An overview of the establishment of harem provinces in Tang Dynasty

(1) Historical Origin > Eunuchs are the product of the development of human society to a certain stage, not only in China, but also in some countries in the ancient world, such as the ancient countries in West Asia, Greece and Rome in Europe, and the Mughal Empire in India. But in terms of its quantity, duration and strict system, China is unique. There is no conclusion about the time when China eunuchs came into being. About Xia and Shang Dynasties, castration appeared in China's criminal law, which created the possibility for the appearance of eunuchs. To be sure, there was a eunuch system in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and criminals sentenced to castration became the main source of eunuchs at that time. Zhou Li said that "the palace guards guard the house" is proof. But at that time, they were not called eunuchs, eunuchs, but called emperors, temple people, monks, inner ministers and so on. The number is relatively limited. From then on, China established the eunuch system, and some famous eunuchs appeared, such as Miao Xian, the eunuch of Zhao in the Warring States Period, and Zhao Gao in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It should be noted that eunuchs in Qin and Han dynasties were not all eunuchs, but also scholars. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, eunuchs were all eunuchs, and the eunuch institutions were further increased and their responsibilities were further clarified, which played an increasingly important role in social politics, forming a situation in which eunuchs were authoritarian. Eunuchs in the Eastern Han Dynasty, like eunuchs in the Qin and Han Dynasties, were all under the jurisdiction of Shaofu, mainly serving as middle servants, middle yellow people and Minions. & gt After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the court service agencies changed the situation that they were under the jurisdiction of the Shaofu government, and established a special agency, the Internal Affairs Office, which was a purely eunuch institution with a whole set of official positions. Because of the Sui system, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was established in the Tang Dynasty, but its name was once changed. In the second year of Tang Gaozong Longshuo (662), it was changed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and it was restored in the first year of Xianheng (670). In the first year of Guangzhai (684), it was changed to Sigongtai, and it was restored in the first year of Tang Zhongzong Shenlong (705). In fact, these changes are only name changes, and have nothing to do with the system itself. & gt (II) Establishment and Function of Official Position > The official position establishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Tang Dynasty was divided into two parts, namely, officials directly under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and officials below the Fifth Bureau. Drawing lessons from the autocratic power of the eunuchs of the previous generation, it was stipulated that there should be no three officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so the highest-ranking officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the early Tang Dynasty were only four officials. At the same time, it is also stipulated that eunuchs should not ask about the affairs of foreign countries and should not preach. Therefore, in the early Tang Dynasty, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was mainly in charge of various affairs of the imperial court, but it was still unable to take care of the affairs of the imperial court, let alone compete with officials of South Asia for power and profit. The following is a brief introduction to the official setting and responsibilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: > Four internal attendants, from Sipin; Often serve six people, below level five. They are the director and deputy director of the Ministry of the Interior. In addition to being in charge of the affairs of the Fifth Bureau, they also have some specific affairs or responsibilities that need to be directly in charge. These affairs are as follows: on the auspicious day of March every year, when the queen sacrifices silkworms in the northern suburbs, the internal attendants and external attendants will go to the altar to preside over relevant ceremonies; When the queen drove in and out, she led the eunuch to ride on both sides. & gt There are eight people in charge, from five grades. In charge of the daily affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in addition, every January and winter solstice, when the group celebrates the Queen, they preach in and out. In addition, the clothes and expenses required by the imperial secretary are counted according to the grade and number of people, and submitted to Zhongshu Province in spring and autumn every year. & gt There are two people in charge, from Grade 9. It belongs to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and is responsible for inspecting and checking the lost items, so as to find the problems in time and correct them, which is equivalent to the internal supervisors and auditors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Six supervisors are guilty, under six products; Twelve people are guilty, from eight products. The former is responsible for the propaganda in the palace. If the royal family orders their wives to see the Queen in the palace, the relevant departments will submit their numbers and names to the Ministry of the Interior for review by internal supervisors. The maid got off the bus, was introduced to the court by a special person, and then played by it. The latter is mainly responsible for the scheduling of relatives and relatives in court. Under them, there are eighteen people in the inner temple and six people in the temple, all of whom are outside posts. The former is responsible for guiding the maid to appear in court, while the latter is responsible for the safety of the queen's carriage, and guards on both sides with imperial knives. There are two people out of four in>, under seven categories. This is a full-time inspector, who is mainly responsible for picketing all kinds of extrajudicial matters in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and monitoring people who come in and out when there are major events every year. & gt These are all officials directly under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The following is the setting of the Fifth Bureau and its officials: 1. Ye Ting Bureau: There was a post in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the Qin Dynasty changed to Yongxiang, and it remained unchanged until the Tang Dynasty. Ye Ting Bureau is the agency in charge of women workers' affairs in the palace. Those who fall into the ranks of official handmaiden are mostly managed by Ye Ting Bureau, where they take all kinds of hard labor, such as planting mulberry and