Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi – The rebel sisters who became Joint Queens of Vietnam and became national heroines

Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi are national heroines of Vietnam.^[1] They led a massive rebellion against Han Chinese rule and were made queens. Even though they were ultimately defeated, they became symbols of Vietnam’s resistance against foreign invasion.^[2] Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi have been honoured in a temple and at an annual festival.^[3] Their story has also been written about in various forms of literature.^[4]

The birth dates of Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi are unknown.^[5] They were born in Jiaozhi (northeast of modern-day Hanoi in Vietnam).^[6] They were said to be descended from ancient Hung kings.^[7] Trung Trac and Trung Nhi were the daughters of a local chieftain named Ba Man Thien.^[8] Trung Trac married a local chieftain named Thi Sach.^[9] It is unknown if Trung Nhi ever married.^[10]

The people that lived in the Jiaozhi region were once known as the Luo tribes.^[11] They integrated into the Chinese Empire during the Qin and Han periods.^[12] Each territory had its own army with its own chieftain, which was similar to the Han system.^[13] Modern historians believe that Trung Trac may have received military training from her father, Ba Man Thien.^[14]

The governor of the Jiaozhi region, Su Ding, was very cruel to the Luo tribes in the region.^[15] He was known to be “greedy and incompetent.”^[16] Trung Trac’s husband, Thi Sach, rebelled against Su Ding’s tyranny.^[17] In 40 C.E., Su Ding executed Thi Sach.^[18] The execution of her husband caused Trung Trac to join in the rebellion against Su Ding.^[19] Trung Trac was aided by her sister, Trung Nhi.^[20] They gained widespread support, especially from other tribes in various regions of modern-day Vietnam that were also resisting the Chinese Empire.^[21] Trung Trac and Trung Nhi commanded an army of 83,000 soldiers.^[22] They successfully captured sixty-five fortresses.^[23]

In 40 B.C.E., Trung Trac and Trung Nhi were proclaimed as joint queens of Vietnam.^[24] They established their royal court at Me Linh.^[25] They abolished heavy taxes that were imposed by the Han Chinese.^[26] They also started to restore traditional Vietnamese culture and customs.^[27] Their major goal as joint queens was to seek revenge that was committed against their country and Queen Trung Trac’s deceased husband.^[28] They also planned to restore the “traditional Vietnamese aristocratic rule.”^[29]

In 41 C.E., Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty sent ten thousand troops to crush the queens’ rebellion.^[30] He appointed General Ma Yuan and General Duan Zhi to be in charge of his army.^[31] General Duan Zhi died as soon as he first arrived in Hepu.^[32] This left General Ma Yuan solely in charge of the Han army.^[33] General Ma Yuan executed a thousand of the queens’ supporters.^[34] He had also taken ten thousand as captives.^[35] Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi were forced to pull back to Jinxi, which was a rough area that was surrounded by “toxic vapours.”^[36] They were frequently cut off from supplies.^[37] The queens quickly became unable to sustain their rebellion.^[38] In 43 C.E., Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi were captured by General Yuan Ma and executed.^[39] Their heads were sent to Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty.^[40]

Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi became national heroines of Vietnam.^[41] They are seen as exemplary models for Vietnam to resist foreign domination.^[42] Many schools, hospitals, and streets are named after them in Vietnam.^[43] There is a temple outside of Hanoi in honour of Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi.^[44] Many people in Vietnam prayed to them for help in droughts and floods.^[45] In Han Loi village, the residents held an annual festival on February 6th commemorating Queen Trung Trac and Queen Trung Nhi.^[46] Their images have appeared on postage stamps.^[47] They have also been written about in novels, poems, and plays.^[48] Thus, the courageous deeds of these queens will never be forgotten.

Sources:

Lai, M & Wong, T. (2015). “The Zheng Sisters”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E.. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 253-255.

Rielly, E. J. (2022). “The Trung Sisters”. Salem Press Encyclopedia.

“Trung Sisters (d. 43 CE).” (2007). Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages. (Commire, A. Ed.; Klezmer, D. Ed.) Vol. 2, Yorkin Publications. p. 1890.