The Palace Eunuch System

Abstract

This chapter traces the beginnings of eunuchs serving in the palace and the rise of eunuch power during the Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties. The remainder of the chapter focuses on the evolution of the eunuch system from its “embryonic” state before the Qing established its rule over China proper to its initial growth during the reign of Shunzhi (r. 1644–1661) to its maturation during the mid-Qing, and finally its gradual decline after the 1850s.