Wang Cong'er (, c. 1777–1798) was a female

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

leader of anti-

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...

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 millenarian Buddhists who promised the immediate return of the Buddha, it erupted out of ...

along with

Wang Nangxian Wang Nangxian (; Bouyei language, Bouyei: Waangz Naangzsianl; 1778–1798) was a female China, 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 rebel ...

during the reign of the Qing dynasty.

Life

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

Xiangyang Xiangyang is the second-largest prefecture-level city by population in northwestern Hubei province, China. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River (Hanshui), Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city n ...

City.

White Lotus Sect

The

White Lotus Sect Illustration of a meeting of the Pure Land Buddhist White Lotus Society of Li_Gonglin.html" ;"title="Lushan Huiyuan in the style of Li Gonglin">Lushan Huiyuan in the style of Li Gonglin, The term White Lotus Society () or White Lotus Teaching ...

originated during the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

. 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 1798, 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 military personnel Qing dynasty rebels White Lotus people

Life

White Lotus Sect

See also

References