Why did Chinese emperors have so many concubines?

An Emperor could have as many or as few concubines as he wished, with the main purpose of bearing him lots of children. During the earlier dynasties, concubines were frequently chosen from poor families and so often parents obliged, assuming that their daughters were embarking on a better life inside the palace.

Did all Chinese emperors have concubines?

Only Emperors and kings had the right to possess so many women. The task of the concubines was to bear children for the emperor – as many as he could father. After the emperor’s death, the Qin Dynasty collapsed and after a period of civil war between the Han and the Chu, the Han Dynasty rose to rule China.

How were Chinese concubines selected?

The empress was always selected from the family of a high-ranking official, but other concubines were selected from the general population, and the criteria ranged from emperor to emperor. During the Ming Dynasty, for example, no household was exempt from the process.

Do Chinese have concubines?

A man has “his” concubine. Even though the practice is banned by law in modern China, as are all forms of prostitution, it is so widespread that wives of civil servants have set up their own secret association known as the “Alliance against Concubines in the People’s Republic of China”, to wage their own battle.

Why were there concubines?

The concubine in a concubinage tended to have a lower social status than the married party or home owner, and this was often the reason why concubinage was preferred to marriage. A concubine could be an “alien” in a society that did not recognize marriages between foreigners and citizens.

Why are Chinese eunuchs?

The presence of eunuchs in the Forbidden City, the ancient home to many Chinese emperors, was a long-standing tradition. These emasculated men served as palace menials, spies and harem watchdogs. An army of eunuchs was attached to the court, primarily to safeguard the imperial ladies’ chastity.