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Chen Shuozhen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Chinese name, the family name is Chen.
Empress Wenjia
文佳皇帝
Empress regnant of China
(self-proclaimed)
ReignSeptember – November 653
PredecessorEmpress Wang (as Empress consort of the Tang dynasty)
Emperor Gaozong (as Emperor of the Tang dynasty)
SuccessorEmpress Wang (as Empress consort of the Tang dynasty)
Emperor Gaozong (as Emperor of the Tang dynasty)
Wu Zetian (as Empress regnant of the Zhou Dynasty)
Prime MinisterZhang Shuzeng
Born7th-century
DiedNovember 653
Names
Family name: Chen (陳)
Given name: Shuozhen (碩真)
Regnal name
Empress Wenjia (文佳皇帝)
OccupationRebel leader

Chen Shuozhen (Chinese: 陳碩真; pinyin: Chén Shuòzhēn; died 653) was a Tang dynasty woman from Muzhou (in modern Chun'an, Zhejiang), who led a peasant uprising in 653.[1][2] During the rebellion, she declared herself Empress Wenjia (文佳皇帝),[3] becoming the first female rebel leader in Chinese history to assume the title of Huangdi ("emperor").[4][5] Shuozhen rang bells and burnt incense as she marched to war. She was said to have magic powers, and her people said she was a deity.[6]

Biography

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Chen Shuozhen's family and background are not entirely known, though her skill with warfare suggests she may have come from a family with martial experience.[6] She may have come from a humble background, as she is sometimes referred to as a peasant.[2]

In the early years of Tang Gaozong, the Zhejiang area went through successive periods of famine. The peasants were living in precarious conditions, due to hunger and also the oppression of the nobles. Because of this, there was an increasing discontent with the feudal lords and the Empire. This may have inspired Chen Shuozen to rebel, and may have encouraged people to join her. [6]

In 653 AD, less than four years after the death of Emperor Taizong, a large-scale peasant uprising occurred in Zhejiang during the fourth year of Tang Gaozong's Yonghui era. Chen Shuozhen was the leader of this rebellion, she claimed to return to the world from heaven. She gathered a large number of believers with enchanting people. In early 653, she started her own army and claimed to be "Emperor Wenjia"; and appointed her brother-in-law (Zhang Shuzeng) as her prime minister.[6]

Emperor Wenjia led two thousand people to capture Chenzhou and Yuqian County, she also attacked Zhangzhou but failed. After several battles the whole army was wiped out. She was also killed in November of that year, and tens of thousands of people surrendered.

Emperor Wenjia's reign lasted only two months, with the last of her 14,000 troops surrendering in late 653. Her story survives though as she's said to have inspired Fang La's uprising at the end of the Northern Song dynasty and remains prominent in Zhejiang folklore.

Historian Jian Bozan (翦伯赞) recognized Chen Shuozhen as the first empress-regnant in Chinese history.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Woo, X L (2008). Empress Wu the Great: Tang dynasty China. Algora Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-87586-660-4.
  2. ^ a b Tung, Jowen R. (2000). Fables for the Patriarchs: Gender Politics in Tang Discourse. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8476-9513-3.
  3. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 199.
  4. ^ Hughes, April D. (2021-05-31). Worldly Saviors and Imperial Authority in Medieval Chinese Buddhism. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-8626-4.
  5. ^ Woo, X. L. (2008). Empress Wu the Great: Tang Dynasty China. Algora Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87586-662-8.
  6. ^ a b c d Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Wiles, Sue (2015-01-28). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 - 1644. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-51562-3.
  7. ^ 馮敏飛 (2016-01-01). 危世圖存 : 中國歷史上的15次中興 (in Chinese). 新華出版社. p. 355. ISBN 978-7-5166-2761-7. 翦伯赞称陈硕真是中国历史上第一位女皇帝。


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