Before the war started, the Hmong had over 4,000 villages with over 400,000 people. After the war, only 1,200 villages remained with 115,019 people alive. It is estimated that over 70% of the villages and people were destroyed during this war. Hmong territory in Hunan and Guizhou alone was being reduced by 80%, from 19,000 square kilometers to 4,000 square kilometers (p.281). Over 90% of Hmong farms were taken by the Chinese.
The last and the biggest rebellion in the Qing Dynasty started in 1855 and lasted for 18 years until it was suppressed in 1873. This rebellion was led by Zhang Xiu-mei, Yang Tuo Long, and other Hmong leaders. The causes of this rebellion were Chinese military colonialism, suppression, and heavy and unjust tax. During this time, there were 109 garrisons stationed in Hmong territory with 8,935 families and 9000 soldiers, and each soldier was given 5 mu of Hmong farm; there were 11,032 new Chinese families coming to Hmong territory and took away 8,398 Hmong family farms. The Chinese governments looted the Hmong freely. They destroyed Hmong irrigation system, took away Hmong property, dug out Hmong ancestral graves, prohibited the Hmong from celebrating their new year, and closed down Hmong market places. Tax was heavy and unjust, taking about 10% of their produce, and then was increased to 40% and 50%. Those who could not pay their tax were penalized by cutting nose and piercing nose. Some families had to dig out their ancestral graves and took out the money from the graves to pay their tax to the Chinese.
In 1855, a Hmong elder in Lang De village in Guizhou province could not pay his tax. He was hung and tortured to death by a Chinese soldier. Yaj Tuam Lwj, a young Hmong man of the village, was so angry, and he killed that Chinese soldier on the spot. The Hmong rebellion began hereon. On March 15, 1855 in Taijiang, there was a gathering of Hmong leaders to organize the rebellion. A white water buffalo, a white cow, a white chicken, and a white duck were sacrificed by the Cheeb Siv Cab River. An oath was sworn by drinking bloods from these animals mixed with wine. Here Zhang Xiu-mei was selected to be the leader of the rebellion. A Zhang Xiu-mei flag was raised here in Taijiang.
According to Professor Wu Rong Zhen, over 100,000 Chinese soldiers were killed during this war, and over 150 cities or villages were captured by the Hmong. But at the end the Hmong lost the war. Zhang Xiu-mei and Yang Tuo Long were captured and killed in Changsa, Hunan. Other Hmong leaders, Shi Liu Ting and Shi Xan Pao, were captured and killed in Beijing before the emperor. The rebellion came to an end in 1806.
It was because of Chinese oppression and killing in these many wars mentioned above that many Hmong chose to seek peace in Southeast Asia.
Today, it is estimated that there are at least eight to ten million Hmong in China, and that there are about two million Hmong living outside China such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, France, French Guiana, Germany, Argentina, Canada, and the United States.
On the one hand, it is so unfortunate that we have scattered throughout the world due to oppression and warfare. On the other hand, however, living in diaspora has given us a chance to broaden our worldview and to look at our society from the outside in. And doing so, we will be able to rediscover our roots and identity. In America, for example, we are in the best position to be educated with the knowledge and resources needed to dig out our roots that have been lost over times.
With education, we can read and learn that the world is not flat as once told to us by our parents; that the Hmong are not as backward as we once admitted; that the Hmong are as good looking as other people; and that the Hmong are a very ancient people with a very long history and a very unique and elaborate culture.
I don�t know about you. But for me, it was not until recently did I begin to see the beauty of our people and our culture. And honestly, I did not see it by myself. It was my American friends who, being outsiders, told me that the culture of the Hmong is very unique and highly structured. I was awakened. I began to observe closely our culture such as wedding rituals and funeral rituals. I began to realize that yes, our culture is one of the most highly structured, highly sophisticated cultures in the world. It sure needs some minor modifications in order to fit in today�s world. But I am pleased to say that our culture is one of the best in the world. If it is not the best, it certainly is among the best. And we should not be ashamed to be Hmong or to live in our culture.
In fact, if we go beyond the surface of our culture and look deeper into its roots, we would agree with many Hmong Chinese scholars that yes, the Hmong were rather developed and highly civilized in the distant past. We don�t know exactly who created our culture for us, and we don�t exactly when and where. But it certainly took a genius, during a peaceful period, to put together our culture, that even today, we could not see much room for improvement, because it was so well done. Our only main concern is that we are losing our culture, inch by inch. Today, Mr. Leng Kao Thao and Mr. Vang Chai Thao will discuss more of Hmong culture in their workshops.
Also in our culture, Hmong women have played important roles both during peace and war times. According to my Chinese Hmong professors, we once were living in a matriarchal society, in which women were the head of the household. Somehow, somewhere, and sometime in the distant past, our society gradually switched from matriarchy to patriarchy. Throughout history, it is obvious that our culture could have been lost long time ago, if our Hmong girls and women have not tried so hard to preserve it through their making and wearing Hmong clothing. Even today, it is so true. I have traveled widely in the United States, and to Laos, Thailand, and China. Only Hmong girls and women are wearing Hmong clothing. Hmong men are not even aware of our failure to defend, protect, and preserve our beautiful costume.
During war time, it was recorded that Hmong women had also fought along side Hmong men, and surely they also sacrificed their lives so that their children could live in peace with enough land to cultivate. During the rebellion led by Wu Bayue from 1795-1806, there was a Hmong woman named Shi Mog Mim. She was a commander, who was involved from the very beginning of the rebellion. She attended the first meeting with many other Hmong leaders, planning to launch a bloody rebellion against the Qing Dynasty. She was very intelligent and talented in martial art. It was said that she led only 10 or so woman soldiers, and they ambushed their enemy and sneaked behind enemy line to burn their arsenal. At times, they fought big battles with other Hmong leaders and troops. The Chinese had great fear of Shi Mog Mim. They offered a price for her head. One day, a Hmong woman carried a bloody head to a Chinese camp. There were also 10 or so women with her. They said that they had killed Shi Mog Mim and wanted to claim their price. As the Chinese commander was coming to inspect the head, the woman threw the head to him, took out her weapon, and killed him instantly. They fought briefly and withdrew. This brave woman was Shi Mog Mim herself. After most of the Hmong leaders were captured and killed, Shi Mog Mim was captured and tortured to death by slicing her flesh. Today Shi Mog Mim is a legend in the Hmong community in China, and particularly in her village.
One hundred thirty four (134) years after Shi Mog Mim�s death, another Hmong woman named Vwj Cheeb Mim became popular during the 1940 war against the Chinese in Hunan province. She was a prophet who fought alongside Hmong men until the war was suppressed after two years. Vwj Cheeb Mim was captured. But while in her captivity, Vwj Cheeb Mim slammed herself against a stone wall and killed herself, before the Chinese could do harm to her body.
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