The Ten Abominations (十惡, ''shí'è'') were a list of offenses under traditional Chinese law which were regarded as the most abhorrent, regarded as ultimate threat to civilized

society A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. ...

. They are listed below. The first three were capital offences: # Plotting

rebellion Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

(謀反, ''móufǎn''): to overthrow the current regime. # Plotting

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...

(謀大逆, ''móudànì''): to damage or destroy imperial temples,

burial mounds A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. ...

, or palaces. The ancient Chinese belief in ''

feng shui Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...

'' equated intentional damaging of imperial property with casting a curse on the ruler. # Plotting

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

(謀叛, ''móupàn''): to defect to an enemy state, usually carrying national secrets. #

Parricide Parricide is the deliberate killing of one's own parent, spouse, child, or other close relative. However, the term is sometimes used more generally to refer to the intentional killing of a near relative. It is an umbrella term that can be used to ...

(惡逆, ''ènì''): to murder one's own parents, grandparents or elders; to murder one's husband's parents, grandparents or elders. # Depravity (不道, ''bùdào''): to murder three or more innocent people; to desecrate a victim's body after committing a murder; to produce '' gu'' and use it to cast curses. # Great irreverence (大不敬, ''dàbùjìng''):

lèse-majesté ''Lèse-majesté'' or ''lese-majesty'' ( , ) is an offence or defamation against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or of the state itself. The English name for this crime is a mod ...

; to show disrespect to the emperor or his family. # Lack of

filial piety Filial piety is the virtue of exhibiting love and respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors, particularly within the context of Confucian ethics, Confucian, Chinese Buddhism, Chinese Buddhist ethics, Buddhist, and Daoism, Daoist ethics. ...

(不孝, ''bùxiào''): to maltreat one's parents or grandparents, or to procure entertainment during periods of mourning (up to three years after the death of one's parents). # Discord (不睦, ''bùmù''): to harm or sue one's husband or elders. # Unrighteousness (不義, ''bùyì''):

petty treason Petty treason or petit treason was an offence under the common law of England in which a person killed or otherwise violated the authority of a social superior, other than the king. In England and Wales, petty treason ceased to be a distinct offe ...

; to murder one's mentor, superiors or government officials. #

Incest Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...

(內亂, ''nèiluàn''): actually defined as having affairs with the wives or concubines of one's father, grandfather, or other elder male relatives. During the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, imperial privileges, such as the Eight Deliberations, were not applicable to the Ten Abominations due to their seriousness.The Great Ming Code: Da Ming Lü, S. lxv
Online
/ref>

References

Legal history of China Incest Treason {{Law-stub