A Study Of The Eunuch's Role In The Jiajing Reign

The Jiajing Reign(A.D.1522-1566) is a special period of eunuch history in the Ming dynasty. Before Jiajing, the eunuch group had became a significant force in political stage, The successor Ming Shizong and former ministers accepted history lesson and took it as a mirror, especially in view of the Zhengde's harsh political disastar caused by eunuchs, they conducted a more comprehensive reform measures, eunuchs forces reduced significantly. Politically, cutting Directorate of Ceremonial, consolidating the Grand Secretariat's power. Economically, reorganizing Departments in the palace, abolishing Imperial granaries' eunuch, confiscating eunuchs' farmlands, allocating to the common people, limiting eunuch's curb economic exploitation to farmers. Militarily, rectifying Directorate of Royal Horsestable, removing barrack's eunuch away. And abolishing the eunuch guarding system nationwide. So Jiajing reign has failed to appear some well-known right or dictatorship eunuchs, both the Grand Secretariat and Imperial Bodyguard forces are above the Directorate of Ceremonial and Dongchang. But the Ming Shizong's eunuch policy implementation is not static, with the "Imperial Ritual" fluctuations reform there have been a variety of twists and turns and even repeatedly. Indeed emperor Ming Shizong also has his own authority and master favoritism eunuch, not only to teach their to power, and be unlimited reward. It was by his approval, and further raise the status of the eunuchs, given theirs rich reward. In early reign, Ming Shizong keen to reform etiquette, advanced Taoist worship, while Mongolia and the fight against pirates, required a lot of money, so the court would always be around to send eunuch procurement, economic activity in order to raise funds for weaving, reached the peak of the history of the Ming dynasty. Meanwhile, the increasingly serious during the "Nanwo Beilu" trend also in North and South guarding officer not uninvolved.