HISTORY OF EUNUCHS IN CHINA - CHINESE EUNUCHS DOCUMENTARY

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  • čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
  • During most of Chinese history, eunuchs were a pivotal component of the imperial court. In this documentary, I’ll explain the Chinese eunuch system throughout: its functions, prominent members, and demise. I expose the castration process, their service in the palace and particularly in the forbidden city, infamous eunuchs such as Liu Jin and Wei Zhongxian, all the way to Sun Yaoting, the last eunuch in Chinese history.
    ➤ Follow me on Twitter/X! x.com/History_ofChina
    ➤ If you would like to make a donation, you can do so with Super Chat or via my paypal: paypal.me/historyofchina
    Many thanks!
    ♫ MUSIC ♫
    Total War Three Kingdoms - Oath of the Peach Garden
    Total War Three Kingdoms - Besieged
    Civilization V - Wu Zetian Peace Theme
    Civilization V - Wu Zetian War Theme
    Mongol Court Music
    Ming dynasty buddhist music - Chui si Diao
    Total War Three Kingdoms - Eternal Peace
    Total War Three Kingdoms - Bitter Winds
    Total War Three Kingdoms - A Noble Legacy
    Total War Three Kingdoms - The Calm Before the Storm
    Qing dynasty court music
    The Loyalist - Lotus Lane
    🎬 VIDEO CREDITS 🎬
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994)
    Total War Three Kingdoms - Trailer
    The Plough Department of Song Dynasty (2019)
    Zheng He's voyages (2011)
    Ming Dynasty (2019)
    China's forbidden city (2007)
    Royal Higness (2018)
    The Great Eunuch and the Little Carpenter (1993)
    Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield (2017)
    Young Son of Heaven (2002)
    The Lady in the Portrait (2017)
    The Empress Dowager (1975)
    The Last Emperor (1987)
    Lai Shi, China's Last Eunuch (1988)
    📜 MAIN SOURCES 📜
    Chinese Eunuchs (1970), Taisuke Mitamura
    The Eunuchs in the Ming dynasty (1996), Henry Shih-shan Tsai
    How an army of eunuchs ran the Forbidden City (2018), Marcelo Duhalde
    🏷️ TAGS 🏷️
    chinese eunuchs documentary
    forbidden city eunuchs
    imperial eunuchs
    eight tigers
    liu jin
    wei zhongxian
    li lianying
    sun yaoting
    Introduction: (0:00)
    Origins: (00:36)
    The First Eunuch Era: (02:08)
    The Second Eunuch Era: (04:01)
    From Song to Yuan: (06:55)
    Emperor Yongle: (09:39)
    Castration process: (13:06)
    Palace service: (14:27)
    Eight Tigers: (15:40)
    Wei Zhongxian: (18:03)
    The Qing dynasty: (19:55)
    Cixi's eunuchs: (23:45)
    The end of an era: (25:40)
    Conclusion: (29:02)

Komentáře • 1,2K

  • @Itried20takennames
    @Itried20takennames Před 6 měsíci +51

    There was an old phrase of “stinking like a Eunuch,” which either referred to the fact that many Eunuchs had some urinary incontinence or “dribbling,” or that Eunuchs would wear heavy perfume to cover this, and so smelled strongly of perfume. Just another difficulty in the whole difficult process.

  • @BrazenBard
    @BrazenBard Před 2 lety +648

    "It takes balls to take down the Chinese empire."
    "History says otherwise, in surprising specificity..."

    • @fullbloom7934
      @fullbloom7934 Před 2 lety +33

      Empire was taken down along with the balls…

    • @seangallagher1947
      @seangallagher1947 Před 2 lety +4

      Aptly said lol

    • @noobie7719
      @noobie7719 Před 2 lety +4

      😂apparently true!

    • @davidfreeman3083
      @davidfreeman3083 Před 2 lety +14

      It's sort of true, it takes the taken away of the balls. They're probably revenging for that...

    • @theabrescia1955
      @theabrescia1955 Před 2 lety +17

      @@davidfreeman3083 - There are reports of eunuchs being hostile and sadistic, - so the vengeful theory makes sense.
      Very gross that the parents forced their young boys to undergo the extreme torture of castration. What a horrific betrayal. The death rate from castration was very high. This video claims that the professional castrator killed 1 client out 50. It is more likely that the majority of his clients died from massive blood loss or extreme infection.

  • @mattumodi
    @mattumodi Před 2 lety +243

    I love how he pronounced those names so fluently and at the same time narrating the story in English so nicely.

  • @ranulfdoswell
    @ranulfdoswell Před 2 lety +958

    So refreshing to come across a channel that talks about Chinese history and can actually pronounce Chinese names correctly. Interesting content too, I'll be checking out the rest of your channel.

    • @sydneyt8976
      @sydneyt8976 Před 2 lety +43

      I was just about to comment this. Studied Mandarin for almost 10 years and even lived in Beijing for 3 years. It was so nice to hear him pronounce them properly. Made me smile.

    • @TheWhitepantheress
      @TheWhitepantheress Před 2 lety +15

      Studied Chinese (Mandarin) for 4 years and lived in Beijing for a few months and I was also thinking this also.

    • @Fyre0
      @Fyre0 Před 2 lety +18

      I've studied Mandarin for like 5 chapters of HSK 1 book and never lived in China and was gonna say the same thing

    • @ImAMassiveBender
      @ImAMassiveBender Před 2 lety +8

      Shade thrown on Jabzy.

    • @mephistosprincipium
      @mephistosprincipium Před 2 lety +24

      I never studied mandarin for even a second in my life and I was about to write the same

  • @dashoverton1963
    @dashoverton1963 Před 2 lety +712

    Kind of sad knowing countless numbers of poor young boys were castrated for the role. Many, if not all, of these children had no say as they were castrated.

