northern Vietnam. The dates of their births are unknown, but Trưng Trắc was older than Trưng Nhị. The exact dates of their deaths are also unknown but both died around 43 AD after battling against the punitive expedition force led by Eastern Han general Ma Yuan.

Historical background

The former Qin commander Zhao Tuo (''Trieu Da'' in Vietnamese) established the state of Nanyue in 204 BC and had conquered Âu Lạc in 180 BC, incorporating the Vietnamese realm into his own. In 112 BC, Emperor Wu of Han dispatched soldiers against Nanyue and the kingdom was annexed in 111 BC during the ensuing Han conquest of Nanyue. Nine commanderies were established to administer the region, three of which were located in what is now northern Vietnam. Revolts of local tribes against the Han began in 40 AD led by the Trưng sisters.

Biography

The Trưng sisters were daughters of a wealthy aristocratic family of Lạc ethnicity (The Lac were sorts of a confederation of multi-ethnic peoples). Their father had been a Lạc lord in Mê Linh district (modern-day Mê Linh District, Hanoi). Trưng Trắc's husband was Thi Sách (Shi Suo), was also the Lạc lord of Chu Diên (modern-day Khoái Châu District, Hưng Yên Province). Su Ding, the Chinese governor of Jiaozhi province at the time, is remembered by his cruelty and tyranny. According to the ''Book of the Later Han'', Thi Sách was "of a fierce temperament", and Su Ding attempted to restrain him with legal procedures, literally to behead him without trial. Trưng Trắc stirred her husband to action and became the central figure in mobilizing the Lạc lords against the Chinese. In March of 40 AD, Trưng Trắc and her younger sister Trưng Nhị, led the Lạc Việt to rise up in rebellion against the Han.

The ''Book of the Later Han'' recorded that Trưng Trắc launched the rebellion to avenge the killing of her husband. It began at the Red River Delta, but soon spread to other Lạc and non-Han peoples from an area stretching from Hepu Commandery to Rinan. Chinese settlements were overrun, and Su Ding fled. The uprising gained the support of about sixty-five towns and settlements. Trưng Trắc was proclaimed as queen regnant. The status of Trưng Nhị was not mentioned in ''Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư''. According to ''Việt Nam sử lược'', Trưng Nhị jointly reigned as co-king/queen but according to  folk literature, Trưng Nhị became a vice-king/queen.

In 42 AD, the Emperor Guangwu of Han commissioned general Ma Yuan to suppress the rebellion with 20,000 troops. The rebellion of the two sisters was defeated in the next year as Ma Yuan captured and decapitated Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị, then sent their heads to the Han court in Luoyang.

The Song dynasty poet and calligrapher Huang Tingjian (1045–1105) compared the Trưng sisters to Lü Jia, the prime minister of Nanyue who resisted Emperor Wu's army in 112 BCE:

Lü Jia refused treasonous bribe;
Trưng Trắc raised her shield to resist oppression

Historiography

The primary historical source for the sisters is the 5th century ''Book of the Later Han'' compiled by historian Fan Ye, which covers the history of the Eastern Han dynasty from 6 to CE 189. Other Chinese sources are the '' Shui Jing Zhu'' (6th cen), ''Book of Sui'' (7th century), ''Tongdian'' (8th century), ''Book of the Southern Barbarians'' (written in 862 by Fan Chuo),... The secondary source, but the primary popular source, is the ''Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư'' (Complete Annals of Dai Viet) compiled by Ngô Sĩ Liên under the order of the Emperor Lê Thánh Tông and finished in 1479.

Chinese sources

The Chinese traditional historical accounts on the Trưng sisters are remarkably brief. They are found in several different chapters of the ''Book of the Later Han'', the history for the Eastern Han dynasty, against which the Trưng sisters had carried out their uprising.

