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The Forgotten Lives and Forbidden Love of Palace Maids in the Han Dynasty

Amimisu

93,751 views

Explore the hidden world of palace maids in the Han Dynasty, living a life of tragedy and a desperate search for love inside the vast imperial palace. In this journey into Chinese history, we uncover the unbelievable true stories of women like Empress Dou and Tang Ji, who rose from the bottom of the harem to change history. But for the thousands who were forgotten, survival meant creating their own families. We investigate the secret practice of dui shi (對食), the "marriage of sisters" that formed a hidden world of lesbian partnership, and tell the heartbreaking story of Cao Gong, whose relationship was destroyed by the murderous jealousy of Empress Zhao Feiyan. Finally, we explore how this practice evolved to include the palace eunuch, revealing the complex and often brutal reality of life for the forgotten women of the Han Dynasty court.

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00:00 - Introduction
02:03 - Becoming a Palace Maid in the Han Dynasty
09:49 - A Life of Peril
14:22 - The Empress Dòu
19:44 - The Accident of Táng Jī
23:14 - A Marriage of Sisters
26:19 - The Tragedy of Cáo Gōng and Dào Fáng
34:30 - An Unlikely Alliance
37:52 - Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: Visuals used in this video are for reference/illustrative purposes and are not intended as accurate historical depictions.

#HanDynasty #ChineseHistory #PalaceMaid #Documentary #Harem #Eunuch #Empress #DuiShi #WomensHistory #ForbiddenLove #ancientchina

20 Comments

@RenLaurenO 11 months ago

It’s sad that you could be deemed a criminal for trying to protect your young daughter from being stolen away by the palace

@pines-by-the-lagoon 11 months ago

Imagine that missing prince survived and continued his life as a commoner and had his own family... there might be distant relatives of the emperor walking in China not knowing who their ancestor was.

@desubysnusnu 11 months ago

I didnt expect the bath water & doomed yuri from a Chinese history at all lol

@cloverazar5315 11 months ago

The tragedy of Cao Gong is especially awful if you realise that as a lesbian, there was no incentive for her to attract the emperor's attention -- and no option to say no to him, either. So, she was coerced into the situation, murdered by her abuser's angry wife, and her partner disappeared.
If it's possible for a situation to get any worse, I can't think of it at the moment. Nightmarish.

@maryqueen2511 8 months ago

One thing is true: noone in royal palace from empress to the maid could live truly peacefully and happily.

@kirbino141 11 months ago

I absolutely need a c-drama about cao gong and dao fang so bad

@bestgamergirl6231 11 months ago

These stories from different dynasties in Ancient China in their 2000 year imperial history are truely fascinating. I love your videos so much, keep up the good work ❤😊

@rkitchen1967 11 months ago (edited)

By remembering the sad and misused people of the Court, whose lives weren't given value in their own time, you show them the compassion that was denied to them in life. Perhaps they are whispering a quiet "thank you" from the afterlife for showing the world that they mattered. You are a gifted story teller to make people from history appear real to us and feel the tragedy of their suffering.

@sandramohammed2173 11 months ago

Big shout out from Togo west africa. I'm a huge fan of cdramas and thanks to you i know more about the historical background of the characters portrayed in cdramas ❤

@Manticorpse 11 months ago

I dont know about the open-crotch pants, but those also existed for a long time in the west (specially as undergarments under dresses). Purpose was to be able to simply crouch down when doing your private business (into a pot, or simply on the ground) without having to laboriously undress everytime (which for wealthy women freqently required a helping hand).

@RenLaurenO 11 months ago

Did anyone, maid or otherwise, ever outright refuse the emperor’s summons? I can’t imagine how badly that would end for them.

@feyzasahin7140 11 months ago

The more I watch you, the more I feel like ancient China was a huge, slow human grinder

@oyunnbolstad 11 months ago

What a moving story of forgotten women from the palace who didn’t even own their own bodies. How they survived the prevalent «x - ual» violence, mind - numbing work and total anonymity is amazing testament to their resilience. I think it’s such a beautiful thing that they entered into marriage - like relationships with each other and eunuchs and in that way found love and safety in at least one other person. The story of the maid who became the Empress Dòu is so fascinating! As she had been one of the lowliest, she understood others and became a benevolent ruler. So inspiring. I also find it truly amazing how artisans were considered a «lowly» profession, especially with the world famous level of craft of Chinese artisans who crafted every single item in to a piece of art. Thank you for another history - lesson! I can’t get enough, and I’m so grateful for you for translating this and sharing it with us. I’m at the edge of my seat as soon as I see a new episode out. 🇨🇳 ❤️ 🇳🇴

@ThatgeekNolan 11 months ago

It’s remarkable that there aren’t more records of families doing things to make their daughters less appealing candidates, such as encouraging them to behave slightly inappropriately, or even scarring them.

@lisamedla 11 months ago

If you think about the fact that they were basically teenagers, the territorialness of their partnerships makes sense. They are basically high schoolers with little leisure time. I know no one who is more territorial than a teenage girl with her best friend.

@chronicallynerdy4742 11 months ago

Amy and husband -- you're the best, I'm 40 and have only learned Chinese history through this (and a military history course in college 20 years ago). You are doing great work, please keep it up as long as it doesn't stress you out!

@kierrascott2271 11 months ago (edited)

All I can is that say working in the palace or life , is basically a nightmare .its bad enough when you’re mandatory to go there and you have to worry about falling the rules without being severely punished, the emperor‘s favor are getting unwanted attention or harassment .which make you a target ,you can’t really socialize or married just expected to be loyal to a person or system that doesn’t care for you at all .if you want to retire or leave you basically don’t have the funds to Take care of yourself or you’re forced to stay it’s kind of lose lose situation . feel for the woman is this video to listen to their stories? I really enjoy watching this video. Can’t wait for more.

@Srvhbbjc 11 months ago (edited)

This was one of your best episodes, you've gotten great at narration ! Are there any 'scholarly' books that depict the life of palace maids and other servants that you could recommend ? ♡

@jmarshal 11 months ago

This is a fantastic topic! Please do a video on the secret relationships of Eunuchs, too!

@kae5717 11 months ago

I deeply appreciate you telling these stories. So few channels look at the common people and those caught between the wheels of the royals and greats.