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Concubines of the Forbidden City

References

http://gbtimes.com/life/concubines-and-life-forbidden-city

http://www.beijingmadeeasy.com/beijing-history/concubines-of-ancient-china

http://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-religions/secret-life-ancient-concubine-001301

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120509091731AAxpRv2

http://www.sacu.org/cixi.html

Concubine Massacre

CiXi's Story

  • Rumor a concubine committed suicide because of Emperor Yongle's impotence
  • Yongle was humiliated and then killed 2800 concubines by slicing (girls as young 12)
  • 16 other concubines were hung from white silk during the day of Yongle's funeral

Cixi was the only one of Emperor Xianfeng's wives/concubines to give birth to a son. She raised in rank after this. The Emperor died when their son, Tong Zhi, was only 5 year old. She ruled over the country with an iron fist while he was still to young to rule himself. He later died from what is thought to be a veneareal disease. His wife committed suicide and many think Cixi pushed her to do it because she was afraid of losing control of the empire. She made a 3 year old the next emperor and and was controlling over him. She was against westernizing China. She banished the emperor when he tried to promote westernization. She caused the decline of the Qing Dynasty because of her insatiable greed.

Concubine Life in the Forbidden City

Time Period

The Forbidden City concubines range from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

  • Concubines were chosen from all different backgrounds

  • 20,000 different concubines
  • Daoist theory helped justify the amount. According to Daoism the Emperor was extremely Yang, so he needed all the women, which are Yin, to satisfy his needs.
  • Only chose girls from Manchu Race

How they were chosen

  • Concubines were chosen once every 3 years for the Forbidden Palace
  • Appearance, Birth background, values and beliefs
  • Girls from important families chosen to strengthen political relations
  • High honor to be chosen as a concubine
  • No communication with outside world
  • Trying to win the emperors favor
  • Could be thousands of concubines to compete with
  • Eunuchs watched over the concubines
  • Had to serve set number of years before they could leave
  • Retired ones could go on to live a normal life or become nuns or palace maids
  • Executed or committed suicide or buried alive in order to accompany emperor in the afterlife

Courtesan and Concubine Differences

Concubine

  • woman owned by monarch for purpose of sex
  • meant to produce heirs

Courtesan

  • a prostitute who sells services to higher classes of men
  • meant to provide a paid relationship

Ranking

CCP

  • The practice of keeping concubines/courtesans was not abolished until 1971
  • 2nd wives were common for rich businessmen to gain face
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