Trưng sisters
1st century AD Vietnamese queens and military leaders
The Trưng sisters, Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị,, known in Vietnamese as Hai Bà Trưng (Vietnamese pronunciation: [haj ɓà ʈ͡ʂɯŋ], 𠄩婆徵, "Two Ladies [named] Trưng") or simply Hai Bà ("The Two Ladies"), c.
14 – c. 43), were Lạc Việt military leaders who ruled for three years after commanding a rebellion in AD 40 against the first Chinese domination of Vietnam. Trưng Trắc was the first female monarch in Vietnam, and she was posthumously recognized Queen Trưng in the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư. They are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam.
The Trưng sisters were born to a wealthy aristocratic family in Jiaozhi (Giao Chỉ), a commandery of the Chinese Han dynasty in modern-day northern Vietnam. Following the death of Trưng Trắc's husband at the hands of the Chinese governor, the sisters rose up in rebellion, which quickly spread from the Red River Delta to a broader area stretching from Hepu to Rinan. At the height of the uprising the sisters and their allies controlled some sixty-five towns and settlements, with Trưng Trắc being proclaimed queen regnant. In 42 AD, Emperor Guangwu of Han sent a punitive expedition force led by general Ma Yuan to crush the rebellion. The sisters were defeated a year later, after which they either were executed or committed suicide.
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