To serve emperors and concubines in the palace, eunuchs had to undergo a painful process known as castration, which involved the removal of their genitalia.
According to the Morning Post, historical records in China indicate that men serving in the palace before the Qin Dynasty (before 221 BC) and the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC – 8 AD) were not necessarily eunuchs. It was only from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220 AD) onward that they were forced to undergo castration to prevent any sexual relations with women in the palace.
The background of eunuchs varied; they could be volunteers, prisoners, tribute bearers, or even those sold into servitude. After a selection process, they were compelled to undergo castration to officially become eunuchs. Once they agreed to this fate, they had to completely remove their genitalia.
In ancient times, there were two main places for performing male castration: the “Department of Internal Affairs” within the palace and the “Specialized Castration Facility” outside. During the Qing Dynasty, “Shen Xing Ti” referred to the palace organization responsible for this procedure.
Stone statue depicting the castration process, also known as the removal of male genitalia in China. (Image: Morning Post).
Castration practitioners were known as castration masters. This profession was highly lucrative due to the extreme pain involved and the high mortality rate, requiring advanced skills.
The primary knife used for the castration procedure was made from a gold and bronze alloy to prevent infection, and it had to be sterilized over fire before use. Additionally, the practitioner would use other types of knives as well.
The castration process required careful selection of weather conditions, as ancient medicine was still quite rudimentary, lacking effective disinfectants. As a result, this procedure was often performed in late spring to early summer when the climate was mild and there were few flies or mosquitoes.
Before beginning, the person undergoing castration and the castration master had to sign a consent form in the presence of a witness. This consent form clearly stated that the individual was fully voluntary, acknowledging all risks or potential death following the procedure. The individual also had to pay a certain fee. Most of these individuals came from poor families and requested to pay in installments over the years after entering the palace.
Several days before the surgery, the individual was not allowed to eat or drink to avoid complications from urination that could lead to infection. While on the operating table, the practitioner did not use anesthesia but instead cleaned the genital area with hot chili broth.
According to the book “Life in the Chinese Palace,” before a child was castrated to become a eunuch, the practitioner would place a peeled egg in the child’s mouth, blocking the throat to prevent any sound before commencing the procedure.
Since the genital organs still had the potential to develop or grow back, eunuchs were subjected to annual physical examinations after entering the palace. This process was known as inspection. Many eunuchs had an unpleasant odor due to improper castration, causing urine to leak.
After the procedure, the removed body parts were washed three times in pepper water and stored in a jar. The practitioner and assistants would bandage the wound with cold-water-soaked paper and insert a metal plug into the urethra. The newly castrated individual was then guided around the room for two to three hours before being allowed to lie down. Despite the pain and thirst, they were not allowed to eat or urinate for three days.
After three days, the bandages and metal plug were removed. If the eunuch was able to urinate, the surgery was considered a success. Otherwise, if the urinary tract was blocked, the surgery failed, and the eunuch would inevitably face death. This failure rate was about 2% of cases.
Tools used for the castration procedure. (Image: QQ).
After undergoing castration, individuals no longer had an Adam’s apple, their voices became higher-pitched, and their movements were more feminine. Beyond the obvious physiological changes, they also underwent psychological transformations. They lost their sexual drive and felt as if their lives had come to an end, devoid of any real meaning. Their manner of walking was also quite distinct; eunuchs walked with short steps, leaning slightly forward, and their toes pointed outward, making them easily identifiable from a distance.
After castration, the two testicles and the penis of the eunuch became precious items, referred to as “treasures,” which were carefully preserved for two main reasons. First, each time they were rewarded, eunuchs serving in the palace had to present their treasures to the higher officials to prove they were no longer men. Second, upon death, eunuchs would have their treasures reattached before burial to ensure they departed this world intact. The Chinese belief was strongly against leaving this life without a complete body.
Most eunuchs in ancient times lived such a somber existence. However, once they acquired wealth or held some power, they often ceased to live quietly and became greedy, cruel, and ruthless.
Many find it difficult to understand the stories of eunuchs marrying women. However, Japanese scholar Terao Yoshio has studied this issue and explained it through the “psychological theory of escaping loneliness” in his work “The Story of Eunuchs.”
He argues that eunuchs marry to escape loneliness, as they constantly endure the disdainful gazes of others, making it understandable that they seek warmth from a wife.
The “wives” of eunuchs were mostly palace maids. Life in the palace was so isolated from the outside world that only palace maids could marry eunuchs.
