When did eunuchs begin to exist in the history of China? Why would anyone be a eunuch?

Eunuchs also left a very strong impression in the 5,000-year-old historical transformation of China, and they also played an important role in promoting the historical process and the replacement of dynasties.

Eunuch, also known as eunuch, was an official who lost sexual ability after castration in ancient China and served emperors, monarchs and their families.

The word eunuch first appeared in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. In Tang Gaozong, the province was changed to Zhonggong, with eunuch as the role, and later eunuchs were also called eunuchs.

Throughout the dynasties, eunuchs were also called temple officials, eunuchs (eunuchs), eunuchs, bureaucrats, middle-ranking officials, internal officials, internal ministers, internal servants and internal supervisors. In the Ming Dynasty, they were also called companions of the old eunuch.

When and where eunuchs originated is not clearly recorded in the history books. According to experts' research, there are relevant records in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. As early as Shang Dynasty, there were "temple people", which naturally has a long history.

There was the consciousness and behavior of castrating male genitalia in Yin and Shang Dynasties. Kong Anguo in Han Dynasty said: "castration, lascivious punishment, male castration, female claustrophobia, second-class death penalty".

Palace punishment is second only to death penalty, so it is speculated that the earliest eunuch should also come from the punishment of palace punishment. The initial function of castration is to punish improper sexual relations between men and women, that is, "women shall not leave the palace for adultery;" If a husband commits adultery, it will cut off his potential. "

The eunuch system originated in the pre-Qin period, and there are records about eunuchs in The Book of Songs, Zhou Li and Li Ji. Lao Ai, a famous eunuch, was favored by Evonne, the biological mother of Qin Shihuang, and had two illegitimate children. He claimed to be the "false father" of Ying Zheng, the king of Qin, and was named as a long letter Hou. Since he can have children, it means that he has not been castrated. Not all eunuchs were castrated at that time.

According to records, eunuchs in the pre-Qin and Western Han dynasties were not all eunuchs, but all eunuchs were used since the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty said: "At the beginning of Zhongxing (Emperor Guangwu established the Eastern Han Dynasty), eunuchs learned to use eunuchs."

There are many ladies in the palace, such as concubines and maids, and it is inevitable that normal adult men will get into trouble, thieves and prostitutes in the palace. To avoid this, castration is used to cut off their thoughts and functions.

As a special political force, eunuchs had a great influence on the political situation of many dynasties. Physical defects also lead to their psychological distortion. Tang Zhen described eunuchs in "Hidden Book": "Looking at them is not like a person, looking at them is not like a human face, listening to them is not like a human voice, and looking at them is inhuman."

Lu Xun said in "Widowed Graves": "The eunuchs in China were many times more ruthless and dangerous than ordinary people."

In the feudal society of China, eunuchs took part in political struggles in the Li Dynasty, and even controlled the heirs to the throne.

Zhao Gao in the Qin Dynasty, Zhang Rang in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Tong Guan in the Northern Song Dynasty, Gao Lishi and Li in the Tang Dynasty, Wei Zhongxian, Wang Zhen and Liu Jin in the Ming Dynasty, and Li and An Dehai in the Qing Dynasty were all famous eunuchs, who dominated the imperial court and occupied high positions, and cholera exceeded the class.

These eunuchs were generally poor since childhood and unable to support themselves, so they were sent to the palace to make a living. Being castrated after entering the palace means losing fertility, which is also called not being a man, and naturally leads to inferiority complex. In addition, when they are in the palace, they should bow their heads, bow respectfully, be beaten at every turn, and suffer psychologically. Over time, it is easy to produce distortion in their hearts. When they have some power, they will do some very rational and absurd things.

Zhao Gao of the Qin Dynasty, in order to prove his submission, even described a deer as a horse, thinking that following him to describe a deer as a horse was loyalty to himself.

Historical Records of the First Qin Emperor: "Zhao Gao wanted chaos, and he was afraid that his ministers would not listen. First, he set a good example and offered a deer in the second place, saying,' Ma Ye.' II smiled and said,' Is the Prime Minister wrong? Call a deer a horse. Left ask right ask, left ask right ask, or silence, or say Ma Yishun Zhao Gao.

Wang Zhen, who monopolizes power, is still not satisfied. In order to win by luck, he risked his sideline to stay in the history books, and unexpectedly encouraged the incompetent emperor Zhu Qizhen to personally levy Vara. As a result, the emperor became a prisoner.

What's even more ridiculous is that Wei Zhongxian, a trusted and so-called "9,900-year-old", ruled out dissidents and arbitrarily ruled over state affairs, so that people "only know loyalty and righteousness, but don't know emperors". I secretly sought the secret of restoring yang, cut off the boy's penis, cooked it with medical stone, and then used it to grow the penis again.

Eunuchs, as a type of work in ancient times, were deprived of men's rights from an early age, and their fates were different. The eunuch system can exist in so many dynasties, and it must have the meaning of its existence. Some eunuchs with outstanding political ability were not cut off.

The Revolution of 1911 overthrew the feudal rule of the Qing Dynasty and ended the eunuch system in feudal society that lasted for thousands of years.