How an army of eunuchs ran the Forbidden City

Duties and influence

Eunuchs were required to preserve the sanctity and secrecy surrounding the emperor. They performed duties in virtually every aspect of palace life: outdoors, they served as water-carriers, watchmen, chair-bearers, and gardeners; indoors, their roles included cooks and chamber, parlor, or scullery maids.

MANAGEMENT
The eunuch population swelled to 70,000 by 1644 (up from 10,000 in the 15th century), a surge largely driven by men seeking palace work through voluntary emasculation. However, fearing this excessive influence, the new Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644-1911) began ruling by drastically reducing the number to just 3,000. To manage the remaining staff, the eunuch administration was divided into 48 specialised departments. This structure was highly hierarchical: each department had its own superintendent, all overseen by a chief eunuch, or general supervisor, whose office was usually ranked third grade.

In the late Qing dynasty, most eunuchs received a monthly salary of two to four silver taels. The highest pay was 12 taels, irrespective of rank. A silver tael was a traditional unit of weight in China (around 40 grams of silver) and served as a major form of currency.

SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Eighteen lama priests, all eunuchs, attended to the spiritual welfare of the palace ladies and received a double allowance as salary. Vacancies were quickly filled by eunuchs with a spiritual vocation who wished to become priests.

A dramatic corps of 300 eunuchs was maintained solely to rehearse and perform for the palace females, as outsiders were forbidden to enter the Forbidden City. This troupe was controlled by a chief eunuch and lived in the Nan-fu, just outside the palace walls.

PUNISHMENT
Since eunuchs managed nearly every palace issue, their access to valuable information allowed them to wield significant power and influence, even over the emperor. Because eunuchs controlled all rites and protocols, their power constantly waxed and waned according to the strength of the reigning emperor's character.

In 1655, Emperor Shunzhi issued the following decree: “The employment of eunuchs has been a tradition since ancient times. However, their abuses have often led to disastrous disturbances. They misappropriated power, intervened in government affairs, organised secret agents, murdered the innocent, commanded troops and brought their evil practices to the border regions. They even engaged in conspiratorial activities, framed those who were loyal and good, instigated factional struggles and encouraged fawning and flattery, until the affairs of state deteriorated day by day, and corruption occurred everywhere …

… From now on, anyone who is guilty of interfering with government affairs, misappropriating power, accepting bribes, involving himself in internal and external affairs, associating himself with Manchu and Han officials, reporting on things which are not his duty, or suggesting whether an official is good or bad, shall promptly be put to death, by slicing without mercy. This iron table is hereby erected so that it may be observed from generation to generation”.

Eunuchs were subjected to arbitrary punishments, which ranged from monetary fines to execution. Beatings were common, as was the sentence to cut grass, sometimes for life. The most frequent crime was desertion. If a eunuch ran away, his absence was immediately reported to a specialised police corps. This corps, whose members were not eunuchs themselves, was highly effective at tracking fugitives because they knew all the palace eunuchs. Escapes were rare, and the captured eunuch was always tried and punished upon his return.

DESERTION

First offence: Two months’ imprisonment, followed by 20 blows (beatings) before returning to duty.

Second offence: Two months confined in a cangue, after which he resumed his duties.

Third offence:Banishment to Moukden (now Shenyang) for 2½ years, followed by resumption of palace duties.

THIEF
Punishment for theft varied drastically based on the value of the item. Simple theft resulted in banishment to Moukden. However, if the stolen object was an imperial curio, jewelry or other valued prize of the emperor, the offender was taken to Chin-shan-k’ou (about 20km from Beijing) and decapitated.

MINOR OFFENCES
Laziness, neglect of duty, or other minor offences were punished by “bastinado”. This painful penalty consisted of being struck with a bamboo stick on the soles of the bare feet, with the culprit often receiving 80 to 100 blows.

Following the initial punishment, the eunuch was sent to a doctor to have his wounds dressed. However, to render the punishment more severe, the eunuch was flogged again after three days - a brutal second session grimly referred to as “raising the scabs”.