Wa Shi (1498–1560), was a Zhuang noblewoman, who was a warrior, general, and political figure in southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in the latter years of the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, who is best known for countering the ''

wokou ''Wokou'' ( zh, c=, p=Wōkòu; ; Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ; ; literal Chinese translation: "dwarf bandits"), which translates to "Japanese pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 17 ...

'' pirates along China's southeastern coast during the reign of the

Jiajing Emperor The Jiajing Emperor (16September 150723January 1567), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houcong, art name, art names Yaozhai, Leixuan, and Tianchi Diaosou, was the 12th List of emperors of the Ming ...

Life

Wa Shi's father was nobleman Cen Zhang, a powerful lord of the Cen clan. She was a member of the minority

Zhuang people The Zhuang (; ; , , Sawndip: 佈獞) are a Tai-speaking ethnic group who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces. They form one of the 56 ...

from southern China, many of whose women trained as warriors. Her husband was the Zhuang noblemen Cen Meng, a

Tusi ''Tusi'', often translated as "headmen" or "chieftains", were hereditary tribal leaders recognized as imperial officials by the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China, and the Later Lê and Nguyễn dynasties of Vietnam. They ruled certain ...

(or chieftain) with whom she had a son, Cen Bangzuo. In the period 1524-1527 Cen Meng broke with the Chinese ruling dynasty. Because his rebellion endangered all of the Zhuang lords, Wa Shi's father, Cen Zhang, had Cen Meng poisoned. After Cen Meng's death, Wa Shi exploited the power vacuum to manoeuvre herself into a position of power, eventually becoming one of the most powerful lords in the Zhuang heartlands. Under the

, Wa Shi participated in the government of Tianzhou in the

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

region of China. In 1553, the ''

'' pirates intensified their raids on the southeastern coast of China. In 1555, the emperor appointed Wa Shi as regional commander to assist general

Yu Dayou Yu Dayou (1503–1579), courtesy name Zhifu, art name Xujiang, was a Chinese martial artist, military general, and writer best known for countering the ''wokou'' pirates along China's southeastern coast during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor i ...

in suppressing the pirates. In March 1555, Wa Shi led troops to cross several thousand ''li'' (Chinese miles) from Tianzhou to defend Jinshanwei (modern

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

), and rescued a Marshal of the Ming Dynasty from an enemy ambush. Wa Shi also had a victory at Shengun (‘Flourishing Mound’) in

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

, which was commemorated by changing its name to ‘Victorious Mound’.Lily Xiao Hong Lee and Sue Wiles, ''Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women'', p. 433. In 1557 Wa Shi was chosen as a general to act against the ''wokou'' pirates who plaguing the southeast Chinese coast. She led over 6000 Zhuang infantry against the pirates and successfully defeated them at Wangjiangjing (north of modern

Jiaxing Jiaxing (), alternately romanized as Kashing, is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the p ...

). As a consequence, the emperor ennobled Wa Shi and granted her the title of ‘Lady of Premier Rank’ (一品夫人; ''yi pin fu ren''). Wa Shi died in 1560 and was buried in the Guangxi region.

Notes

References

* Lily Xiao Hong Lee and Sue Wiles, eds., ''Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Tang Through Ming, 618-1644'' (Armonk, New York, 2014).

External links

Chinese Women Soldiers: A History of 5000 Years'Wa Shi' at encyclopedia.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wa Shi Zhuang people Women in war in China Women in 16th-century warfare 16th-century Chinese women 16th-century Chinese military personnel 16th-century generals 16th-century women politicians 1498 births 1560 deaths