    • @rockit3422
      @rockit3422 Před 2 lety +69

      And they weren’t criminals either🥺

    • @dashoverton1963
      @dashoverton1963 Před 2 lety +95

      @@rockit3422 Yes, usually these young boys were just captured child slaves or orphans.

    • @sampuspitakumarajiva8930
      @sampuspitakumarajiva8930 Před 2 lety +7

      they also grew boobs… yum

    • @SONJASAVEDBYGRACE
      @SONJASAVEDBYGRACE Před 2 lety +8

      😞

    • @deejin25
      @deejin25 Před 2 lety +55

      I'm gonna go out on a limb and say none of them had that choice. Even if asked they wouldn't know what that meant.

  • @Replicaate
    @Replicaate Před 2 lety +274

    Me, in pain recovering from surgery:
    CZcams: wanna hear about chinese castrated civil servants?
    Me: Sure, hearing about someone else's horrible pain might distract me.

    • @Replicaate
      @Replicaate Před 2 lety +37

      @Josh Smith Just several severely impacted teeth, thankfully not a castration lol.

    • @glorfindelchocolateflowery6392
      @glorfindelchocolateflowery6392 Před 2 lety +3

      and they say the average person should feel guilty for being depressed because of bed bound people in the hospital. Looks like hospital bound people are just as hypocritical as the rest of us

    • @TheMotherofTacos
      @TheMotherofTacos Před 2 lety +5

      Nice. I'm recovering from surgery too!

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +26

      Lol, I hope you will have a speedy recover :)

    • @bananaice3469
      @bananaice3469 Před 2 lety +6

      Wishing you a speedy recovery
      And hopefully you have already recovered :)

  • @Kittykat81572
    @Kittykat81572 Před 2 lety +485

    I’m so beyond happy I found this channel. It’s so hard to find people who make Chinese history easier to understand, let alone make it interesting too!!

    • @roblox21242
      @roblox21242 Před 2 lety +7

      im still having a hard time because of the names its confusing and city names... i wish the names was easier to understand remember

    • @jackl2257
      @jackl2257 Před 2 lety +13

      I’m glad you are appreciative of our culture

    • @elguapodelmonte215
      @elguapodelmonte215 Před 2 lety +1

      Oh yea Katarina, you must be either a Chinese bot, a smurf, a paid troll, a moll, a lost soul, or maybe just a skooby.

    • @jackl2257
      @jackl2257 Před 2 lety +6

      @Morgrim who asked

    • @WildWombats
      @WildWombats Před 2 lety +4

      @@roblox21242 That just takes time my friend. I've been fascinated with ancient Chinese history since my childhood. My recommendation is to watch some classic Chinese TV shows so you can get a handle on pronunciations first - like Romance of the Three Kingdoms (2010 version or 1996 version, both are good) or Advisor's Alliance. You'll obviously not understand everything being said, but if you can at least understand the names being said and the places, that will help you a lot over time. I'm at the point where I can remember names and places and to me, they sound normal. Keep watching and reading, and it'll become normal to you.

  • @leileijoker8465
    @leileijoker8465 Před 2 lety +283

    There was a very powerful eunuch before the Han dynasty. The name is Zhaogao赵高 of Qin dynasty. He was very close to the first emperor of China. And he managed to rigged the final imperial edict. Choosing the younger prince Huhai胡亥 as the next emperor and purged elder prince Fusu复苏 with his supporters. Later on Zhaogao purged prime minister Lisi李斯, became the practical ruler of the Qin dynasty. He was so powerful if he say "a deer is a hourse" no one in the court would dare to oppose him.

    • @PT-pq6gw
      @PT-pq6gw Před 2 lety +19

      Lao Ai was an eunuch ( fake because he wasn’t castrated ) he actually had 2 sons with the mother of the Qin emperor Ying Zheng ( the emperor who united china .Lisi was his prime minister …

    • @chestervelosophotography6702
      @chestervelosophotography6702 Před 2 lety +4

      I watched a Chinese war drama on netflix featuring him as the villain.

    • @vestysteiner9480
      @vestysteiner9480 Před 2 lety +9

      @@chestervelosophotography6702 what's the name of the drama? I love Chinese Drama, especially ancient ones involving generals and war etc.

    • @user-ng7wh6bh7r
      @user-ng7wh6bh7r Před 2 lety +3

      扶苏not复苏

    • @chestervelosophotography6702
      @chestervelosophotography6702 Před 2 lety

      @@vestysteiner9480
      czcams.com/video/wK1xsQWllDs/video.html

  • @jagvillani338
    @jagvillani338 Před 2 lety +357

    I've always been interested in the topic of how eunuchs were able to adopt children to make a surrogate family and thus a legacy, such as Cao Cao who had a eunuch "grandfather."

    • @13gan
      @13gan Před 2 lety +69

      @@stevoz6743 They actually know the psychological issue regarding eunuchs and is the reason why they were trusted servants and despised enemies.
      Out of the 3 main temptations of man; power, wealth and sex, only the first 2 are available to the eunuch and because of that, they will do practically anything for it. This is why they are extremely loyal if you're their master, assuming that you're able to maintain your status and able to provide power and wealth to them.
      This also mean that they are ruthless to those who deny them of those 2 as they have sacrificed their very chance to have sex and a family to get power and wealth. Either by force or voluntarily, their purpose in life have been set the moment they are castrated, so they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Even the emperor is not safe if they can find a more generous patron.

    • @sampuatisamuel9785
      @sampuatisamuel9785 Před 2 lety +10

      @@stevoz6743 My understanding is that young boys are castrated.

