August
05
/ 2020
The Inner Court of China’s Forbidden City was the emperor’s private realm, where no other men were allowed to linger for too long. Officials, military personnel, and even male relatives of the emperor were required to leave the Inner Court at night. The only men who were allowed to stay in the Inner Court were those who had been rendered sexually impotent through castration. These were the eunuchs of China. The Reasons Behind Castration in Ancient China While the Forbidden City was only built during the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century, the practice of castration and the use of eunuchs in China can be traced much further back. In ancient China (up until the Sui Dynasty), castration was one