Book of Later Han; 5th century AD

Chapter eighty-six of the ''Book of the Later Han'', entitled ''Biographies of the Southern and the Southwestern Barbarians,The use of the word ''barbarians'' is historical, and is translated as used in the original Chinese texts.'' has this short passage:

In the 16th year of the Jianwu era (40 AD), Jiaozhi (交阯; WD: Chiao-chih) woman Zheng Ce (徵側; SV: Trưng Trắc) and her younger sister Zheng Er (徵貳; SV: Trưng Nhị) rebelled and attacked the commandery s strongholds As for Zheng Ce, she was the daughter of the Luo general of Miling prefecture (麊泠; SV: Mê Linh). She was married as wife to Shi Suo (詩索; SV: Thi Sách), a man in Zhouyuan (朱鳶; SV: Chu Diên). She/he(?) was/They were(?) remarkably heroic and courageous. Su Ding (蘇定; WD: Su Ting), the administrator of Jiaozhi restrained her (them?) with law; Ce became infuriated, rebelled, and attacked. Thus, the barbarians in Jiuzhen (九眞; WD Chiu-chen), Rinan (日南; WD:Jih-nan), Hepu (合浦; WD: Hop'u) all supported her. All in all, she took sixty-five strongholds and established herself as queen. Jiaozhi's governor and administrators could but defend themselves. (Emperor) Guangwu thus decreed that Changsha (長沙; WD: Ch'ang-sha), Hepu, and Jiaozhi, all must furnish chariots and boats, repair roads and bridges, dredge obstructed waterways, and store foods and provisions. In the 18th year (42 CE), he dispatched Wave-Subduing General Ma Yuan (馬援; WD: Ma Yüan), Tower-ship General Duan Zhi (段志; WD: Tuan Chih) nd Household General Liu Long (劉隆; WD: Liu Long)Liu Long was not mentioned here, yet Hou Hanshu'
Account of Liu Long
recorded that he also participated in this campaign against Trưng Trắc, and that he caught Trưng Nhị at the Forbidden Gorge (禁谿), beheaded over 1,000, and subdued over 20,000 rebels who led over 10,000 troops from Ch'ang-sha, Guiyang (桂陽; SV: Quế Dương); Lingling (零陵; SV: Linh Lăng); Cangwu (蒼梧; SV: Thương Ngô) on a punitive expedition. Summer next year (43 CE), in the fourth month, Ma Yuan devastated Jiaozhi, beheaded Zheng Ce, Zheng Er, and others; the rest all surrendered or scattered. He advanced and attacked the Jiuzhen's rebel Du Yang (都陽; SV: Đô Dương) and others, routing and subduing them. He exiled over 300 rebel leaders to Lingling. Thus the regions beyond the Ridge were entirely pacified.

Chapter twenty-four, the biographies of Ma and some of his notable male descendants, had this parallel description:

Then Jiaozhi woman Zheng Ce and eryounger sister Zheng Er rebelled; heyattacked and the commandery was lost. The barbarians in Jiuzhen, Rinan, Hepu all supported he Zheng sisters The rebels captured over sixty strongholds beyond the Ridge; Ce established herself as queen. Then a sealed decree honored Yuan as Wave-Subduing General, assigned Fule Marquis Liu Long as his assistant, dispatched Tower-ship general Duan Zhi, etc. southwards to attack Jiaozhi. When the army reached Hepu, Zhi fell ill and died; he Emperordecreed that Yuan command his hi'ssoldiers also. Then uan's armyadvanced along the coastline and the mountains, opening a path over thousands of li long. In the spring of the 18th ianwuyear (40 CE), uan'sarmy reached up to Langbo (浪泊; SV: Lãng Bạc), fought with the rebels, routed them, decapitated thousands, ndover tens of thousands surrendered. Yuan chased Zheng Ce to the Forbidden Gorge (禁谿; SV: Cấm Khê); defeated many times, the rebels then scattered and fled. The first month of next year (43 CE), Zheng Ce and Zheng Er were beheaded, their heads sent to Luoyang. Yuan was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xinsi, isfief ontainingthree-thousand households. Yuan then slaughtered oxen, and distilled wines, and rewarded the soldiers ndofficers or theirhard work...

Yuan commanded over 2,000 tower-ships big and small, over 20,000 soldiers, advanced and attacked the bandit Zheng Ce's remnants Du Yang (都羊, SV: Đô Dương) et al., from Wugong (無功; SV: Vô Công) to Jufeng (居風, SV: Cư Phong), beheading rcapturing over 5,000; south of the mountains everywhere aspacified. Yuan reported that Xiyu prefecture (西於; SV: Tây Ư) had 32,000 households, its boundaries ereover thousands of li from the court; he requested that iyu prefecturebe divided into two prefectures: Fengxi (封溪, SV: Phong Khê) and Wanghai (望海; SV: Vọng Hải); he requestwas granted. Yuan immediately seized the momentum, established commanderies and prefectures, repaired the strongholds and ramparts, dredged the irrigation canals, and benefited the people. uanreported o the EmperorYue law and Han law differed in more than ten rules; towards the Yue people, the old rules were clarified in order to restrain them. Henceforth, the Luoyue (駱越) obeyed General Ma's laws.