    • @justmyopinion9883
      @justmyopinion9883 Před 2 lety

      I heard that castration makes a male docile and feminized.
      Is that true?
      P.S. Why was it necessary to cut the penis off in addition to the testicles? Seems like cutting off the testicles would suffice. 😞

    • @thechronicler9556
      @thechronicler9556 Před 2 lety +26

      Cao Cao's grandfather was one of the 10 attendants and they got special privileges - one of them being able to adopt sons to carry on the family name

    • @Wasserkaktus
      @Wasserkaktus Před 2 lety +22

      @@stevoz6743 This makes no sense since the primary reason why monarchs would appoint eunuchs as senior officials was because they could not sire any offspring and thus create their own lineage to challenge the Monarch's lineage.

  • @edwardsiu4266
    @edwardsiu4266 Před 2 lety +160

    It was to my shame that as a British born Chinese I didn't know much of my own history and culture. So I started on the Tang Dynasty 500 poems, read the top five Chinese classics and had tuition on the dizi and erhu. This series on Chinese history will go a long way to fill in the vast gaps in my knowledge. Thank you.

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +18

      My absolute pleasure :)

    • @brisvegasthemoneymagnetslo5470
      @brisvegasthemoneymagnetslo5470 Před 2 lety +3

      Hi Edward, please can you tell me if you know the Old testament of the Bible. Chinese history traditions and rituals match the history of the Israelites (the people of the covenant - you could say 'heavenly mandated sons of God' as is said in these videos). The Han names match the meanings attributed to the tribes. If you don't know, I hope you can direct me to the classics translated to English by a Chinese native, as the translations I've found are by white people with their spin.Thank you, appreciate it. And if you are a descendent of the heavenly mandated sons of God, I bow to you, sir.

    • @700gsteak
      @700gsteak Před 2 lety +15

      What the? Where does chinese history traditions and rituals match the history of the Israelites?

    • @pastorvega9056
      @pastorvega9056 Před 2 lety

      Could be worse lol. You could be an American zealot that arrogantly speaks out their ass lol.

    • @protoman482
      @protoman482 Před 2 lety +3

      The current chinese regime is a little shifty on teaching it tbh so good for you .

  • @flemishnationalist-prayfor9809

    What's interesting is how many different roles eunuchs played. Some were merely house keepers, while others were given control over entire armies and provinces.

    • @dominicbrant1968
      @dominicbrant1968 Před 2 měsíci

      As a Eunuch, their wealth, status and power wouldn't be passed down to another generation. Neither were they considered as a sexual threat, and thus unlikely to produce bastard children. That gave the perception of them being safe. They carried few material liabilities. This allowed them to get close to those in power... and the rest, as they say, is history

  • @Otter-Destruction
    @Otter-Destruction Před 2 lety +101

    "Beware of ballless men." - Machiavelli

    • @stefanschleps8758
      @stefanschleps8758 Před 2 lety +8

      Thats a misquote. The original Italian reads, "beware of business men." On the other hand.
      Eunuchs, it seems, had a bone to prick with everyone.

    • @user-er9fx3qx7n
      @user-er9fx3qx7n Před 3 měsíci

      Or, as LBJ once said, "I never trust a man unless I've got his pecker in my pocket"

  • @Haijwsyz51846
    @Haijwsyz51846 Před 2 lety +53

    I finally find a channel that's probably most accurate about Chinese history, and presented it in a chronological and clear way with the dates and names of the persons and locations. Good research work !

  • @tealittle2972
    @tealittle2972 Před 2 lety +138

    in case someone wants to know, Ruan An, the Vietnamese eunuch was not the designer of the forbidden city, but a supervisor of construction in the last phrase of the whole program. He was too young to be the designer when the forbidden city started to be constructed. He was just a little boy when he was trafficked to Beijing as a eunuch.The design of such a huge program usually takes more than imaginable amount of intellectuals, scholars and time to do, letting along a young foreign eunuch.

    • @700gsteak
      @700gsteak Před 2 lety +3

      lol that guy who was spamming the place that he was the designer just popped a vein.

    • @malagebide
      @malagebide Před 11 měsíci +1

      你们的历史一塌糊涂

    • @rstidman
      @rstidman Před 8 měsíci

      that is a great example of a eunuch's operating system

    • @nguyenvinh2161
      @nguyenvinh2161 Před 7 měsíci +1

      So he is too young to be a designer, but old enough to be a supervisor? Thats dumb logic! Ofc he would not be able to design the whole thing by himself, but it did not mean you could take away his credits of being the architect, not to mention that he was the main architect and the supervisor at the same time! Double the work!

    • @reinhardheinzwarfelr8215
      @reinhardheinzwarfelr8215 Před 19 dny

      ​@@nguyenvinh2161kuai xiang is the real name of the architect

  • @theFLCLguy
    @theFLCLguy Před 2 lety +188

    Imagine getting castrated then not getting the job.

    • @Nakedlelwd
      @Nakedlelwd Před 2 lety +1

      hahahha well at least they put it in a jar and preserve it hahah they can cry on it

    • @dashoverton1963
      @dashoverton1963 Před 2 lety +12

      @@Nakedlelwd The jars they carried around housed their “treasures” according to the video. When the men died, they would enter heaven as whole intact men.

    • @junjungatbos3548
      @junjungatbos3548 Před 2 lety +12

      Or not being able to piss after the procedure...😫

    • @donaldsmith7967
      @donaldsmith7967 Před 2 lety

      @@Nakedlelwd 7

    • @sampuspitakumarajiva8930
      @sampuspitakumarajiva8930 Před 2 lety +3

      they would grow boobs and serve in third-class prostitution…..

  • @donettamckenzie194
    @donettamckenzie194 Před rokem +7

    Also what a delight that the narrator can speak the language fluently, a delight to the ear.

  • @4G12
    @4G12 Před 2 lety +102

    There's a simple and 100% effective solution to all Eunach related problems: NOT deliberately creating them.

    • @macrick
      @macrick Před 2 lety +15

      They were need to do manual labourers, but were castrated to prevent infidilities among the Emperor's harem.

    • @zeytelaloi
      @zeytelaloi Před 2 lety +6

      On the other hand, look at how well ahead China was.

