History of the Miao

The name "Miao" turns out to be reflected in the Chinese history books from the most remote times, although some doubts exist that these Miaos of the remote antiquity are in fact the ancestors of the current Miaos. Although some mythologies of the proper Miao narrán events similar to the Chinese histories, observed from another point of view, it is possible that they have been inspired by these.

The Miao are related to Nine Lis of the antiquity. According to his legend Chi You, his forefather, was the master of the Miaos 5.000 years ago, when it fought with another tribal group led by Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor, forefather of the Chinese). Defeated, from the basin of the Yellow river they were moving back on the south.

Of the year 2000 to 1600 a.n.e. were allied by them in what his name was Three Miaos. There is news about them in the average course of the Yangtze of the XIth to VIIIth century B.C. Then they fall down under the mastery of the State of Chu (VIIIth to Vth century) living in the current Jiangsu region, about the current city of of Wuxi.

It has not their news with this denomination until many centuries later.

In many places there is created a certain political organization that includes several villages, as it is called Men Kuan in the XIIth century, or Zai Kuan of the XVIIIth century. In both cases the leaders were chosen by the members, who were meeting regularly, there being created a body of laws applicable to all. In other places the nobility Miao governs the people on behalf of the emperor, or they are nominated officials for this intention. They keep on fleeing on the South and on the West according to the Chinese they were occupying grounds till then free, avoiding the wars and the military district.

The Miao of the island Hainan were sent there like punishment force in the XVIth century, remaining there.

In the last times of the dynasty Qing the Miao they rebelled in numerous occasions. These rebellions there were provoked by the increase of the Chinese immigration his grounds, the impoverishment d ela population and the imperial attempts of pressing his control hard on the minorities with different administrative reforms.

One of the most important was the rebellion of 1795 in the West of Hunan and Northeast of Guizhou, directed by Shi Liudeng, Shi Sanbao, Wu Bansheng and Wu Bayue, which during a time finished with the power of the emperors Qing in the area, and she was late twelve years in being suffocated.

The biggest of all nevertheless, which implied major number of rebels and imperial forces, took place in in year 1851. During the same Zhang Xumei and his army they managed to be done under control of the Northwest of Guizhou, supporting his domain more than 25 years. The imperial repression was brutal.

The continuous wars pushed many Miao to be emigrating towards the south, where they were penetrating slowly in the countries of Indochina.

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