Many Ancient Chinese emperors used eunuchs not only to work in the harems, but also to perform all sorts of tasks of economic and administrative order and allowed eunuchs to carry out a significant role in governance.
Era of Ming dynasty was characterized with the confrontation between the two groups vying for the actual control of the state apparatus. Mandarins were highly educated officials who represented "official" state apparatus. Mandarins were proud of their knowledge, adherence to Confucian ideology and loyalty (Tsai 19).
Often, Ming emperors communicated with the outside world, including senior mandarins, mainly through the eunuchs, which allowed the latter to play a huge role in the governance and often led to personal enrichment of eunuchs, which emperors could never think of (Tsai 22).
Of course, there were among the eunuchs also those well-educated. For example, Feng Bao or Ju Chen, who were described by the then Chinese historians as patriotic and humane administrators (Tsai 24). However, their rivals, mandarins described in Chinese historical works eunuchs as embezzlers and power-lowers, who were responsible for the misfortunes of Ancient China.
Historians remark that malignancy of the power of eunuchs was evident both to the highest nobility and the Emperor himself. Eunuchs, in fact, in the XIV century, started discrediting the imperial power, which was becoming more and more within the eunuchs` control. Emperors of the Ming Dynasty made a desperate attempt to limit the influence of a few eunuchs. In particular, at the very beginning of the dynasty, they reduced the number of eunuchs to a hundred (Chinasage.info, “Imperial Eunuchs”). Unfortunately, all efforts were in vain: the eunuchs, experienced intriguers and not less experienced administrators, managed to be back in a large quantity in the imperial palace. Then the Emperor introduced the governance system that was strictly regulating the number of posts which could be given to eunuchs (Chinasage.info, “Imperial Eunuchs”). However, this was also in vain.
The exchange of official documents between eunuchs` offices and other organizations was prohibited, so that eunuchs could not affect the rest of the officials. Finally, according to the law, it was prohibited for eunuchs to interfere in political affairs, otherwise such a eunuch will be immediately executed (Chinasage.info, “Imperial Eunuchs”).
As we see, an attempt to curb the power of the eunuchs failed, not only because they were more experienced in court intrigues. Imperial power required eunuchs as scapegoats – institution of the eunuchs could never achieve a balance of yin and yang due to the asexual institution of government (Tsai 30). This provided the emperors with the best explanation of "great turmoil", which sometimes covered the Celestial Empire. All the turmoil and the entire disharmony, as it was at the time of the collapse of the Han Dynasty, were prescribed to the eunuchs. At the same time, sacred nature of the Emperor`s power remained blameless (Tsai 30). This largely explains why eunuchs at all times and during the reign of all imperial dynasties were so influential in Ancient China.
Works Cited
Chinasage.info. “Imperial Eunuchs”. chinasage.info. N.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
Tsai, Shih-shan. The Eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004. Print.