    • @Shreendg
      @Shreendg Před 2 lety +9

      Eunuchs were everywhere. They even lead armies of Byzantine Empire.

    • @thechronicler9556
      @thechronicler9556 Před 2 lety +5

      You'd think so right? But it's more to maintain the palaces and look after the emperor as well as his concubines. To stop affairs happening and illegitimate children being everywhere - it makes sense to castrate them. But I agree it's crazy how the tradition lasted so long considering they ruined 4 of China's greatest dynasties.

    • @zm1786
      @zm1786 Před 2 lety +2

      why do you think they are pushing transgenderism? trans people will be the new eunuchs , will loyalty only to the state

  • @kinginthenorth5267
    @kinginthenorth5267 Před 3 měsíci +3

    The theme of this video, those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it. Again and again and again.

  • @wonhome2711
    @wonhome2711 Před 2 lety +15

    Learning Chinese History can take more than a lifetime. You make Chinese history so fascinating.

  • @Mr_M_History
    @Mr_M_History Před 2 lety +33

    Honestly, this channel is so helpful. You deserve the subscriber base of the big history channels.

  • @theabrescia1955
    @theabrescia1955 Před 2 lety +95

    I read that Empress Dowager Cixi had romantically fallen in love with a handsome eunuch, and she was grief stricken when he was eventually executed. Castration was extremely dangerous and resulted in numerous boys and young men bleeding to death or dying from massive infections. A number of eunuchs suffered from severe nerve damage caused by the castration, which caused them to lose all control of urination so they had to wear diapers the rest of their lives. There are surprising reports that some eunuchs indulged in bizarre sadistic sexual practices. Weird.

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +37

      Absolutely, An Dehai was her rumoured lover. It has no true historical basis though, just speculation

    • @theabrescia1955
      @theabrescia1955 Před 2 lety +9

      @@History_of_China - Appreciate your reply! I read about this in a biography of the Empress, published several years ago.

    • @myrnaskogland1268
      @myrnaskogland1268 Před 2 lety +1

      Those reports do not surprise me, loss of their manhood, I think, would leave bitterness of some sort, so going for power was their way to be a man. Those men who had gone thru puberty before being forced to face the knife, sexual desire was not forgot, and kinky sex was the only way to satisfy . There was even a story that the most powerful Eunuch was actually intact, and his women servants were his whores. Is that rumor true? Who can truly say.

    • @theabrescia1955
      @theabrescia1955 Před 2 lety +3

      @@myrnaskogland1268 - Good points!

    • @redmi9834
      @redmi9834 Před rokem +9

      Some of the Imperial Princes were often censured for "fooling around with the eunuchs"

  • @rahman9749
    @rahman9749 Před 2 lety +63

    Quality narration and content, as expected of this channel.

  • @Hyoungje
    @Hyoungje Před 2 lety +40

    I love the narrator’s voice…the way he pronounces English and Chinese.

    • @elenastone6011
      @elenastone6011 Před 2 lety +2

      British or rather specifically English accent. He could be Chinese who studied in England or an Englishman who studied Chinese Literature/history or half Chinese.

    • @mireillelebeau2513
      @mireillelebeau2513 Před 2 lety +4

      and the way he pronounces French is flawless too.

  • @csbalachandran
    @csbalachandran Před 4 měsíci +3

    Well-presented documentary. The narration is crisp and tight. I don't know any Chinese language, but your pronunciation sounds very authentic.

  • @moosegoose1282
    @moosegoose1282 Před 2 lety +156

    I still think history may overly blame ennuchs because its less embarrassing for losing an empire

    • @caitthecat
      @caitthecat Před 2 lety +4

      Sounds about right.

    • @elchen7624
      @elchen7624 Před 2 lety +20

      thanks to a bunch of dudes with no ds, your empire failed

    • @luutuan7162
      @luutuan7162 Před 2 lety +32

      or blamed the empress or concubines. worked all the times

    • @limes5295
      @limes5295 Před 2 lety +7

      At first I thought they were just a scapegoat but thinking about it the power dynamic is probably similar to the praetorians or janissaries where outsiders are brought in so they will only be loyal to the emperor rather than other court factions but being in the inner circles makes them powerful enough to become their own faction.

    • @4G12
      @4G12 Před 2 lety +4

      When you eliminate one's future, all that's left to pursue is money and power. What else do you expect from those who have no future other than infinite greed at the cost of a future they have no stake in?

  • @kaizozhang15
    @kaizozhang15 Před 2 lety +18

    Fun fact: There was a kingdom in China which only employed castrated people as high officials because the monarch thought such people had no connections to their families so they wouldn't be selfish and would give their all to the kingdom, leading to the castration of 20000 officials and wannabe officials.
    Yeah that was Southern Han, one of the 10 kingdoms in the 5d10k era.
    On top of this, the rulers of that kingdom tended to be exceptionally absurd trust me.

  • @donettamckenzie194
    @donettamckenzie194 Před rokem +12

    SO informative and interesting. I love history of any form.0⁰73 years old and always believed castration was just having the testicles cut off. What a shock and eye opener to learn otherwise. I knew about them being kept to be buried with the owner so they were 'whole' again. I will keep watching and learning. A HUGE thank you.

    • @peterlee9691
      @peterlee9691 Před rokem +4

      You are right, "castration" is only the removal of the testicles. But "emasculation" is the removal of the whole crown jewels.
      The irony of getting your jewels cut off voluntary is that you need to have big balls to go through with such a procedure.

  • @namjoonsbonsai7354
    @namjoonsbonsai7354 Před 2 lety +6

    Holy shit finally a Chinese history video with properly pronounced names! Saw you replying to another comment that you weren't Chinese, that makes it even more impressive!

