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Now let me share with you some selected rebellions in China to show you that our ancestors were very strong in their fight against their invading enemy; that we did have country and kings; that we had a written language; and that we suffered tremendously during our struggle to preserve our nationality.
In 1436, Lis Theeb Pov led a rebellion against the Chinese for taking over Hmong land, for imposing heavy tax on the Hmong, and for bringing military forces to control and suppress the Hmong. Lis Theeb Pov was selected as the Hmong King with the title of Wu Li.(p131). A Hmong government system was established. Over 70,000 Chinese troops from three provinces (Hunan, Guizhou, and Sichuan) were deployed to suppress this rebellion. In 1460, King Lee Ting Pao was captured and killed in Beijing. It is said that 90% of Hmong soldiers were killed in this war, which lasted for 24 years. King Lee Ting Pao�s name still appears in Hmong songs and poetry.
In 1501, Lis Txawj Vam led a rebellion in Hunan against the Ming Dynasty. Lis Txawj Vam was made the Hmong King (known as Huab Tais Lis Theeb Vaj). He carried a yellow flag. The Chinese used 57,000 troops, divided into four divisions to attack the Hmong. A few thousand Hmong were killed, and 400 Hmong women were captured, raped and tortured to death. King Lee Ting Vang was killed, and the war ended after one year.
In 1737, Poj Lig and Hooj Yeeb led a rebellion in Guizhou province against the Qing Dynasty. This rebellion is important because both Cooked Hmong and Raw Hmong jointly fought against the Chinese government. The Chinese used 30,000 troops from seven provinces (Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Sichuan) to suppress the Hmong. At one point, 37 Hmong leaders with 600 family members surrendered in good faith, but they were executed instead. The Hmong continued to fight. In this rebellion, Hmong men killed their wives and children before going off to battles against the Chinese, because they did not want the Chinese to get to their families and torture them. And I suppose that Hmong women and children were willing to die from the swords of their husbands or their fathers, who would end their lives without pain. They knew so well that if the Chinese captured them, they would be slowly sliced to death in front of other people, and some would be burned to death. It was just too much pain to bear.
In this rebellion, the Hmong won many battles in the beginning. But eventually they could not hold back the stronger Chinese forces. They were forced to defend themselves in the famous Lei Gong Shan, a mountain of 2,170 meters above sea level in Guizhou province. They were surrounded by Chinese troops. They could not farm in the mountain. After six months in Lei Gong Shan, over 30,000 Hmong died of starvation, excluding those died in battles. Finally, Poj Yig and Hooj Yeeb with 400 comrades were captured, and were taken to Guiyang to be executed. In one battle only in Faj Pheej, 17,600 Hmong soldiers were killed, and 25,000 were captured, which half them were executed. 1,224 Hmong villages were burned down, which is about 75% of Hmong villages. It is estimated that about 70% to 80% Hmong were killed in this war. Hundreds and hundreds of villages were completely wiped out without a single Hmong living.
In 1734 in West Hunan, the Chinese government accused two Hmong leaders of stealing their military uniforms. During this time, the Chinese imposed a policy on the Hmong stating that if one person did one thing wrong, then the whole village would be blamed for and penalized. The Chinese then used force to arrest the two Hmong leaders. The Hmong resisted and a war broke out, and lasted for about three years. The Hmong were defeated in a mountain called Roob Xyoob Ntsuam. It is said that Hundreds and thousands of Hmong were killed, piling one on top of each other, and their blood ran like a stream. Hmong men of 15 years and over were all killed. Women and children were taken as slaves and were sold to distant places.
After the Roob Xyoob Ntsuam massacre, the Hmong were ready for a bigger rebellion. The Hmong organized themselves and began making weapons. They also created a Hmong written language to be used among themselves (p158). They began spreading rumor that a Hmong king had come. The rebellion was launched in early 1740, led by Xub Xeev Yig, who was selected to be the Hmong king. The flag of the Hmong had five colors (p159). A total of 20,000 Chinese troops from five provinces were used to suppress this rebellion, which lasted about 1 � year. In June 1741, the Hmong were defeated, also, at Roob Xyoob Ntsuam. King Xub Xeev Yig was captured. Over 10,000 Hmong were killed during this war (p180). About 15,000 or 16,000 died of starvation and suicide. Captured Hmong girls and women were sold as follow (p180):
� 3-5 years 1 lag nyiaj (1/12 of a silver bar)
� 6-11 2 lag
� 12-16 3 lag
� 17-30 5 lag
� 30-40 2 lag
� Over 40 .5 lag, like and infant
Only 40% of the Hmong were alive after this war. They were prohibited to learn their written language (p187). After this war, there were more military garrisons stationed in Hmong territory, and more Chinese citizens were brought into Hmongland.
In 1787, in the village of Khawb Pus (Hunan?), a group of Chinese merchants were robbed, and they accused the Hmong in that village for the crime. They used to do this as a pretext to rip off the Hmong. So two Hmong leaders, Sis Mas Yim and Looj Kab Yeeb argued with the Chinese, who sent in 1,300 Chinese soldiers to wipe out Khawb Pu village. 130 Hmong were captured. Sis Mas Yim and Looj Kab Yeeb were sliced to death. The rest was thrown into a burning fire (p204).
From 1787, the Hmong in Hunan and Guizhou planned a revenge for Sis Mas Yim and Looj Kab Yeeb. After 7 years of planning (from 1788 to 1795), Hmong began talking about the coming of a Hmong king. Their slogan was to chase out the Chinese and the Manchu and to get back Hmong land and to regain their independence. This was a rebellion organized by the Hmong in Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.
In January 1795, the rebellion began, and lasted until 1806. Wu Pa Yia was selected to be the Hmong king. He was an educated man, and had great martial art skills. It is said that he carried a sword of 45.5 kg, which is about 100 lb. His sword is being kept in a museum in Jishou in Hunan province (p213). Within a year into the rebellion, the Hmong regained most of their lands that were taken by the Chinese. The Chinese deployed a total of 180,000 troops from seven provinces (Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong, and Guangxi) led by Fu Kang Nya to suppress the Hmong.
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