Ep. 271 | Eunuchs in China (Part 5)
In this penultimate episode of the Eunuchs series, we finally make it to the Qing Dynasty. After everything that transpired during the Ming, the Qing is tame by those standards. From Dorgon to Daoguang things were pretty tame in the Qing. But once Empress Dowager Cixi grabs hold of the reigns of power, she allows her eunuchs, most notably An Dehai and Li Lianying, to do their worst. We’ll finish off next episode with the tale of The Last Eunuch and clean up loose ends.
Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Player
Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Shāng | 商朝 | China's earliest dynasty where written records exist, 1000 BCE to 1046 BCE. |
| Hàn | 漢朝 | Chinese dynasty founded by Liu Bang that ran from 202 BCE to 220 CE with a brief interval when Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty ruled |
| Táng | 唐朝 | Chinese dynasty from 618 to 907 with a brief interval for Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty |
| Míng | 明朝 | Chinese dynasty that ran from 1368 to 1644 |
| Aisin Gioro | 愛新覺羅 | The clan name of the founding ruler of the Qing Dynasty. All Qing emperors had this Aisin Gioro surname |
| Wāng Zhí | 汪直 | Ming Dynasty eunuch, one of the Four Eunuch Dictators. Did his mischief during the time of the Chenghua Emperor |
| Liú Jǐn | 刘瑾 | 1451-1510, very powerful eunuch dictator and leader of the so-called Eight Tigers. He climbed to the top on the back of the Zhengde Emperor |
| Wèi Zhōngxián | 魏忠贤 | 1568-1627, Chief Eunuch during the Ming Tianqi Emperor |
| Chóngzhēn | 崇祯帝 | The final emperor of the Ming Dynasty, reigning 1627-1644 |
| Shùnzhì | 顺治帝 | Second emperor of the Qing Dynasty, reigning 1643-1661 |
| Kāngxī | 康熙帝 | Longest ever reigning Chinese emperor, from 1661-1722 |
| Hóngwǔ | 洪武帝 | A.K.A. Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋, founder of the Ming Dynasty |
| Yōngzhèng | 雍正帝 | Qing emperor from 1722-1735 |
| Dàoguāng | 道光帝 | Qing Emperor 1820-1850 |
| Xiánfēng | 咸丰帝 | Qing emperor from 1850-1861 |
| Cíxǐ / Yehe Nara (Yehonala) Xìngzhēn | 慈禧太后 / 葉赫那拉 杏貞 | Lived 1835 to 1908. Grand Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty, mother of the Tongzhi Emperor |
| Tóngzhì | 同治帝 | Qing Emperor 1861 to 1875 |
| Guāngxù | 光绪帝 | Qing Emperor from 1875 to 1908 |
| Pǔyí | 溥仪帝 | The Last Qing Emperor, 1908-1911 |
| Ān Déhǎi | 安德海 | Qing eunuch who lived 1844 to 1869. He was the Empress Dowager's favorite |
| Lǐ Liányīng | 李莲英 | Qing eunuch who lived 1848-1911. Another of Cixi's favorites |
| Qīngcháo Mònián | 清朝末年 | The last years of the Qing Dynasty |
| Qiánlóng | 乾隆帝 | Long reigning Qing Emperor (some may say too long) from 1733-1796 |
| Dāozǐjiàng | 刀子匠 | A "knifer", someone skilled in castrating males, a must for all eunuchs |
| Chǎngzǐ | 厂子 | A "Shed" where the Daozijiang operated out of |
| Hútong | 胡同 | a type of narrow street or alley commonly associated with northern Chinese cities, especially Beijing. |
| Dāozǐ | 刀子 | A knife |
| Jiàng | 匠 | A skilled craftsman |
| Bǎo | 宝 | The "Treasure", the male genitalia, preserved in a kind of package |
| Gōng Qīnwáng | 恭亲王 | Prince Gong, son of the Dàoguāng Emperor and half brother to the Xiánfēng Emperor. Sometimes ally of Cixi |
| Xīnyǒu Zhèngbiàn | 辛酉政变 | November 1861 Xinyou Coup, The palace coup that followed the death of the Xiánfēng emperor where Cíxǐ was able to seize power from her political enemies, the so-called Eight Regents |
| Húnán | 湖南省 | A province in central China |
| Zēng Guófān | 曾国藩 | 1811-1872, a major military and political figure in 19h century China. Organized and led the Xiang Jun 湘军 Hunan Army |
| Zàiyuán Conspiracy | 载垣 | Another term for the Xinyou Coup of 1861 in which Cixi overthrew the Eight Regents. Zaiyuan was one of the Eight. |
| Róng Lù | 荣禄 | 1836-1903, a major political and militarty figure during the late Qing. A close ally of the Empress Dowager Cixi |
| Shāndōng | 山东省 | Coastal province in northern China |
| Dīng Bǎozhēn | 丁宝桢 | 1820-1886, One time governor of Sichuan. He's the guy from which we get Kung Bao Chicken. Prior to serving in Sichuan, he was in charge of Shandong |
| Cí’ān | 慈安太后 | the Co-Regent Empress Dowager. She was the empress of the Xianfeng Emperor |
| Tài’ān | 泰安 | Prefecture level city in Western Shandong. |
| Zámen | 咱们 | We or Us (including the speaker and the person or persons addressed) |
| Yuán Shìkǎi | 袁世凯 | 1859-1916, major military figure in late 19th early 20th century China. Served as President of the Republic of China and a number of other high offices |
| Sūn Yàotíng | 孙耀庭 | Qing dynasty eunuch whop we will look at in Part 6. |
Enjoy the show and want to support the CHP?
Join the CHP Patreon
Make a Direct Donation
Related Episodes
With the rise in the popularity of Buddhism, during the Han Dynasty, ivalries began to arise among the three religions as they jockeyed for positions in the halls of power.