Women Warriors

The Trung Sisters of Vietnam

by Janet Phillips, Ashdown, Arkansas

In Vietnam women have often been at the forefront in resisting foreign forces. The Trung Sister led in the nation in an uprising against the conquering Chinese, in the year 40 AD. The sisters were daughters of a powerful lord. Trung Trac and Trung Nhi lived in a time when Vietnamese women enjoyed more freedoms. They could inherit property and become political leaders, judges and warriors.

The Trungs gathered an army of 80,000 to drive back the Chinese from Vietnam. Thirty- six of the generals in this army were women. The temples dedicated to Trung Trac recorded many of the names of the leaders of the uprising, many of these names are women.

The women led the army of 80,000 and succeeded in driving out the Chinese until 43 AD. The sisters are reported to have committed suicide rather than face capture. During that three year period, Trung Trac was declared ruler. She established her court at Me-linh. She abolished the hated tribune taxes and attempted to restore and simpler form of government.

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