Autumn of the 20th year (44 CE), a Yuanbrought the troops back to the capital; the troops had been suffering from miasma and epidemic, four to five died out of ten. Yuan was bestowed a military carriage; in court-meetings, eranked among the Nine Ministers.

Records of Jiao Province's Outer Territories, 4th century AD

An older, yet less-known account, from the now-lost ''Records of Jiao Province's Outer Territories'' (交州外域記) was quoted in the 6th-century word '' Commentary on the Water Classic'' (水經注) by Northern Wei geographer Li Daoyuan:

Later, the son of Zhouyuan's Luo general, named Shi (詩; SV: Thi), askedThe two characters "詩索", to be read as 'Shi/Thi asked', were instead misread as the name ''Shi Suo''/''Thi Sách''; 索 "to ask" is the main verb of this sentence "後朱䳒雒將子名詩索𥹆泠雒將女名徵側爲妻" the daughter of Ming𥹆 ''míng'' is possibly a clerical error for 麊 ''mí'' ling's Luo general, named Zheng Ce (徵側; SV: Trưng Trắc), to be his wife. Ce, as a human being, possessed mettle and courage. Alongsides Shi, she uprose and rebelled, attacking and devastating Jiao Province, as well as reducing the Luo generals into subordination. Zheng Ce made erselfqueen. Starting from Miling prefecture, she occupied two divisions Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen, and for two years taxed the people. Later on, the Han (court) dispatched Wave-Subduing General to lead troops on a punitive expedition. Ce and Shi fled into the Golden Gorge (金溪 SV; Kim Khê). Ma Yuan hunted them down and captured them after three years. Now romWestern Shu here werealso troops dispatched on punitive expedition against Ce and Shi and others and all those commanderies and prefectures were pacified; then magistrates were instituted there.

In the 9th month of 19th year of the Jianwu era 3 CE Ma Yuan reported to the Emperor that: 'I prudently added 12,000 crack-troops in Jiaozhi to the main army for a total of 20,000 men; as well as 2,000 vessels and vehicles, ever since entering Jiaozhi; now ur armyhas become venstronger.' In the 10th month, Yuan entsouthwards and entered Jiuzhen; when he reached Vô Thiết prefecture (無切縣), the rebels' leader surrendered. He advanced and entered Dư Phát (餘發), rebels' leader Chu Bá (朱伯) abandoned the commandery and escaped into the deep jungles and great marshes where rhinoceroses and elephants gathered and goats and buffaloes numbered in the thousands; then, elephants were seen as in herds of several hundreds. Yuan again divided his troops, nd dispatched theminto Vô Biên prefecture (無編縣) – which was the Jiuzhending 九真亭 refectureduring Wang Mang s era When a Yuanreached Cư Phong (風縣), the ebels'leader did not surrender; a Yuanthen beheaded several tens to hundreds. Jiuzhen was then pacified.

Differences

The traditional Chinese accounts differed from Vietnamese traditional accounts in many places: Chinese accounts do not indicate oppression of the Vietnamese population by the Chinese officials and Su Ding's killing of Trưng Trắc's husband; though Ma Yuan himself confirmed that Su Ding was greedy and cowardly. In the Chinese account, the Trưng sisters did not commit suicide. Chinese sources also contradicted accounts in Vietnamese folk history that the Trưng sisters' retainers followed their examples and also committed suicide.

Vietnamese chronicles

Excerpts from ''Complete Annals of Đại Việt'', 1479

The third book of ''Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư'' (''Complete Annals of Dai Viet''), published in editions between 1272 and 1697, has the following to say about the Trưng Sisters:

Lê Văn Hưu (Trần dynasty's historian) wrote:

Ngô Sĩ Liên (the Complete Annals chief compiler) wrote:

Cultural significance

Nationalism

The Trưng Sisters are highly revered in Vietnam, as they led the first resistance movement against the occupying Chinese after 247 years of domination. Many temples are dedicated to them, and a yearly holiday in February to commemorate their deaths is observed by many Vietnamese. A central district in Hanoi called the Hai Bà Trưng District is named after them, as are numerous large streets in major cities and many schools. Their biographies are mentioned in children's school books.

