I must admit, I know very little about Asian history. Having grown up in the Western world, I have had a rather ethno-centric education. I only recently came across the story of the Vietnamese Trung sisters, and I am fascinated to learn more. This blog has become a fantastic excuse for me to satisfy my urge to learn more about our history. Yes, I'm a nerd. And I love it.
Trung Trac and Trung Nhi were sisters born in Vietnam during a time of Chinese domination. There are only a couple of sources which document the uprising of the Trung sisters, and they were written long after they sisters died, so much of their story is passed on by word of mouth. Traditionally, it is believed that the sisters were born into a well respected military family, and were taught the skills of martial arts and warfare from an early age. Trung Trac married Thi Sach, the son of a prefect from a neighbouring region. 
The Chinese Han dynasty had held control over all of Vietnam for almost 250 years, and their rule was oppressive. The Vietnamese people were being forced to assimilate with the Chinese way of life. Thi Sach made a stand against the Chinese, and was executed as an example to all those who would rebel. Enraged, Trung Trac began gathering warriors to lead an uprising. According to legend, the majority of these warriors were women. 
The sisters are often pictured riding elephants into battle. Their impression must have been fearsome. Within months they had taken approximately 65 citadels from the Chinese, and liberated Vietnam. They became co-rulers of their country, and resisted further attacks from the Chinese for three years. What happened next is very fuzzy indeed...
There are many and varied accounts of what happened to the Trung sisters following their eventual defeat at the hands of the Chinese. Some say they were executed by the Chinese general Ma Yuan, some say they died in battle, others say they committed suicide rather than yield to the Chinese (as suggested in the picture above, they threw themselves into a river). There are also very fanciful stories. In one of them, for example, the sisters vanished into the sky.
It's not difficult to see why these women have been so idolised and mythologised. With their dedication and ferocity they saved their people, at least for a time, from the tyranny of their Chinese overlords. For this feat they have been immortalised in statues all over Vietnam, they have had many temples dedicated to them, and places named after them. Once a year a festival is held in remembrance of the Trung sisters, honouring their courage, leadership and fighting skills.
Apparently, some historians believe that the story of the Trung sisters, and that of a later freedom fighter, Lady Trieu, may have been evidence that Vietnam was a matriarchal society before the Chinese invaded and forced the people to assimilate. It's a pretty cool idea, but I'm not sure I believe it. I think it's impressive enough that at the time, Vietnamese women were trained in combat and accepted as leaders and rulers. And I think it possible that without these ferocious warriors, Vietnam would have been absorbed into China, and its culture would be forgotten.
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment