Mother Lü

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Mother Lü was a wealthy woman from Haiqu County in what is now Shandong province. She became the first known female rebel leader in Chinese history after her son Lü Yu was killed by a local magistrate for a minor offense. Using her wealth, she recruited poor peasants, gathered weapons, and led an army to capture Haiqu County, beheading the magistrate and placing his head on her son’s tomb. Her rebellion inspired others to rise up against Wang Mang’s Xin dynasty, helping start the Red Eyebrows movement. She died of illness in 18 AD; after her death, her followers joined Fan Chong to form the Red Eyebrows, which helped overthrow Xin and restore the Han dynasty under Liu Xiu. Her actions are seen as starting the uprisings that ended Xin and brought back the Han.