| The Rear Palaces Of Dynastic China (Part 5) |
[Feb. 25th, 2005|06:07 pm] |
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No excuses for this... it's the second-last installment in the series. The conclusion should be coming as SOON as possible.
Other Women in the Rear Palace
Apart from the concubinage system, there were also women serving within the Imperial Palace that performed administrative functions besides the female servants. What these roles are and how it overlapped with each other depended on the dynasty, but these women were often allowed freedoms denied to the concubines. Female servants are allowed on rare occasions to leave the palace on errands, and much like contract employees, if there are an excess number of them, they can be told to pack their bags and go home. Female administrative officials can be sent to remote provinces to perform duties for the emperor. No such freedom existed for the concubines.
Female Servants
Female servants are commonly drawn into the rear palace throughout the country, a process whereby concubines of commoner backgrounds are also selected. Every now and then, an official notice will be issued, calling for women to be taken into the imperial palace. It can be said that many of the women who answered these calls didn't know what was in for them - many of them may have been in poverty, or were sent by family who couldn't support them or marry them off. Some may have been independent, and looking for a (supposedly) better life in the palace. There were no records kept of where they come from, and the official notices usually said the emperor was soliciting for "women", which in a way is misleading. This is because whenever the royalty needed workers, they issue these notices, resulting in scores of women thinking they are going to live in palace luxury, but instead find themselves being assigned to menial labour in various palaces. The more beautiful ones may be chosen to be concubines for their beauty, or trained to be dancers, singers and musicians - but the system resembles more of a lottery system than a careful screening process. You may be beautiful, but if you're with a batch of women assigned to do menial labour in some remote palace, that's probably what you'll end up doing.
Should a batch of common women be considered for concubinage, they will be given thorough physical checks to ensure they are virgins and disease-free. Exactly how they do this isn't documented, but it's assumed that they strip the candidate naked and look for any stretch marks, pocks, scarring, moles, hemorrhoids and skin problems. They may also check to see if the hymen is intact, which is apparently somewhat reliable as virginity testing today in places like Africa uses this method. Those who fail the test are made into ordinary female servants, while the rest are commonly drafted into lower-ranked concubines.
Female Palace Administrators
Some female servants may be trained by the imperial schools to become palace administrators - keeping records, teaching ettique and performing ceremonial functions. Most dynasties had them except for the Qing dynasty (the last dynasty of China and also the most oppressive towards women), and they are ranked and graded much like the eunuchs and the concubines. Called "Officers of the Interior". The Han dynasty had 14 grades of such positions, the Ming had 6 departments with 1 grade 5 administrator each, and the Tang had 6 departments with 2 grade 5 administrators each. Under each department there were 24 divisions with 2 grade 6 administrators each to oversee the day-to-day running of the palace. There is also a disciplinary board, consisting of one grade 5 officer, 2 grade 4 officers and 2 grade 7 officers to ensure regulations were obeyed and to meet out punishments. All this was formed to regulate the rules of the palace and to keep a keen eye on any misbehaviour by anyone falling under the jurisdiction of the system.
Ranks Offices of the Interior
Shang gong
In charge of literary books, personal biodata and daily records fo the on-goings of the Rear palace.
Shang yi
In charge of court etiquette, entertainment, musical instruments and protocol for guests.
Shang fu
In charge of attire, accessories, imperial garments and toiletries.
Shang shi
In charge of meals, drinks, liquor, medicine, etc.
Shang qin
In charge of beds, mats, mattresses, blankets, straw fans, candles and imperial sedans. Also tended fruit and vegetable plots in the Real palace garden.
Shang gung
In charge of tailoring of garments and making of accessories. Also provided pearls, silk, brocade, clothes, meals, drinks, firewood, etc.
To Be Continued... |
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