The Last Chinese Eunuch: An Interesting Story

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The discussion centers on the historical role of eunuchs in imperial courts, particularly in China and the Ottoman Empire. Eunuchs were perceived as nonpersons, stripped of ambition and ego, allowing them access to the emperor's inner circle without compromising privacy. They held significant power and influence, often knowing intimate court secrets, as exemplified by Sun, who documented the life of Emperor Puyi and the scandals surrounding his court. The conversation highlights the contrasting fates of eunuchs and castrati, noting that while eunuchs could gain wealth and status, castrati faced limited opportunities and risks of losing their singing careers. Eunuchs served various roles, from servants to guardians in harems, and their loyalty was valued due to their inability to establish rival dynasties, with their amassed wealth reverting to the state upon their death. This complex history reveals the unique societal dynamics surrounding eunuchs in different cultures.
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A strange but interesting story..

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-china-eunuchs6-2009mar06,0,7938113.story

Emasculation was thought to render eunuchs nonpersons, without ambition or ego, so their presence in the innermost sanctum of the imperial palace did not violate the emperor's privacy.

"The eunuchs were very mysterious and in some ways more interesting than the emperors themselves," said Jia Yinghua, Sun's biographer. Jia met Sun when he was researching a book about Puyi, and recorded 100 hours of conversations with him.

Sun was privy to the court's most intimate secrets, the opium addiction and out-of-wedlock pregnancy of the emperor's first wife, Wanrong, and the emperor's ambivalence about his own sexuality.
 
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Alrighty now, I have read this a few times, and it has left me postless, which must be the same as speechless:bugeye: What a weird life this person had.
 
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What a horrid thing! At least the eunuchs had a chance at gaining wealth and power. The castrati who were castrated to keep their voices from deepening probably had far fewer opportunities, and if their singing-voices failed them, oh well!
 
I would really love to read this biography when it becomes available. Such an unusual piece of history. It sounds like the eunuchs were servants but some became more like concubines.
 
In the harems of the Ottomans, eunuchs were guardians.
 
Evo said:
In the harems of the Ottomans, eunuchs were guardians.
As they were among the Byzantines.

In both realms, several rose to positions of great power and wealth; since they were, for example, physically unable to found any rival dynasty, the emperor/sultan could rely on their loyalty and when the eunuch died, whatever riches he had amassed reverted to the state (that was the case in the Ottoman empire, at least).
 
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