The stories of the Trưng Sisters and of another famous woman warrior, Lady Triệu, are cited by some historians as hints that Vietnamese society before sinicization was a matriarchal one, where there are no obstacles for women in assuming leadership roles.

Even though the Trưng Sisters' revolt against the Chinese was almost 2000 years ago, its legacy in Vietnam remains. The two sisters are considered to be a national symbol in Vietnam, representing Vietnam's independence. They are often depicted as two women riding two giant war elephants. Many times, they are seen leading their followers into battle against the Chinese. The Trưng sisters were more than two sisters that gave their lives up for their country; they are powerful symbols of Vietnamese resistance and freedom.

In 1962 during the Vietnam War, Trần Lệ Xuân (aka Madame Nhu), sister-in-law of South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm had a costly statue erected in the capital of Saigon in memory of the Trưng sisters, with the facial features modeled on herself, and also established the Women's Solidarity Movement, a female paramilitary organization, using the sisters as a rallying symbol. In the aftermath of the 1963 overthrow of Ngô Đình Diệm, the statues of the sisters were demolished by jubilant anti-Ngô Đình Diệm rioters.

Temples

Temples to the Trưng Sisters or Hai Bà Trưng Temples were found from as early as the end of the Third Era of Northern Domination. The best known Hai Bà Trưng Temple is in Hanoi near Hoàn Kiếm Lake. The temple was constructed by king Lý Anh Tông (r. 1138–1176) in 1158. According to tradition, in that year a devastating drought occurred in the Red River Delta, and the king ordered a Buddhist monk named Cam Thin to conduct a sacrifices rite and pray for rain at the Trung sisters temple. It rained the following day that saved his kingdom from famine. During one night the king dreamed and saw the two sisters appeared and were riding together on an iron horse. When the king awoke, he ordered the temple to be gloriously decorated and performed a sacrifice ritual to the sisters. Later he directed two other temples to worship the sisters, one of which was destroyed by river landslide and one temple which survives today. Other Hai Bà Trưng temples are found in Mê Linh District (Vĩnh Phúc Province), Phúc Thọ District (Hà Tây Province) and Hoàng Hoa Thám Street, Bình Thạnh District, Ho Chi Minh City.

Women's status

According to Keith Taylor, one reason for the defeat is desertion by rebels because they did not believe they could win under a woman's leadership. The fact that women were in charge was blamed as a reason for the defeat by historical Vietnamese texts in which the historians ridiculed and mocked men because they did nothing while "mere girls", whom they viewed with revulsion, took up the banner of revolt. The historical poem containing the phrase "mere girls", which related the revolt of the Trưng Sisters while the men did nothing, was not intended to praise women nor view war as women's work, as it has been wrongly interpreted.

Music

Lưu Hữu Phước wrote the patriotic song ''Hát Giang trường hận'' (Long Hatred on Hát River) between 1942–1943 to dedicate to the Trưng sisters. Later, Phước revised the lyrics in 1946 to create another song (Soul of the Martyred Soldier), which is often used as lament for state funerals, and the lyrics still mentioned the Trưng sisters' rebellion.

Portrayal in video games

In '' Sid Meier's Civilization VII'', Trung Trac is a playable leader.

See also

* Lady Triệu
* Phùng Thị Chính
* Copper columns of Ma Yuan
* Bùi Thị Xuân
* Matriarchy
* Feminism
* Vietnam
* History of Vietnam

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

Trưng sisters
Tuyet A. Tran & Chu V. Nguyen

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trung Sisters

1st-century Vietnamese people
1st-century women monarchs
Deified female monarchs
Deified Vietnamese people
Han dynasty rebels
Monarchs taken prisoner in wartime
People executed by Vietnam by decapitation
Queens regnant in Asia
Sister duos
Vietnamese goddesses
Vietnamese monarchs
Vietnamese rebels
Women in 1st-century warfare
Women in ancient Chinese warfare
Women in war in Vietnam
People from Hanoi