  • @justine7143
    @justine7143 Před 2 lety +21

    People have always been exceptionally brutal and heartless, but castrating young boys is just disturbing on so many levels

  • @sarah199616
    @sarah199616 Před 2 lety +19

    I'm watching a chinese drama named "Yu Jun Ge" which is filmed about the Eunuchs' throne robbing in Tang dyanasty and coincidently suggested this video by YT. Thanks for sharing. Have learned alot.

    • @sarah199616
      @sarah199616 Před 2 lety

      @Абдульзефир If you're intrested in chinese costume drama with plot twists and sweet romance, then you may enjoy to spend some of your time for it ^_~

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +1

      Glad you liked it!

  • @Ciara1594
    @Ciara1594 Před 2 lety +27

    I think that what would be a wonderful series,if they made
    one based on the book "Tales of a Chinese Grandmother" by Frances Carpenter. It is about an upper class Chinese family
    in Ancient China and details their day to day life along with
    their special ceremonies and the stories that the Grandmother tells her grandchildren. In the series they could actually dramatized the stories the children are told.
    I'm sure that such a series would be an instant hit. ☺️

  • @Gorlok_the_destoryer
    @Gorlok_the_destoryer Před 2 lety +12

    Always glad to see you posting new videos!

  • @HemeOnc1
    @HemeOnc1 Před rokem +4

    I enjoyed this presentation on eunuchs in China immensely. Though interested in history, I have not found a resource as valuable as this one. Thanks so much. I plan to watch all of your previous videos and all that your present in the future.

  • @stevekima8881
    @stevekima8881 Před 2 lety +85

    I love how he pronounced the Chinese names so correctly and not in an English accent

  • @doctorplagus7138
    @doctorplagus7138 Před rokem +10

    Thanks for these wonderful documentaries! I had no interest or even knew any Chinese history until I took a course in university to fulfill a requirement and have wanted to learn more ever since!

  • @Delinaaaa22
    @Delinaaaa22 Před 2 lety +19

    I just love your voice, it's very soothing.. thanks for another informative video😊

  • @peachesc.9078
    @peachesc.9078 Před 2 lety +113

    It’s funny how eunuchs are always portrayed as effeminate, power hungry, conniving villains in HK wuxia movies 😅

    • @VChong1991
      @VChong1991 Před 2 lety +8

      So true. And they work together in groups

    • @TheNeeyang
      @TheNeeyang Před 2 lety +12

      Lol Bc they were

    • @pskima4274
      @pskima4274 Před 2 lety +5

      Most eunuch are feminine...

    • @sasjahuntelaar5755
      @sasjahuntelaar5755 Před 2 lety +1

      i think that's just western pervert and close minded views. Because of colonisation, most of them see things like us knowing or unknowingly.

    • @KhanMann66
      @KhanMann66 Před 8 měsíci

      They literally were. Han Dynasty fell because a group of eunuchs seized power and made the emperor a puppet ruler.

  • @ritawing1064
    @ritawing1064 Před 2 lety +18

    It's worth reading the last eunuch's (assisted) autobiography.

  • @frazermurray8605
    @frazermurray8605 Před rokem +1

    I am so glad I came across this Chanel. Fantastic informative videos. Thank you!

  • @miketacos9034
    @miketacos9034 Před 2 lety +12

    I’ve never been so glad to live in modern times.

  • @7ropz
    @7ropz Před 2 lety +4

    Very good video gosh it has been so long since I last found such a good channel! Good work mate! Cheers from Brazil

  • @Tang139
    @Tang139 Před 2 lety +21

    Well made documentary! and I must say the pronunciation of names in Chinese is excellent, although I neither speak nor read Chinese. Thank you so much for enlightening me on the history of eunuchs who were an important part of history. I didn’t realize they lasted into the 1990’s! Loved the last emperor Puyi!

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +2

      I'm glad you enjoyed! Thanks for your comment :)

    • @Liliquan
      @Liliquan Před rokem +3

      I don’t speak Chinese but the pronunciation is excellent.
      $500 for things that don’t make any sense.

    • @newq
      @newq Před rokem

      ​@@History_of_China you pronounce every language in your videos very well, actually. To my limited knowledge of the phonology of Manchu, you even rocked that obscure language! Great job!
      I gotta ask, though, what's your secret? You can pronounce so many languages so very well!

  • @d.l.4857
    @d.l.4857 Před 11 měsíci +1

    I love this kind of presentation, which seize a theme, and with it cut through history. Thanks, and keep up the good work.

  • @preciousbell4573
    @preciousbell4573 Před 2 lety +6

    Beautiful narration made even better with correct pronunciation of Chinese names. Incredibly well done.

  • @glenngilbert7389
    @glenngilbert7389 Před 2 lety +16

    Amazing story - a part of history not often discussed

  • @weiyoung7636
    @weiyoung7636 Před 2 lety +20

    Cdrama lover here, I get so much excited when another fantasy /costume /xinxia/wuxia drama comes! Much respect to Chinese entertainment industry from Pakistan 🇵🇰🐬. I will recommend some of the ancient Chinese dramas
    Ten miles of Peach blossom
    Ashes of love
    Princess li Wei young
    Princess Agents
    Journey of flower
    Legend of fuyao
    Legend of MI yue
    Empresses in the Palace
    Empress of China
    Story of Yanxi palace
    Secret of three kingdoms
    Castle in the sky
    Nirvana in fire
    The king's woman
    The flame's daughter
    The long ballad
    The untamed
    Word of honour
    Love and destiny
    Love and redemption
    Miss the dragon
    The Rebel princess
    The legends
    Ancient love poetry
    Story of Minglan
    The wolf
    Song of glory
    Legend of Xiao chuo
    Eternal love of dream
    Heavenly sword:dragon slaying
    Bloody romance
    Goodbye my princess (traumatic)
    General and I
    Love of thousand years
    Green Hill fox
    Princess of lanling kimg
    Renascence
    ♥️☕🎂

    • @perfectstudents8361
      @perfectstudents8361 Před 2 lety +3

      I've watched some cdramas on your list. I'm watching Blooms in Ruyi Pavilion now. Check it out on Viki.

