The
Gaitu Guiliu policy in
Qing China intensified class exploitation and ethnic oppression in Guizhou. This policy replaced tribal leadership with direct imperial control, allowing Qing officials and landlords to exploit Bouyei people. The
tusi system, where hereditary leaders became Qing officials, further exacerbated the issue. Tusi landlords forced farmers to cultivate "stamp fields" for taxes and perform labor services. Feudal landlords, officials, and even soldiers also extorted the population. The
White Lotus Sect originated during the
Yuan Dynasty. Wang Nangxian along with Wang Cong'er led the uprising of the White Lotus sect against the
Qing regime. In January 1797, a massive uprising led by Wang began with thousands of rebels attacking cities, gaining momentum until they captured Puping and Nanlong, leading to the suicide of
Prefect Cao Tingkui. By mid-February, the rebels had taken
Ceheng,
Zhenfeng,
Xingren, and
Xingyi, then moved towards
Ziyun,
Changshun,
Huishui, and
Zhijin, rallying local Bouyei,
Zhuang,
Yao,
Miao, and
Yi population to join them with sights set on capturing provincial capital
Guiyang. Wang also reportedly used Kung Fu and acrobatics, and fought with a sword in each hand, and led an army of men into battle against the
Qing army. Though Wang's peasant troops were at an obvious disadvantage, they overcame and surprised the Qing troops repeatedly by using guerrilla tactics. The contemporary records of the Qing Court stated that "the deadliest of all the rebels are those led by Madam Wang, wife of Qi" and "it is said that all the rebel factions from
Hubei and
Shanxi were stirred up by Wang".
Emperor Jiaqing dispatched troops to suppress the uprising and the rebellion weakened due to superior armaments of the Qing army. After the failed siege by rebels of Nanlong, the Qing response was swift; Governor-Generals Le Bao from
Yunnan-Guizhou and Jiqing from
Guangxi were dispatched. With 39 local militias formed by landlords, the rebels were pushed back. The siege of Nanlong ended in June and, by August 15, the government troops captured the Bouyei strongholds of Dongsa and Dangzhang. The rebels rose up to resist, wielding swords and spears to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. Both villages were breached, and the rebels ignited a raging fire and threw themselves into the sea of fire. According to the folk song "The Song of the Nanlong Resistance", Wang Nangxian led her troops into battle at Dongsa and achieved initial victory. However, the Qing army employed superior attacks, causing the rebel forces to crumble. Wang then disguised herself as a man to escape but was recognized by local militia. They seized the opportunity and captured her alive, delivering her to the Qing military camp. Another Bouyei folk epic about her presents a different account. In this version, the Qing army arrested Wang Nangxian's parents, luring her into the city. Wang Nangxian fought and killed several Qing soldiers before being captured while injured, although his account may not be entirely reliable. In summary, it is highly likely that Wang Nangxian was captured during the Battle of Dongsa. There are two conflicting accounts regarding whether Wang Nangxian possessed martial arts skills and participated in frontline combat. While neither the official report by Guangxi Governor Le Bao nor Wang Nangxian's own confession mentions her training in martial arts or her involvement in direct combat, folkloric accounts consistently portray her as a highly skilled martial artist who killed numerous enemies. The
Xingyi Prefecture Gazette describes her commanding a siege while surrounded by female generals, and the
Chinese Encyclopedia of Minority Nationalities states that she trained in martial arts from a young age. Recent domestic scholarly articles further assert that she fought bravely on the frontlines. Although it is plausible for a young woman to possess martial arts skills, given the context of her leading an armed uprising and her itinerant lifestyle, her primary role likely involved utilizing religion to mobilize the masses, boost morale, and inspire confidence, similar to the French heroine
Joan of Arc. ==Legacy==