The Making of a Palace Eunuch

An Dehai’s story begins in 1844 in Nanpi County, Hebei Province, when the eight-year-old boy underwent castration and entered the Forbidden City as a eunuch. His arrival during Emperor Xianfeng’s reign (1850-1861) coincided with the rise of a young concubine named Cixi – the future Empress Dowager who would dominate late Qing politics.

Historical records reveal An possessed extraordinary adaptability. Initially serving Emperor Xianfeng as a junior attendant, he demonstrated the quintessential survival skills of successful eunuchs: keen observation, emotional intelligence, and the ability to anticipate his master’s needs. His career took a pivotal turn in 1861 when Xianfeng died suddenly. Recognizing the shifting power dynamics, An swiftly transferred his allegiance to Cixi, then a 26-year-old widow fighting to secure her son Tongzhi’s throne against powerful regents.

The Power Broker Behind the Throne

An Dehai’s political ascent occurred during the Xinyou Coup of 1861, when Cixi and Prince Gong overthrew the regency council. Acting as Cixi’s confidential messenger, An risked his life shuttling between Beijing and Rehe (the imperial retreat), delivering crucial communications that enabled their victory. This service earned him unprecedented trust from the Empress Dowager.

By 1867, An had become Chief Eunuch – a position granting him extraordinary privileges. He flaunted his status outrageously, even taking an opera performer as his “wife” in 1868, an act that scandalized the conservative court. More dangerously, he began meddling in state affairs despite the Qing dynasty’s strict prohibition against eunuch interference in governance.

The Architect of Court Intrigues

An’s political maneuvers created dangerous fractures within the imperial family:

– He sowed discord between co-regents Empress Dowagers Cixi and Ci’an
– Poisoned relations between Cixi and her son Emperor Tongzhi
– Damaged the alliance between Cixi and her former ally Prince Gong

These machinations made him powerful enemies. Emperor Tongzhi particularly resented An’s intimacy with his mother – a resentment compounded by the teenage emperor’s own struggles for autonomy. Court records describe Tongzhi muttering “Kill Little An” (杀小安子), foreshadowing the coming storm.

The Fatal Misstep

In July 1869, An committed his fatal error. With Cixi’s tacit approval but violating explicit palace regulations, he left Beijing on a procurement mission to southern China. Flamboyant as ever, he traveled with great pomp through Shandong province.

This gave Tongzhi and Ci’an their opportunity. They secretly ordered Shandong Governor Ding Baozhen to arrest An. Contemporary documents like the Qing Shi Liezhuan detail the execution: after swift interrogation, An was beheaded in Tai’an along with his entourage. Ding displayed the naked corpse publicly – possibly to dispel rumors of An’s improper relationship with Cixi.

Legacy of a Controversial Figure

An Dehai’s 25-year career illuminates several aspects of late Qing politics:

1. The Vulnerabilities of Absolute Power – Even autocrats like Cixi depended on loyal intermediaries, creating opportunities for subordinates like An to accumulate dangerous influence.

2. Gender Dynamics in Imperial China – The unique position of eunuchs as gender-neutral figures allowed them access to both male and female spheres of the palace, making them ideal (but risky) power brokers.

3. The Limits of Favoritism – An’s downfall demonstrates how even the most privileged courtiers remained vulnerable when they overstepped traditional boundaries.

Modern historians debate whether An was truly a villain or a scapegoat for deeper court conflicts. His execution marked a temporary setback for Cixi, but she soon regained control, while Tongzhi’s premature death in 1874 (rumored to be from syphilis) cut short his rebellion against maternal authority.

The An Dehai affair remains one of the most dramatic episodes of Qing court politics, illustrating how personal ambitions and institutional constraints shaped China’s final imperial dynasty. His story continues to inspire historical fiction and television dramas, though as primary sources remind us, the reality was far more complex than any dramatic portrayal.