Despite having thousands of concubines, emperors of ancient times did not have many children.
China has a history of thousands of years under feudalism. During this long period, men held a significantly higher status than women. At that time, men could take multiple wives and concubines, not to mention the emperor, who could have thousands of beauties in his harem. The concubines in the imperial palace lived their entire lives in gilded cages, sharing their husbands. This situation led to countless tragedies, struggles, and brutal conflicts.
One of the primary ways to ensure status and wealth for concubines back then was through childbearing. Especially, if a concubine gave birth to an heir to the throne, she would be especially favored. From historical data and television dramas, we know that in ancient times, most emperors only had a few to several dozen children, even though they could have thousands of beauties in their harem. Despite having many wives, the number of those who could bear princes and princesses was not high; indeed, many concubines lived their entire lives without becoming pregnant. What were the reasons behind this?
Today, with advancements in medicine, after excavating the tombs of some concubines of emperors for forensic examinations and analyzing the historical context, the hidden truths have finally come to light.
Many concubines could not conceive
Some concubines indeed had physical issues that prevented them from becoming pregnant. (Illustrative image).
It is evident that there were many favored concubines of the emperor, but some of them might have had physical issues that made it impossible for them to conceive. Today, even with advanced medicine, many couples still face infertility issues, let alone in ancient times when medical knowledge was rudimentary.
For those concubines who could not conceive due to their own physical conditions, the consequences were often tragic. Because they could not bear children, their status would never improve. And for them, it was also a tragedy, as they would never experience the feeling of motherhood.
Additionally, the palace intrigue depicted in historical dramas is not entirely fictional. The competition among beauties in the palace, the sabotage of those who could not conceive or who miscarried, were real occurrences in history. Furthermore, even when princes and princesses were born, the survival rate of these children to adulthood was low due to the overall poor healthcare of the time.
Many concubines never even met the emperor in their lifetime
Evidence from experts indicates that some concubines were buried still virgins, so of course, they could not bear children.
Everyone knows that emperors of the feudal era had thousands of beauties in their harem. While this is a figurative expression, with so many wives and concubines, even if the emperor favored one each night, it would take many years to see them all. Some concubines, upon entering the palace, might never have the opportunity to meet their husband, let alone become pregnant.
Not allowed to become pregnant or even afraid to conceive
Some concubines could serve the emperor but would never be allowed to become pregnant. (Illustrative image).
The emperor truly had too many concubines from diverse backgrounds. Some concubines were married off through political alliances, such as princesses from neighboring countries. While it may seem like a marriage, it was essentially a form of hostage-taking. These foreign concubines could serve the emperor but would never be allowed to become pregnant. This was because if a foreign concubine bore a son, it could lead to the foreign family exploiting and manipulating the situation, even attempting to seize power over the country.
Another example is concubines who were daughters of high-ranking officials. To prevent the father-in-law from gaining more power through his grandchildren, these concubines were also prohibited from having children. Thus, to ensure the safety of the royal family, these concubines had to take contraceptive pills or even resort to abortion if they became pregnant.
Being a concubine of the emperor was not an easy task, let alone the responsibility of bearing the heir to the throne. Who was allowed to conceive and successfully give birth was a process filled with selection and schemes within the palace.