    • @perfectstudents8361
      @perfectstudents8361 Před 2 lety +3

      I also like Arsenal Military Academy. Not a historical drama but it's good.

    • @weiyoung7636
      @weiyoung7636 Před 2 lety +1

      @@perfectstudents8361, yes I will surely watch them. Thank you for recommendation!

    • @sparkle7132
      @sparkle7132 Před 2 lety +1

      You have really good taste 🤩😍

    • @Jewel_Ting
      @Jewel_Ting Před 2 lety

      Most of ur recommendation are trash. Mostly here are looking and studying history. You should only recommended a good and quality one.

  • @RobertWesleyBranch
    @RobertWesleyBranch Před 2 měsíci +1

    Excellent presentation. Very informative and insightful. Thank you for that. Subscribed!

  • @HistoryOfRevolutions
    @HistoryOfRevolutions Před 2 lety +67

    "The kings, the oppressors, exploiters of all kinds, are as guilty as the criminals who have emerged from the masses..."
    - Bào Jìngyán (鮑敬言)

    • @tzufbb
      @tzufbb Před 2 lety +2

      鮑敬言,東晉人。
      生卒年不詳,僅知其好老莊,善清談,曾與葛洪辯論,他認為“有司設,則百姓困,奉上厚,則下民貧”,法国汉学家白乐日称他为中国第一位無政府主義者。著有《無君論》,已失佚。

    • @Archangelm127
      @Archangelm127 Před 2 lety +2

      The more things change, the more they stay the same.

  • @rah-bee811
    @rah-bee811 Před 2 lety +3

    Very cool mini history. Thanks for your hard work making it!

  • @irawilliams343
    @irawilliams343 Před 2 lety +9

    Sun Yaoting didn't die wealthy like most eunuchs but he took with him the rich history of China's last imperial rule.

  • @vivianidelacerda9708
    @vivianidelacerda9708 Před 9 měsíci

    Thanks so much! I really appreciate the posts you make.

  • @ImCarolB
    @ImCarolB Před 2 lety +2

    Fascinating history channel! The narrator is excellent.

  • @holeeshi9959
    @holeeshi9959 Před 2 lety +8

    fun fact: an Eunuch invented paper, also, Cao Cao's adoptive grandfather was a member of the Han Ten Attendants

  • @t3nosanfran803
    @t3nosanfran803 Před 2 lety +4

    Outstanding documentary. Extremely enlightening.

  • @muiteng9737
    @muiteng9737 Před 2 lety +1

    Keep up the good work. I watched all your videos, awesome videos and really detailed. I hope you make a series of Ming Emperors

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety

      Thank you so much! The Ming series will come up just after I do the Yuan dynasty :)

  • @bowlampar
    @bowlampar Před 2 lety +16

    Only an united eunuchs with a collective 'ball-less' rage can brought down a powerful dynasty's emperor in China long history; by the time an emperor realized what a group of ball less men are capable of doing other than not fool around with his queen and concubines , it is already too late. 😁😁

  • @UCSPanther20
    @UCSPanther20 Před 2 lety +10

    If there is one thing I can take away from Court Eunuchs through history, it's that the "conversion process" sounds extremely painful and has all sorts of unpleasant possible complications. Urinary incontinence was one of them, giving rise to the insult "Stinking like an eunuch".

    • @dodo-eu6ox
      @dodo-eu6ox Před 2 lety

      But in some places men still do that to girls, I just want to castrate every man who abuse little girls

  • @DrGarri
    @DrGarri Před 2 lety +20

    Very well researched, with real and verified historical information, congratulations!

  • @mjl.9-19
    @mjl.9-19 Před rokem +1

    This channel looks like a great resource for Chinese history in vid form.
    Lot of clips from C-dramas, C-docu-dramas. I'm looking for a list of the "best" historical vids... I mean at least based on "historical" that do not stray down too many character driven paths.
    For example most of the ROTK-based dramas, etc....
    One outstanding I just re-watched is "1566"...excellent because it held to history as much as can be expected and was driven by the economics of the empire ... yet was filled with great drama, character acting and writing.
    Thank you OP for the list of video credits in the info.
    PS I started rewatching The Ming Dynasty, but got frustrated by the micro-details of the characters.
    The Towards the Republic is very good, but slow getting eng subs.

  • @iancaldeian
    @iancaldeian Před 2 lety +1

    Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This was informational.

  • @TheOis1984
    @TheOis1984 Před 2 lety +16

    i screamed internally listening to the whole 13th minute of this video explaining the castration procedure!

    • @CJ-rx5fi
      @CJ-rx5fi Před 2 lety +2

      It is horrific! I can’t imagine anyone doing that to a child or adult man. Such a sad fate for those men.

    • @Ealsante
      @Ealsante Před 2 lety +5

      The truly horrible thing is, that is the *official* procedure - in other words, it was the *best* care you could get in being castrated. There are many cases of people who castrate themselves to enter the palace - Wei Zhongxian (18:02) was one such guy. So imagine what the *unofficial* castrations were like.

  • @micahistory
    @micahistory Před 2 lety +32

    I can never understand why someone would voluntarily become a eunuch, especially because of how horrible the process is and all the effects that come after as well

    • @micahistory
      @micahistory Před 2 lety +14

      @@ross6753 true but the difference is that priests weren't castrated and it had no health risks to them

    • @micahistory
      @micahistory Před 2 lety +9

      @@ross6753 I would much rather fight temptation than be genitally mutilated back then but I see why people did castrate themselves

    • @micahistory
      @micahistory Před 2 lety

      @@ross6753 yes

    • @bstr-ey6wl
      @bstr-ey6wl Před 2 lety

      because a clean strong hairline is important trough out life...

