Eunuchs began to exist in the pre-Qin period. Eunuch originally refers to a senior official among the ancient eunuchs, and now refers to a man who lost his sexual ability after castration, usually ordinary people or slaves who were deliberately castrated. In the Ming Dynasty, they were also called companions of the old eunuch.

The eunuch system originated in the pre-Qin period, and there are records about eunuchs in The Book of Songs, Zhou Li and Li Ji. Most of the Zhou Dynasty and vassal states set eunuchs. After Qin and Han Dynasties, the eunuch system became more detailed. As a special political force, eunuchs had a great influence on the political situation of many dynasties.

Eunuchs are also called eunuchs, eunuchs, middle officials, internal officials, internal ministers, internal servants and internal supervisors. Eunuchs at that time, that is, eunuchs renamed in the Tang Dynasty, just used different words. The first eunuch in history is generally considered to be Zhao Gao, a figure in Qin Dynasty, Lao Ai, a figure in Qin State at the end of the Warring States Period, and Qi State in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Extended data

According to research, the first eunuch in China feudal society was named Wu Tengyu, a native of Shangrao, Jiangxi. Eunuch has many names in China ancient books, such as middle official, eunuch, official, inner official, eunuch, middle-trickling water, inner vertical, middle-noble and so on. Eunuchs were called "eunuchs" after the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the higher-ranking internal supervisors were called "eunuchs".

Tang Gaozong changed the palace province to the imperial palace, and took eunuchs as eunuchs, with less supervision. Later eunuchs were also called eunuchs. In the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs became more and more powerful, so people regarded all eunuchs as "eunuchs" and eunuchs became synonymous with eunuchs.