The selection of a bride for a Chinese Emperor involved meticulous scrutiny, a process far from ordinary. The privilege of making this crucial choice belonged to the Emperor's mother, the most senior...
Male concubines in the Ottoman Empire were symbols of wealth, power, and masculinity. These young men, chosen for their looks and talents, served the sultan and his court in various roles. The...
In the heart of the Forbidden City , China's political and ritual center for over 500 years, the lives of imperial concubines were far from the fairy tales one might imagine. These women were not...
Throughout ancient history, many women have defied societal expectations and risen to positions of power and influence. During their reigns, they left unforgettable marks not only on their own...
The imperial harem of the Ottoman era was the collection of wives, servants, and concubines of the Sultan, who sometimes numbered in the hundreds. Some were mere playthings or used for the production...
Vietnam was ruled by many emperors during its long and turbulent history. Emperor Tu Duc, one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the nation’s history, constructed a tomb complex which is truly...
There are rarely any parts of our history more intriguing and interesting than the chronicles of ancient China . Full of unique cultural traits, obscure and colorful mythologies, and above all...
In many ancient cultures and religious traditions, rulers and elite members of society not only had wives, they also had concubines. Concubines normally served a dual purpose – to increase a man’s...
The Chinese Ming Dynasty lasted for 276 years (1368 – 1644 AD), and has been described as “one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history.” This dynasty became a...
While Europe was masked in the Dark Ages, China was flourishing in the Tang Dynasty. Woodblock printing gave them books, testing made government jobs available to common citizens, paper spread...
The Renyin Plot was an assassination attempt carried out on the sadistically violent Jiajing Emperor, who was the ruler of China’s Ming Dynasty during the 16th century. The assassins almost succeeded...
The term harem comes from the Arabic haram meaning forbidden place . This defines the sphere of women in a polygynous household and makes reference to their enclosed quarters being forbidden to men...
By Olga Gertcyk, The Siberian Times The royal tomb known as Arzhan 2 in the modern-day Republic of Tuva - to many, the most mysterious region in all Russia - is some 2,600 years old but its valuables...
Two stone epitaphs found within a 500-year-old gold-filled tomb discovered in Nanjing, China, tell a remarkable story about the tomb owner, a woman named Lady Mei. According to the tablets, Lady Mei...