    • @mosesyang4222
      @mosesyang4222 Před 2 lety +6

      @@ross6753 heh "forced" into celibacy but we all know how well THAT worked or works nowadays...priest still be sneaking around if not w/women then boys. Should've just castrated them too

  • @justmyopinion9883
    @justmyopinion9883 Před 2 lety

    Thank you for sharing this video. Lots of fascinating Chinese history I had never heard of before.

  • @robertschlesinger1342
    @robertschlesinger1342 Před rokem +2

    Excellent video. Very interesting, informative and worthwhile video.

  • @PT-pq6gw
    @PT-pq6gw Před 2 lety +27

    Most famous of all the eunuchs of all dynasties is Tian Yi who served during the Ming Dynasty .he served not one or two emperors consecutively but 3 .first emperor JiaJing then emperor LongQing and finally emperor WanLi.No other eunuch had ever been rewarded as he was .after his death at the palace the emperor Wanli declared 3 days of mourning .The emperor had a mausoleum built for him to this day the site which is about 15 km east of Beijing.
    He was born in Shannxi province …

  • @stefanschleps8758
    @stefanschleps8758 Před 2 lety +22

    After binge watching over the last three days now. I have found nothing inaccurate or unsatisfying in your productions.
    On the contrary they seem well researched, and crafted for the discerning scholar. Thank you.
    I do have a request, one which I hope you will grant, giving it all the consumate nuance, and eye towards detail, with which you have made all the others. Would you consider making us a history of imperial patronage in the martial arts? Not merely the famous Shaolin Temple arts. But those from the Wu Tang mountains as well. There seems to have been a "golden age" between the end of the Ming Dynasty and the end of the Qing Dynasty. Although we can be certain that martial arts were supported by governmental mandate and imperial decree far earlier than the Ming Dynasty. At the very least as far back as Marshal Yue Fei and the Southern Song Dynasty. Anything you can do to shed light on this subject. And how, and why, martial arts flourished more so in China. From farmers to emperors, than in other countries, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
    Laoshr #60
    Ching Yi Kung Fu Association

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +8

      Thank you so much! I'll take it into account, though I can't say for sure when or if I cover this topic. The subject is pretty interesting though, so I probably will eventually :)

  • @s.matai2c155
    @s.matai2c155 Před 2 lety +1

    I enjoyed this doc very much and therefore subscribed. Currently, I'm hooked on watching numerous Asian shows on CZcams such as, "The Legend of Fei," "The Legend of Dragon Pearl," "Word of Honor," "Condor Heros," "Sword & Brocade," "Imperial Coroner," "Chronicle of Life," "King of Blaze," "Legend of Phoenix," "Ruyis Royal Love in the Palace," etc.
    Let's just say I'm watching at least about 25 shows all with English subtitles. In all those shows, Eunuchs were clearly visible and played critical roles within the Palace.

  • @theobserver2309
    @theobserver2309 Před 2 lety +1

    Excellent documentary, a most excellent channel.

  • @josiahely4485
    @josiahely4485 Před 2 lety +6

    This is really good!

  • @philodendron6
    @philodendron6 Před 2 lety +5

    Another excellent documentary.

  • @raskltube
    @raskltube Před rokem

    i love this channel!! u rock dude

  • @sisyphusvasilias3943
    @sisyphusvasilias3943 Před 2 lety +1

    Another exceptional video. great content.

  • @RachelLxm
    @RachelLxm Před 2 lety +3

    Thank you for the informative video! Somewhere in the comments below I read that you're French! Amazing pronunciation of Chinese words.

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +1

      Thank you so much! I am half-French, half-English, but brought up in France :)

  • @rodrigolerner698
    @rodrigolerner698 Před 2 lety +3

    Omg Varys from Game of Thrones makes much more sense now! Thank you for this awesome video!!

  • @sashapillai7430
    @sashapillai7430 Před rokem

    I like reading and watching videos about Historical facts. Thank you for uploading. 🙏🌹🙏

  • @BeastFormal
    @BeastFormal Před 2 lety +1

    This one of those videos that the algorithm graces you with only once in a while

  • @kotor99
    @kotor99 Před 2 lety +9

    Love the video! Would be great to make some special mention of Lao Ai who was a fake eunuch during the early Qin Shi Huang era, originally presented to Qin Shi Huangs mother as a lover but ended up gaining immense power in the Qin court and even attempted a failed coup to gain power. The other would be Zhao Gao who was believed to be an eunuch and was instrumental in the downfall of the Qin dynasty, he forced Qin Er Shi to commit suicide and caused the country into rebellion.
    Another special mention would be Wang Zhen during the reign of emperor Yingzong of Ming. He had a great relationship with the child emperor like childhood friends and thus gained significant trust and power from the emperor. He was one of the main reasons the Tumu crisis happened.
    Anyways keep it up!

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +1

      Thank you! I considered adding them but didn't want to make the video any longer

    • @luxbeauty4952
      @luxbeauty4952 Před rokem

      Why did china have so many? This gross. And what purpose did it even serve really? How could men do this to themselves for money?

    • @KhanMann66
      @KhanMann66 Před 8 měsíci

      I believe it wasn’t Zhao Gao but Xiang Yu who forced Huhai to commit suicide.

  • @tuanminhbui6128
    @tuanminhbui6128 Před 2 lety +54

    Next time, you should add Zhao Gao, history recorded him as the main factor lead to the collapse of the first Chinese Empire. The Qin Empire. Good video.

    • @averagejoe9642
      @averagejoe9642 Před 2 lety

      That would be a great video

    • @sislertx
      @sislertx Před 2 lety +4

      China has always been BRUTAL

    • @averagejoe9642
      @averagejoe9642 Před 2 lety +21

      @@sislertx I think all ancient civilisations have a similar level of brutality but the Chinese had better records so they are the ones we read about more

    • @flowermagnolia4551
      @flowermagnolia4551 Před 2 lety

      how did he do it

    • @RobertIIIdeOutremer
      @RobertIIIdeOutremer Před 2 lety

      There is no prove of "zhao gao is a eunuch".People usually believe that,but there's no record of it.

