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China's time of the 3 kingdoms: Why were some women allowed to fight in the armies?

You know, China is one of these countries famous for having a very traditional view on men and women. Especially during the ancients, chinese women were, from what I know, servants only and never soldiers. But having heard something from the time of the 3 kingdoms (Wei, Shu and Wu) I'm really confused. It seems, that not all women were like that during that time, but I wonder why it was like that.

Let me give you a few names from chinese women which were, from what I know, allowed to take place in battle, right at the frontline:

Wei: Zhen Ji
Shu: Yue Ying (wife of the tactical genius Zhuge Liang)
Wu: Sun Shang Xiang (daughter of the king Sun Jian)
Others which I know: Diao Chan, Zhu Rong (wife of the Nanman king)

There are even others, but I do not remember the names now. My question is just, why they were allowed to serve in the armies and even took place at battle right at the frontline, because this is in contradiction with the traditional chinese behaviour about women.

Thanks.

For learning: Chinese (Mandarin)
Base language: English
Category: Culture

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chinafan
Jun 19, 2013
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it's true that women seldom paticipate in warfare in ancient china.
but maybe I can tell you something about some women you mentioned.most of them are took part in war by seducing enemies instead of go to the frontline.
sunshangxiang is sunquan's sister ,you know.when shu &wu are strving for a place called "jingzhou",a person called zhouyu gave sunquan a strategy,let liubei marry sunshangxiang.in fact he want to get jingzhou through this way.
diaochan is used to cast a bone between a person called dongzuo and another called lvbu.
all in all ,most women is used as a conpiracy rather than fight with enenmies directly.
but still some women go to the frontline,everything has a exception,despite the tradition.

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Nancy
Jun 20, 2013
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It seems that these were isolated cases, as you say it was not normal for women to serve as soldiers during those periods of time.

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Jura
Jun 19, 2013
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Here is a long list of ancient female Chinese warriors: Hua Mulan (possibly a myth), Ng Mui,Yim Wing-chun, Fu Hao , Mother Lü, Li Xiu, Lady of Yue, Qin Liangyu, Sun Shangxiang, Sun Quanas, Lady Zhurong, Princess Pingyang. These brave women warriors were allowed to fight in combat maybe because their agility, quickness and superior weaponary prevailed over the brute strength and sluggishness of their enemies.

My grandmother who served in the German Luftwaffe was braver than most men. She risked her own life in Nazi Germany when she fed starving Jews.

Today there are women who secretly operate U.S. drone planes over Afghanistan and Pakistan from Nevada via satellite link. These modern day female warriors can launch drone missiles at Taliban enemy targets and kill them from half way across the world.

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Steve H
Jun 20, 2013
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