Feng Bao

Feng Bao
馮保
Born	Shenzhou, Hebei
Died	Nanjing
Occupation	Eunuch
Chinese name
Chinese	馮保
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Féng Bǎo

Feng Bao ^[a] was a Chinese eunuch who served as the highest-ranking eunuch at the court of the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty from 1567 to 1583. He was one of the three most influential figures in the administration of the empire during the first decade of the Wanli Emperor's reign, along with Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng and Empress Dowager Li. Feng was known for his education and competence as a statesman. After Zhang's death in 1582, he lost the Emperor's support and was demoted to a lower position in Nanjing in early 1583.

Biography

Feng Bao was from Shenzhou, a city in northern China's Hebei province. ^[1] As a child, he attended the Neishutang, a school for eunuchs located within the Forbidden City. There, he received instruction from scholars of the Hanlin Academy. ^[2] He had a passion for literature, was skilled in playing the flute, and excelled in calligraphy. ^[1]

In 1538, he began working as a scribe for the Directorate of Ceremonial, a position he held for 15 years. In 1553, he transferred to the seals office, and in 1560, he was appointed deputy director (sili bingbi taijian) of the Directorate of Ceremonial by the Jiajing Emperor. Along with three or four colleagues, he oversaw the compilation and transmission of imperial edicts. In 1567, the newly crowned Longqing Emperor chose him as his personal secretary and also appointed him director of the Eastern Depot, which was responsible for the eunuch secret service and the Imperial Stables. In 1572, shortly before his death, the Longqing Emperor promoted Feng to director (sili changyin taijian) of the Directorate of Ceremonial, making him the highest-ranking eunuch in the Forbidden City. Despite this prestigious position, he continued to oversee the Eastern Depot. At the time, the ten-year-old Wanli Emperor held great respect for three individuals: his mother Empress Dowager Li, Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, and Feng, all of whom worked closely together. ^[2]

Feng was known for his efficiency, capability, and competence. Following the death of Zhang in 1582, he faced criticism from the censors. ^[3] In early 1583, ^[4] he was removed from his positions and demoted to a lower-ranking post in Nanjing. Additionally, eight of his closest subordinate eunuchs were also dismissed. ^[3] His property and that of his relatives were seized. ^[4] Furthermore, his brother and adopted son, who held high positions in the central military commissions, were imprisoned and ultimately died. ^[3]

American historian Shih-shan Henry Tsai noted that, despite his love for history and efforts to avoid the mistakes of his predecessors, he ultimately lost his power after sixteen years in office. His downfall was brought about by complaints from fellow eunuchs, who reported to the Emperor that Feng had grown too powerful. ^[5]

Feng was then replaced as head of the Eastern Depot by Zhang Jing, who held the position until 1590 when he was dismissed due to a loss of the Emperor's confidence. ^[6]

According to Tsai's monograph on Ming eunuchs, Feng died in 1583 after only a few months in Nanjing. ^[3] In contrast, Michela Fontana, the Italian biographer of Matteo Ricci in Matteo Ricci: A Jesuit in the Ming Court, and American historian Ronnie Po-Chia Hsia in A Jesuit in the Forbidden City: Matteo Ricci 1553–1610, both state that Ricci met Feng in 1599. At the time, Feng was still one of the most influential figures in Nanjing at the age of seventy. ^{[7] [8]}

Notes

1. Courtesy name: Yongting (Chinese :永亭; pinyin :Yǒngtíng); Art name: Shuanglin (Chinese :雙林; pinyin :Shuānglín)

References

Citations

1. Tsai (1996), p. 106.
2. Tsai (1996), p. 107.
3. Tsai (1996), p. 108.
4. Pang (2015), pp. 26–28.
5. Tsai (1996), pp. 108–109.
6. Tsai (1996), p. 109.
7. Fontana (2011), pp. 170–171.
8. Hsia (2010), pp. 177–178.

Works cited

• Fontana, Michela (2011). Matteo Ricci: A Jesuit in the Ming Court. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN   9781442205888.
• Hsia, R. Po-chia (2010). A Jesuit in the Forbidden City: Matteo Ricci 1552-1610. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199592258.
• Pang, Huiping (2015). "The Confiscating Henchmen: The Masquerade of Ming Embroidered-Uniform Guard Liu Shouyou (ca. 1540-1604)". Ming Studies. 72: 24–45. doi:10.1179/0147037X15Z.00000000045. ISSN   0147-037X. S2CID   159862527.
• Tsai, Shih-shan Henry (1996). Eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty (SUNY series in Chinese local studies ed.). New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN   0791426874.