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Chinese Eunuchs at the End of Empire

Eunuchs in the Grounds of the Forbidden City, ca. 1884 - 1924, Beijing, China. Gerow D. Brill papers, #1379. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.. RMC2016_0068.jpg.

Eunuchs were firsthand witnesses to the decline and fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. As the emasculated servants of the emperor and his court, palace eunuchs provide an important lens for understanding the history of the imperial court and Chinese society as China transitioned from a monarchy to republic. During the reign of China’s last emperor, Aisin Gioro Puyi, and on into the early years of the republic, emperor-eunuch relations deteriorated. As both sides struggled to find purpose and survive in a world in which they were now irrelevant, eunuchs were accused of stealing palace treasures and artwork, opening antique shops near the palace to sell them, and even plotting to kill the former emperor.

Dr. Melissa S. Dale is an Associate Professor of History and former Executive Director of the Center for Asia Pacific Studies at the University of San Francisco. She specializes in late imperial Chinese history, specifically eunuchs and Qing dynasty court life.

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