sericulture, reeling, sewing clothes and washing clothes, and sweeping hospitals. Ye Ting Bureau appointed two officers as officers, from seven grades; Cheng three people, from Bapin, are responsible for the daily affairs of this bureau (the following bureaus are the same, and they will not be described one by one); Doctor II of Gongjiao, below Grade Nine, responsible for teaching skills such as Gongjiao calligraphy and arithmetic; There are four supervisors, who supervise all kinds of chores and manufacturing matters in the palace from the beginning of Jiupin. In addition, there are two people who are responsible for the supply of raw materials and the approval of the project cycle; Ten people are in charge of all kinds of labor. Both positions are temporary jobs. & gt2. Palace Bureau: There were people in charge of the palace class in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the palace bureau was established in the Sui Dynasty, but it did not change in the Tang Dynasty. The main functions of the Palace Bureau are: to be in charge of the palace gates and access keys, to be responsible for the access to the Queen's throne when the ancestor worship ceremony is held, and to return to the original room after the event. The palace bureau appointed two officers as officers, from seven grades; Cheng Erren, from Bapin. Its subordinates are: 20 insiders, in charge of keys; Sixteen people in the inner palm fan are in charge of the queen umbrella fan; Internal envoy, without staff, is responsible for copying in and out of the project. These are all outside jobs. The Tang Dynasty stipulated that all eunuchs without official rank were called internal envoys. & gt3. Xiguan Bureau: In the Western Han Dynasty, there were violent officials in charge of the diseases of women in the palace, and even the crimes of the queen's concubines were under their jurisdiction. Liang Chen of the Southern Dynasty and the Northern Qi Dynasty both set up Xi official offices under Dachangqiu Temple, and the Sui Dynasty set up Xi official offices, and the Tang Dynasty was ruled by the Sui Dynasty. Xiguan bureau is in charge of the medical funeral and famous products of imperial secretary, and provides medicines for the sick imperial secretary. When you die, you will be given clothes and funeral things according to your grades. If there are no relatives, the Xiguan Bureau is responsible for choosing one from the people with the same surname as the priest every year. If there are no people with the same surname, Xiguan Bureau is responsible for offering sacrifices in spring and autumn every year. Xi official department set up two officials as the main officials, below eight products; Cheng two people, both do; Four people are in charge of the ceremony. They are outside the office. & gt4. Domestic Servants Bureau: There were palace servants in the Eastern Han Dynasty, palace servants bureau in the Northern Qi Dynasty, domestic servants bureau in the Sui Dynasty, and systems in the Tang Dynasty. The internal servant bureau is the institution responsible for transporting concubines in the palace. Set the two as officers, responsible for the entry and exit guidance of the Queen's car; Cheng two people, both do; Drivers 140, clerks 8, all from other places. When the queens came in and out by car, the servants ordered them to walk on the left and Cheng on the right, and they led them. Canon is responsible for checking the car ride; The driver is responsible for training horses and driving. The Tang Dynasty stipulated that the queen's cars were divided into six types, namely, heavy cars, tired cars, cars, cars, cars and cars. These amusement facilities are under the responsibility of the internal servant bureau. & gt5. Neifu Bureau: In the Western Han Dynasty, there were orders from a few government officials, and in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were orders from public and private officials, who were in charge of the collection of coins, fabrics and silks in the palace, as well as the cutting and sizing of clothes and quilts. There were similar officials in the Northern Wei and Northern Qi Dynasties. The Sui Dynasty set up the Office of the Interior, and the Tang Dynasty changed it to the Office of the Interior. The inner government bureau is the institution in charge of the palace treasury, in charge of all the treasures and coins entering and leaving the palace. When the emperor holds a court meeting, he will give more than five items of silk and silverware to officials, who will supply them; When soldiers go to war to make meritorious deeds, or foreign envoys and ethnic minority leaders return them in person, the gifts also come from here. The inner government bureau has ordered two people to be officials, under the eight products; Cheng, both of them are below grade nine. & gt There was another eunuch institution in the Prince's East Palace system in the Tang Dynasty, namely the inner court. Set two officers in the code, from five grades; Cheng and his wife are deputy officers. They belong to seven categories. Its subordinate officials mainly include: seven officials, four direct officials and nine posts; There are six guest guides, six cabinet coaches, eight internal attendants, no internal attendants, twenty internal stables, two courtiers and thirty coachmen. The above personnel are all foreign employees. Among them, the warden is responsible for the internal affairs of the East Palace and the imperial secretary provides food, and Cheng is the second. Courtesy management, guest guide to attract guests and make orders, cabinet director to manage the entrance of the East Palace, internal shovel to manage the entry and exit of personnel, internal envoy to manage the umbrella fan, internal horse to manage the horses and chariots of the East Palace, courtesy to manage the horses and cattle, and the driver to manage the driving of the horses and chariots. & gt The number of eunuchs varies in different periods. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong, only eunuchs were allowed to worship the Forbidden City, so the number was limited. During the reign of Wu Zetian, the number of eunuchs gradually increased, and the number of Emperor Zhongzong Shenlong reached more than 3,000, of which more than 7 were foreign officials 1000. "However, there are still a few people who wear Zhu Xi" (Biography of Eunuchs in the Old Tang Dynasty). By the end of Xuanzong, the number of eunuchs had increased, totaling 4,628, of which 1696 were of high quality. Since the reign of Emperor Xianzong Yuanhe, it has remained at about four or five thousand people, with a maximum of ten thousand people ("All Tang Wen", volume 845). The number and scale of eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty reached the peak. Many of them were authoritarian and good at politics, occupying more land and developing into a huge political force, which left a far-reaching influence in history. These issues will be discussed in detail later, so I won't say much here.