Eunuchs And The Politics In Emperor Shen Zong And Zhe Zong Period

Eunuch groups, which of course, were the heart of impartial politics in the ancient Chinese history. As an important part of the palace, eunuch groups always connected closely with the emperors, their effects cannot be ignored. Therefore, the study of the eunuch system, can be used as a good view of anatomy Chinese ancient despotism system. Study of the eunuch groups were a more profound, more comprehensive observation and analysis of the operation of the ancient palace politics and ancient dynastic politics.This paper selects the eunuch groups which existed in the period of Emperor Shen Zong and Zhe Zong, and intends to discuss their activities in Xi Feng Reform and the political struggle between the New and the Old factions, therefore to discuss the their effects in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty.The reforms and political struggle was two themes of Emperor Shen Zong and Zhe Zong period. With a large amount of accumulated-malpractices in politics, Zhe Zong had to appoint Wang Anshi to implement the reform. But, with Wang Anahi’s appointment was a long-time political struggle which lasted several decades. In Shen Zong and Zhe Zong period, what the emperors had to do, was to strengthen the contracts between the court and the political affairs, so they had to rely on the eunuchs.The eunuchs, who were attached importance by the emperors, had their own characteristics. Not only did they had a good relationships with the emperors, but also their group were very large, what’s more, they had a great political power. The emperors always chose the eunuchs whom they specially like to help them achieve the political task. For example, Shen Zong let eunuch Wang Zhongzheng implement the Baojia Law, let eunuch Song Yongchen lead the city-building and the water-conservancy project.From the study on the eunuch groups of Emperor Shen Zong and Zhe Zong period, we can draw a conclusion that the eunuch groups have been played a very important role in the Emperor Shen Zong and Zhe Zong period, in essence, what the fact reflected, were the expansion of emperor-power.