Qiu Ersao
Qiu Ersao, was a Chinese rebel and military commander during the Taiping Rebellion. Originally a religious leader within the Tiandihui, she commanded 500 female soldiers under her command.Biography
Born in Qiaoxu, Guixian County, Guangxi Province, her husband was an opium addict, so she was the one in charge of family support preparing and selling sweets in the local market. Tired of corruption and abuse by the authorities, in the fall of 1849 she joined the Red Turban Rebellion and learned martial arts. In 1850 she joined the Taiping Rebellion and along with Su Sanniang commanded her female troops. Qiu Ersao decorated her sword with red pompoms and as a combatant she stood out as a speaker. She died in a confrontation against the local militia in the fall of 1853, when struck by enemy fire, she fell from the horse.
