Entering the Emperor’s Realm

Abstract

Even though emasculation was a job prerequisite, it did not ensure that a eunuch would be hired as a palace eunuch. Emasculates would need to undergo training prior to applying for service in the palace. Designed to be the ideal servants for the emperor and his court, eunuch subservience and proper conduct were expected. While eunuchs were not slaves, they were imperial servants living in an environment defined by strict rules of deportment and protocol. Within the palace, the majority of eunuchs occupied positions at the bottom of the social hierarchy within the palace. Physical disfigurement now dictated every aspect of the eunuch’s life from entry into the eunuch system, to placement in the eunuch hierarchy, to apprenticeship, to employment opportunities.