Inside the World of the Eunuch: A Social History of the Emperor’s Servants in Qing China
The history of Qing palace eunuchs is defined by a tension between the role eunuchs were meant to play and the life they intended to live. This study tells the story of how a complicated and much-maligned group of people struggled to insert a degree of agency into their lives. Seeking more control over their lives, eunuchs serving the Qing repeatedly tested the boundaries of subservience to the emperor and the imperial court. This portrait of eunuch society reveals that Qing palace eunuchs operated within two parallel realms, one revolving around the emperor and the court by day and another among the eunuchs themselves by night where they recreated the social bonds—through drinking, gambling, and opium smoking—denied them by their palace service.
Author
Melissa S. Dale
ISBN
9789888455751
Publishing/Printing Date
2018-11-21
Type
Publisher
Category
Humanities, History & Geography
Hong Kong University Press
Type of Company
Publisher
Contact
Company Business/Copyright Contact Name
Winnie Chau
Title
Marketing Manager
Contact mail
Contact Number
(852) 39177803
Fax
(852) 28581655
Company Address
Hong Kong University Press, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
Company Website
hkupress.hku.hk