Qiu Jin (1875-1907) is sometimes called “China’s Joan of Arc.” This feminist poet and warrior defied tradition to become a martyr for the revolution that transformed China into a republic.
Qiu Jin (1875-1907) is sometimes called “China’s Joan of Arc.” This feminist poet and warrior defied tradition to become a martyr for the revolution that transformed China into a republic.
This month, we’re highlighting Women of Resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills, these women created paths for change.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanica.
This month on Womanica, we’re highlighting women who led extraordinary lives of resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, or reproductive control, these women created paths for change.
Today’s, we’re talking about the woman dubbed “China’s Joan of Arc.” This feminist poet and warrior defied tradition to become a martyr for the revolution that transformed China into a republic.
Meet Qiu Jin.
Qiu Jin was born on November 8, 1875 in the southern port city of Xiamen.
Qiu Jin belonged to a respected gentry family, which meant she received a good education. As a child, she loved to study the stories of female heroes and warriors from Chinese history. She read the legends of Hua Mulan, who famously dressed as a man to take her father’s place in the army.
Qiu Jin’s parents also let her learn martial arts with an older male cousin. By the age of 13, she was writing original poetry.
She began one poem like this: “Don’t tell me women / are not the stuff of heroes.”
Qiu Jin may have been a feminist from a young age, but she was still expected to conform to the gender norms of her time. She learned needlework and endured the now-outlawed practice of footbinding. She also had to have an arranged marriage with a suitor her father selected.
Qiu Jin was in her early twenties when she married Wang Tingjun, the son of a wealthy merchant family. The couple had two children together — a daughter and a son.
Qiu Jin found her new role as wife and mother stifling and didn’t care for her husband. She wrote, “That person’s behavior is worse than an animal’s. He treats me as less than nothing. When I think of him my hair bristles with anger, it’s absolutely unbearable.”
Qiu Jin and her family moved to Beijing around 1903. In the bustling city, she found new inspiration and social freedom. In an act of rebellion, she chose to unbind her feet. She also continued her study of swordplay and started to experiment with wearing men’s clothing. Qiu Jin forged friendships with other like-minded women who felt equally trapped by traditional gender roles. She was also developing a strong political consciousness.
The early 20th century was a period of great unrest for China. The Qing Dynasty had been in power since the mid-17th century and was becoming increasingly unpopular. China had lost territory to Japan and the country was facing the foreign threat of Western colonialism. Many Chinese citizens were ready for a revolution — and Qiu Jin was one of them.
Not long after moving to Beijing, Qiu Jin decided she needed to escape the oppressive life she faced as a woman in traditional society.
She sold her jewelry to afford passage on a ship to Japan, leaving her husband and children behind.
Japan had embraced modernization more quickly than China, so it was a popular destination for young Chinese intellectuals who wanted to break away from tradition and explore new ways of life. While she was there, Qiu Jin became embedded in revolutionary circles. She joined the Triad, an underground society with a mission to overthrow the Qing dynasty. She also continued to study martial arts and even learned to make bombs.
Around 1906, Qiu Jin returned to China, determined to help drive the country to revolution. She founded a feminist magazine called “Chinese Women’s Journal” and wrote about the cruelty of foot binding and arranged marriages.
By 1907, Qiu Jin was in charge of the Datong School, which was secretly a training ground for young revolutionaries. She also worked with an anti-Qing group to organize a rebellion. As summer approached, Qiu Jin began coordinating with her cousin and fellow rebel Xu Xilin to schedule several uprisings.
But these plans were cut short when Xu Xilin was captured by the government officials, tortured and executed. Qiu Jin knew soldiers would be coming for her, too, but she refused to run away or go into hiding.
On July 13, 1907, troops descended on the Datong School. Qiu Jin and some of her students tried to fight them off, but she was ultimately arrested. Government officials tried to torture information out of Qiu Jin to learn more about her revolutionary plots. But she refused to reveal anything.
On July 15, 1907, Qiu Jin was publicly executed in a square in her family’s ancestral hometown of Shaoxing. She was 31 years old. After her death, Qiu Jin was embraced by many as a hero and martyr. A few years after her death, in 1911, the revolution that Qiu Jin dedicated her final years to finally happened and The Qing Dynasty fell. .
All month we’re highlighting women who led lives of resistance. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
As always, we’ll be taking a break for the weekend. Talk to you Monday!