10. China's Han Dynasty - The First Empire in Flames
Fall of Civilizations Podcast
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The Importance of Eunuchs in China
The imperial palace was one of the most heavily guarded places on earth. Very few were ever allowed to even set foot in it, and no men were allowed to remain there after dark. There were only two kinds of people who were allowed regular inside access to the emperor. And throughout the second century a d they were locked in a bitter struggle over who would control him. The use of eunuchs in china as the servants of rulers goes back to at least three thousand years ago. But in the later han dynasty, their use as palace attendants increased dramatically. Eventually, the imperial court would be home to more than two thousand eunuchs. They acted as fetchers and carriers,
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