During the feudal era in China, there was a punishment considered to be “too gentle for the guilty party”, which did not inflict physical harm on the body.
“Every country has its laws, every family has its rules.” Each law and principle was established to restrict human behavior. Naturally, offenders had to face appropriate punishment. To deter criminals, each dynasty had its own system of punishment, similar to the feudal period in China.
Those who have watched historical films or studied Chinese history know that the feudal dynasties of this country had an incredibly rich and fearsome system of punishment. Examples include beheading, dismemberment, lingchi (death by a thousand cuts), hanging… It goes without saying that those who endured such punishments suffered immensely, with their bodies left in tatters, “dying with their eyes wide open.”
However, alongside these severe punishments, there were also some lighter penalties, one of which was even regarded as “too gentle for the guilty party,” and did not cause any physical harm.
This particular form of punishment was specifically reserved for women. It was not because ancient Chinese people “treasured flowers and cherished jade” or “considered women to be weak and therefore showed compassion,” but rather due to the nature of the offenses committed by these women. Though described as “gentle” and not physically harmful, this type of punishment often left women with “tears flowing like rivers,” leading them to seek ways to end their own lives.
That punishment is: Head shaving.
Head shaving is a special punishment reserved for women during the feudal era.
For men, receiving this punishment was seen as “escaping disaster,” while for women, it meant “living worse than dead.” Due to the lack of deterrent effect on men, this punishment later became applicable only to women.
In ancient times, people placed great importance on “teeth and hair being the roots of a person,” especially since there was a belief in China that “this body belongs to one’s parents.” Therefore, cutting hair or shaving the head was a grave matter. This is also the reason why Chinese feudal society often preferred long hair, regardless of gender.
Throughout Chinese history, it was not until the late Qing Dynasty that men were allowed to shave half of their heads and wear long braids.
During the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, a very famous event occurred: Empress Dowager Nala shaved her head.
According to historical records, Empress Dowager Nala fell out of favor after a trip to Jiangnan. By 1778 (twelve years after her death), Qianlong recalled and explained that on that fateful night, Nala had shaved her head, which was a grave transgression.
Image of Empress Dowager of Qianlong in film.
The Manchu people regarded hair as a sacred part of the body. Cutting hair was only permitted during the mourning period for the Emperor or Empress Dowager to show respect for the deceased. Thus, the act of shaving one’s head was considered highly disrespectful while both the Emperor and Empress Dowager were still alive.
On the other hand, growing long hair was a privilege for Manchu women after marriage. They left behind their youthful mischief to become more serious and groomed, also to “maintain the dignity” of their husbands. Therefore, when Empress Dowager Nala scolded the Emperor and then shaved her head, it was also to sever ties with her husband, Hongli.
Due to the incident of Empress Dowager Nala shaving her head, Qianlong treated her very harshly afterward. Even upon hearing of her death, Qianlong continued to hunt for sport. Furthermore, the funeral of Empress Dowager Nala was extremely simple, with even her coffin carelessly placed in the tomb of a concubine.
This illustrates that even men, who enjoyed certain privileges in a patriarchal society, did not dare to violate customs and laws, let alone women of lower status at that time.
This punishment was often reserved for women involved in extramarital affairs. (Illustrative image).
For women in the feudal era, being bald was akin to “walking the streets without clothes,” resulting in disgrace, bringing shame to their families, and making it impossible for their parents to show their faces in public, facing scorn from others.
Women subjected to the punishment of head shaving were often those accused of “extramarital affairs,” specifically for engaging in relationships with other men. At that time, men could have multiple wives, but women were expected to be loyal to their husbands. There were even customs stating that when a husband died, the wife must die with him or remain in mourning for life. Thus, women who committed adultery were always despised by society, shunned by their families, and could not lift their heads to live anywhere.
Previously, women guilty of such offenses were often publicly shamed at the village gate, tied up or caged, while villagers would throw stones at them until they collapsed. Consequently, most of these women died from the pain.
Later, as laws changed, the punishment of head shaving was applied. Simply being seen outdoors with a shaved head often led to accusations of “not maintaining modesty.” However, whether or not they dared to go out after being shaved was another matter!
