|
Eunuchs In China
A eunuch ( ) is a man who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. In China, castration included removal of the penis as well as the testicles (see emasculation). Both organs were cut off with a knife at the same time. Eunuchs existed in the Chinese court starting around 146 AD during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, and were common as civil servants as early as the time of the Qin dynasty. From those ancient times until the Sui dynasty, castration was both a traditional punishment (one of the Five Punishments) and a means of gaining employment in the Imperial service. Certain eunuchs gained immense power that occasionally superseded that of even the Grand Secretaries such as the Ming dynasty official Zheng He. Self-castration was a common practice, although it was not always performed completely, which led to it being made illegal. It is said that the justification for the employment of eunuchs as high-ranking civil serv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Zhanghuai's Tomb, Eunuchs
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The female equivalent is a princess. The English word derives, via the French word ''prince'', from the Latin noun , from (first) and (head), meaning "the first, foremost, the chief, most distinguished, noble ruler, prince". In a related sense, now not commonly used, all more or less sovereign rulers over a state, including kings, were "princes" in the language of international politics. They normally had another title, for example king or duke. Many of these were Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. Historical background The Latin word (older Latin *prīsmo-kaps, ), became the usual title of the informal leader of the Roman senate some centuries before the transition to empire, the ''princeps senatus''. Emperor Augustus established the forma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting him in his afterlife. The figures, dating from approximately the late 200s BCE, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, Lintong County, outside Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. The figures vary in height according to their rank, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, Chariot (Ancient China), chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army hold more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remain ''in situ'' in the pits near Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other, non-military terracotta figures have since been found in other pits, including those of officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred towards the end of the Han dynasty. He was also an elder half-brother of Yuan Shu, a warlord who controlled the Huai River region, though the two were not on good terms with each other. One of the most powerful warlords of his time, Yuan Shao spearheaded a Campaign against Dong Zhuo, coalition of warlords against Dong Zhuo, who held Emperor Xian of Han, Emperor Xian hostage in the imperial capital, Luoyang, but failed due to internal disunity. In 200, he launched a campaign against his rival Cao Cao but was defeated at the Battle of Guandu. He died of illness two years later in Ye (ancient China), Ye. His eventual failure despite his illustrious family background and geographical advantages was commonly blamed on his indecisiveness and inabil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
He Jin
He Jin () (died 22 September 189), courtesy name Suigao, was a Chinese military general and politician. He was the military Grand Marshal and regent of the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was an elder half-brother of Empress He (the empress consort of Emperor Ling), and a maternal uncle of Emperor Shao. In 189, he and his sister shared power as regents when the young Emperor Shao was put on the throne following Emperor Ling's death. During the time, the conflict between He Jin and the influential eunuch faction intensified. After they overheard a conversation between He Jin and the empress dowager, the eunuch faction lured him into a trap in the imperial palace and assassinated him. While He Jin's subordinates, led by the warlord Yuan Shao, slaughtered the eunuch faction in revenge, the warlord Dong Zhuo took advantage of the power vacuum to enter the imperial capital Luoyang and seize control of the Han central government. Dong Zhuo's seizure of control and the subs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ten Attendants
The Ten Attendants, also known as the Ten Eunuchs, were a group of influential eunuch-officials in the imperial court of Emperor Ling ( 168–189) in Eastern Han China. Although they are often referred to as a group of 10, there were actually 12 of them, and all held the position of ''zhong changshi'' (中常侍; "Central Regular Attendant") in Emperor Ling's imperial court. The 12 were: Zhang Rang (張讓), Zhao Zhong (趙忠), Xia Yun (夏惲), Guo Sheng (郭勝), Sun Zhang (孫璋), Bi Lan (畢嵐), Li Song (栗嵩), Duan Gui (段珪), Gao Wang (高望), Zhang Gong (張恭), Han Kui (韓悝) and Song Dian (宋典).(張讓者，潁川人；趙忠者，安平人也。 ... 是時讓、忠及夏惲、郭勝、孫璋、畢嵐、栗嵩、段珪、高望、張恭、韓悝、宋典十二人，皆為中常侍， ...) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 78. Early years Two of the eunuchs, Zhang Rang (張讓) and Zhao Zhong (趙忠), started serving in the Han imperial palace as attendants holding the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
End Of The Han Dynasty
The end of the (Eastern) Han dynasty was the period of History of China, Chinese history from 189 to 220 CE, roughly coinciding with the tumultuous reign of the Han dynasty's last ruler, Emperor Xian of Han, Emperor Xian. It was followed by the Three Kingdoms era (220–280 CE). During the end of the Han dynasty, the country was thrown into turmoil by the Yellow Turban Rebellion (184–205). Meanwhile, the Han Empire's institutions were destroyed by the warlord Dong Zhuo and fractured into regional regimes ruled by various warlords, some of whom were nobles and officials of the Han imperial court. The warlord Cao Cao took control of Emperor Xian and his court in 196 and began gradually reunifying the empire. Cao Cao ostensibly operated under Emperor Xian's rule, though in reality the emperor was a hostage. Cao Cao's efforts to reunify China were rebuffed at the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208-209, when his armies were defeated by the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei. The Han d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wei Zifu