  • @nicholasforrester8587
    @nicholasforrester8587 Před 2 lety +2

    Very informative 👏👌👍thank you 😊🙏

  • @ohohlee5610
    @ohohlee5610 Před rokem

    Came across this video and really appreciated that you adapted traditional Chinese instead of simplified Chinese in the video.

  • @nathanpas6743
    @nathanpas6743 Před 2 lety +7

    Grazie a voi per il ritmo veloce dei video. Che argomento affascinante! Fortunatamente, possiedo ancora due belle palle. Sinceramente

  • @chazt2249
    @chazt2249 Před 2 lety +18

    “They were known as the 12 members” well I’m glad to know they had humor back then

  • @kuwaitisnotadeployment1373

    Very cool video I learned a lot of new stuff 👍

  • @suzannegarrison5944
    @suzannegarrison5944 Před 10 měsíci

    What a fabulous documentary, very detailed. In college I wrote a paper on Chinese eunuchs however there was very little written and in book form. My paper lacked so many facts. I still retain an interest in the eunuchs. Thank you for sharing your video's.

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 8 měsíci

      Thanks for your comment! It is a fascinating subject. Glad you enjoyed my video :)

  • @anguscovoflyer95
    @anguscovoflyer95 Před 2 lety +10

    Captain Jack sparrow: You’re not a eunuch are you?”

  • @deborahpollitt7533
    @deborahpollitt7533 Před rokem +9

    I love history. This history of the eunuchs is very fascinating. And a clear demonstration of the human will to survive and thrive in every circumstance.

  • @pattiepan
    @pattiepan Před rokem +1

    So very interesting.... thank you for your tutorial. I enjoyed learning about all this. pat

  • @soonny002
    @soonny002 Před 2 lety +2

    Thanks for this documentary. :)

  • @anasevi9456
    @anasevi9456 Před 2 lety +28

    You forgot the great little tale about how the First emperor of Qin, almost was overthrown by a false eunuch Lao Ai; who had impregnated his own mum.
    great video otherwise, but that was one bit of 'eunuch' drama that would echo through future dramas for certain.

    • @cocoaorange1
      @cocoaorange1 Před 2 lety

      That is messed up. He and his mom were sick.

    • @johnlewis3891
      @johnlewis3891 Před 2 lety +3

      @@cocoaorange1 The First Emperor was worst. He executed his two half brothers even though they were children and he killed much more building the Great Wall and his palaces.

    • @namedrop721
      @namedrop721 Před 2 lety +6

      Lao Ai was a servant of the emperor’s mom, not the emperor lmao. Y’all are killing me, please learn to read

    • @johnlewis3891
      @johnlewis3891 Před 2 lety +3

      @@namedrop721 How does this change the fact that he was a false eunuch? Eunuchs served both the emperor and dowager empress as well as the consorts and other harem women.

    • @benlam204
      @benlam204 Před 2 lety

      its debatable whether that was his real mom or not. He is probably not the original son of the king anyway... just a replacement..

  • @pixies646
    @pixies646 Před 2 lety +3

    Amazing history. Thanks!

  • @fizzfuzz2250
    @fizzfuzz2250 Před 2 lety +1

    Love the classic scenes from the 1994 Three Kingdoms show!

  • @MohammadAhmadNaz-jy7fi

    Excellent video. Thank you very much for showing the history of China. I live in London, England.

  • @WildWombats
    @WildWombats Před 2 lety +8

    Request video - Please do a video on Three Kingdoms - Zhu Huan and Zhu Yi. You'll see why the minute you research them. They are FULL of insane stories and crazy stuff happening and are highly underrated. Zhu Yi, in fact, his death, or rather how he was killed, essentially contributed to Wu's ultimate downfall and their biggest turmoil. It caused extreme tension, so Zhu Yi and Zhu Huan are significant figureheads in Wu that are barely even talked about!

    • @History_of_China
      @History_of_China  Před 2 lety +1

      I'm not gonna make Three Kingdom topics for a while, but when I return to that period, I'll consider it :)

    • @WildWombats
      @WildWombats Před 2 lety

      @@History_of_China Sure thing, totally understandable! I'll leave you with one piece of a funny story.
      Zhu Huan, after receiving wine, said to Sun Quan, “Your minister is now to go far away, but first he would like to stroke the beard of his lord.” Zhu Huan advanced and stroked Sun Quan’s beard then said, “Now I can actually say I have stroked the tiger’s beard!” Sun Quan laughed out loud.
      Perhaps the first laugh out loud recorded in the texts too, assuming it's true to translation, lol!

  • @doreensika837
    @doreensika837 Před 2 lety +9

    I absolutely love China history and thank you for making it more easier for me, the way you pronounce the Chinese names so effortlessly I thought you were Chinese. Well done great video as always and you have yourself a new subscriber.

  • @patchworkpoppit
    @patchworkpoppit Před 2 lety +1

    Not sure why this popped up in my recommended, but glad it did. I feel educated.

  • @johnstauffer4362
    @johnstauffer4362 Před 2 lety +2

    Absolutely fascinating .

  • @equarg
    @equarg Před 2 lety +7

    Wow.
    Just wow.
    Say what you will, but may the last official Eunuch RIP. He was the last of a culture and way of life.

  • @Pszekpszek
    @Pszekpszek Před 2 lety +4

    excellent video

  • @agustingdelvalle6003
    @agustingdelvalle6003 Před rokem

    very educational. great imaging. captivating voice. amazing graphic colors. thanks

  • @pastorvega9056
    @pastorvega9056 Před 2 lety

    This! Talk about eye opening! Thank you!