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Women in Asian History

© Maria Christensen

While the struggle continues to place women in their rightful place in the history textbooks, some advances have been made. That is generally not the case when it comes to women in Asian history. There are a few very famous exceptions to this rule, however, it is difficult to find a substantial body of literature on this subject. Does this mean that women did not play a pivotal role in the history of the various Asian cultures? No. Women ruled kingdoms, led armies, healed the sick, wrote important literature and were respected as pillars of society. So why is it easy to believe that Asian women did not play a strong role in shaping the history of their nations? The reasons are as varied as the cultures themselves. Confucian values in some countries stressed the importance of the home and a woman's place within it. For example, during the Han Dyansty in China, a woman named Ban Zhao (c. 45-116) instructed the girls of the imperial court and wrote a well known text called Admonitions for Girls. In it she promoted such virtues as humility, obedience and cleanliness. She told her readers that

Humility means yielding and acting respectful, putting others first and oneself last, never mentioning one's own good deeds or denying one's own faults, enduring insults and bearing with mistreatment, all with due trepidation.

The list goes on. Suffice it to say that while women may not figure prominently in most texts on Asian history, it is an omission which deserves correction. On this all too brief page I will highlight just a few of the influential and interesting women in Asian history. I have concentrated on providing as many online resources as possible, as there is just not enough space to provide a complete biography for each woman. In some cases, there isn't much information to begin with. What follows is more of a roll of honor; a listing of some of the women in history who should not be forgotten.

In ancient India, a natural philosopher named Maritrayee lived, and is mentioned with respect in the Sanskrit Vedic literature.

In 40 AD, an extraordinary pair of sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi of Vietnam led their country in an uprising against their Chinese overlords and managed to throw them out of the country. They ruled as queens for three years, until the Chinese returned and reconquered the country. The queens committed suicide rather than submit. Click on their names and read the entire story. It is awe inspiring. These women are considered national heroes in Vietnam to this day.