Wei Zifu (; died 9 September 91 BC), posthumous name, posthumously known as Empress Si of the filial piety, Filial Wu () or Wei Si Hou (衛思后, "Wei the Thoughtful Empress"), was an empress consort during ancient China's Han dynasty. She was the second wife of the famous Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wu and his spouse for 49 years. She stayed as his empress for 38 years, the second longest in Chinese history (behind only the 47-year reign of Wang Xijie, Empress Wang, the wife of Ming dynasty's Wanli Emperor, who lived over 1,600 years later). She was the mother of Emperor Wu's heir apparent Liu Ju and a great-grandmother of Liu Bingyi, as well as an older half-sister of the famed general Wei Qing, a younger aunt of Huo Qubing, and a step-aunt of Han statesman Huo Guang. Family background and early years Wei Zifu was born of humble means to a serfdom, serf family. She was the fourth child and the youngest daughter of a lowly housemaid/servant at the household of Princess Pingya ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Zhao Of Han
Emperor Zhao of Han (; 94 – 5 June 74 BC),''guiwei'' day of the 4th month of the 1st year of the ''Yuan'ping'' era, per Emperor Zhao's biography in ''Book of Han'' born Liu Fuling (劉弗陵), was the eighth emperor of the Han dynasty from 87 to 74 BC. Emperor Zhao was the youngest son of Emperor Wu. By the time he was born, Emperor Wu was already 62. Prince Fuling ascended the throne after the death of Emperor Wu in 87 BC. He was only eight years old (by East Asian reckoning). Huo Guang served as regent. Emperor Wu's long reign left the Han dynasty greatly expanded; however constant warfare had depleted the empire's coffers. Emperor Zhao, under the tutelage of Huo, took the initiative and lowered taxes as well as reducing government spending. As a result, citizens prospered and the Han dynasty enjoyed an era of peace. Emperor Zhao died after reigning for 13 years, at the age of 20. He was succeeded by Liu He, Prince of Changyi. Birth and childhood In 94 BC, then Prince ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wusun
The Wusun ( ) were an ancient semi-Eurasian nomads, nomadic Eurasian Steppe, steppe people of unknown origin mentioned in Chinese people, Chinese records from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. The Wusun originally lived between the Qilian Mountains and Dunhuang (Gansu) near the Yuezhi. Around 176 BC the Xiongnu raided the lands of the Yuezhi, who subsequently attacked the Wusun, killing their king and seizing their land. The Xiongnu adopted the surviving Wusun prince and made him one of their generals and leader of the Wusun. Around 162 BC the Yuezhi were driven into the Ili River Valley in Jetisu, Zhetysu, Dzungaria and Tian Shan, which had formerly been inhabited by the Saka. The Wusun then resettled in Gansu as vassals of the Xiongnu. In 133–132 BC, the Wusun drove the Yuezhi out of the Ili Valley and settled the area. The Wusun then became close allies of the Han dynasty and remained a powerful force in the region for several cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lady Li
Lady Li(, died between 104 and 101 BC) was a Han dynasty concubine of Emperor Wu. Civil unrest broke out between her family and Wei Zifu's family. Moreover, her siblings defected to the Xiongnu and became traitors to China. As a result, Emperor Wu ordered her relatives to be tried and executed, leading to the downfall of her and her family. Biography As concubine She was allegedly the inspiration for ''The Beauty Song'', composed by her brother Li Yannian. Lady Li was born in an entertainer family,she was a dancer. Her parent and brother were also entertainers. Lady Li's brother Li Yannian was a musician for Princess Pingyang. After he performed ''The Beauty Song'' () for Emperor Wu, the Emperor asked Li Yannian if he knew of such a woman, to which Princess Pingyang responded that the song was about Li's sister. The Emperor thus requested to meet with Lady Li, and she became one of his concubines. She had one son named Bo (髆). However, although composed in the persona ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Li Yannian (musician)
Li Yannian (; died 90 BC) was a Chinese musician during the Han dynasty. He became a court musician during Emperor Wu's reign, but was eventually executed for treason. His wrote the song ''Jiaren Qu'' (literally: ''The Beauty Song''), describing a lady with exceptional beauty. Upon hearing this song, the Emperor did not believe there could be such a woman on earth, but his sister Princess Pingyang mentioned Li has a younger sister who could match the description, so Emperor Wu took Li's sister Li Furen as a concubine. Li Yannian himself allegedly was homosexual. When Emperor re-established the Imperial Music Bureau, Li Yannian was appointed a musician in the court. Li Yannian's brother Li Guangli also became a general in the Han armies. Jiarenqu Jiarenqu (佳人曲, ''The Beauty Song'') Book of the Later Han 67:34 : ''There is a beauty in the north,'' : ''who stands out among the generations.'' : ''One look will topple the men of the city.'' : ''A second look will topple th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Anshi
Zhang Anshi (; died 13 September 62 BCE''bing'yin'' day of the 8th month of the 4th year of the ''Yuan'kang'' era, per vol.25 of ''Zizhi Tongjian''), courtesy name Ziru (子孺), was a Chinese politician of the Han dynasty. He was a son of Zhang Tang. He was a precocious student who attracted attention in a famous incident. During an Imperial progress, to which he was attached in a subordinate capacity, three boxes of books were missing. However, he was able to repeat the contents of each so accurately that upon the recovery of the books, they were found to tally exactly with his description. Emperor Wu immediately appointed him to high office; Emperor Wu promoted him further after Zhang Tang's death. He played a part in deposing Liu He as emperor, and subsequently rose under Emperor Xuan to be President of the Board of War, in succession to Huo Guang. After his death, his posthumous title was "Marquis Jing" (敬侯). Zhang Anshi was well known to be cautious in both his manner ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
