Eunuchs in China – A Brief Introduction
Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2025 3:40 pm
NaturalEunuch asked after my post on Origins of Eunuchs and Human Castration, whether China had eunuchs before the Sumerians. In that post, I wrote, “The first documented instance of castration where the person was expected to live and be productive (as a slave) is from the Sumerian city of Lagash in about 2100 BCE.”
The earliest reference that has been found to date of human castration in China is on an oracle bone dating to the reign of King Wu Ding (文武丁 reigned 1116-1106 BCE). This would be about a thousand years after records of eunuchs in Sumer. The oracle bone was a divination asking the deities whether or not some captured enemy should be castrated. We do not know whether or not they were castrated and we do not know if castrated individuals were used as eunuchs that early in Chinese culture.
The earliest clear use of eunuchs intentionally castrated for service is sometime in the Zhou dynasty (周 1046-256 BCE). The Zhou Li (周礼 Rites of the Zhou), probably written in about the 3rd century BCE, describes the roles and functions of eunuchs in the royal court. When the use of eunuchs began in China and the early history of their use is lost. In the late Zhou court, however, they held many high and important offices.
The first eunuch known to have had a clear and important impact on Chinese history, however, was in the succeeding Qin dynasty (221-207 BCE). Zhao Gao (趙高)was apparently a son of the last king of Zhao. He was castrated when the kingdom fell to the Qin and his father was killed. He rose within the Qin court to become chief eunuch, handling all the Qin king’s communications with the outside world. When the Qin king died in 210 BCE, Zhao Gao arranged to have his eldest son commit suicide. He then placed an infant son on the throne, who he later killed, placing an outsider on the throne who ordered Zhao executed. The Qin kingdom fell soon afterwards and was replaced by the Han dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE).
Numbers and influence of eunuchs gradually increased in later dynasties.
Eunuchs reached their peak in influence and in numbers during the Tang (唐朝 618-907) and Ming (大明 1368-1644) dynasties. They were much fewer in number and had far less influence in the final Qing dynasty (大清 1644-1912). Much of what westerners know about Chinese eunuchs is based on the Qing example of weak and powerless servants in the palace.
I will write later about the Tang and Ming eunuchs, their influence, power, and numbers.
The earliest reference that has been found to date of human castration in China is on an oracle bone dating to the reign of King Wu Ding (文武丁 reigned 1116-1106 BCE). This would be about a thousand years after records of eunuchs in Sumer. The oracle bone was a divination asking the deities whether or not some captured enemy should be castrated. We do not know whether or not they were castrated and we do not know if castrated individuals were used as eunuchs that early in Chinese culture.
The earliest clear use of eunuchs intentionally castrated for service is sometime in the Zhou dynasty (周 1046-256 BCE). The Zhou Li (周礼 Rites of the Zhou), probably written in about the 3rd century BCE, describes the roles and functions of eunuchs in the royal court. When the use of eunuchs began in China and the early history of their use is lost. In the late Zhou court, however, they held many high and important offices.
The first eunuch known to have had a clear and important impact on Chinese history, however, was in the succeeding Qin dynasty (221-207 BCE). Zhao Gao (趙高)was apparently a son of the last king of Zhao. He was castrated when the kingdom fell to the Qin and his father was killed. He rose within the Qin court to become chief eunuch, handling all the Qin king’s communications with the outside world. When the Qin king died in 210 BCE, Zhao Gao arranged to have his eldest son commit suicide. He then placed an infant son on the throne, who he later killed, placing an outsider on the throne who ordered Zhao executed. The Qin kingdom fell soon afterwards and was replaced by the Han dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE).
Numbers and influence of eunuchs gradually increased in later dynasties.
Eunuchs reached their peak in influence and in numbers during the Tang (唐朝 618-907) and Ming (大明 1368-1644) dynasties. They were much fewer in number and had far less influence in the final Qing dynasty (大清 1644-1912). Much of what westerners know about Chinese eunuchs is based on the Qing example of weak and powerless servants in the palace.
I will write later about the Tang and Ming eunuchs, their influence, power, and numbers.