Wei Zhongxian

A Chinese eunuch in the late Ming Dynasty. He was from Hejian, Hebei. He was a scoundrel from a young age, and became a eunuch after losing at gambling. He had an affair with Emperor Tianqi's wet nurse, Ke, and when Emperor Tianqi ascended to the throne, he gained his favor and became the eunuch's chief eunuch, despite being completely uneducated. At the time, there was fierce political strife between the Donglin Party and non-Donglin Party members, and the non-Donglin Party members joined forces with Wei Zhongxian to protect themselves, and used despicable methods to oppress the Donglin Party members. Zhongxian first took charge of the Dongsheng (secret police) and took complete control of politics, imprisoning the Donglin faction and banishing them from politics on any pretext. He was later made Marquis of Shuning, where he deployed spies to wield tyranny and seize real power in the imperial court. As a result, many of the court officials looked down on him and tried to curry favor with him. Some even began to worship him as a living god, and shrines to him were built all over the country. However, when Emperor Tianqi died in 1627 and Emperor Chongzhen ascended to the throne, people across the country began to denounce him, and he eventually committed suicide by hanging. After his death, he was crucified, and his lover, Kakushi, was flogginged to death.

[Kawagoe Yasuhiro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、明(みん)末の宦官(かんがん)。河北河間の人。年少から無頼漢で、賭博(とばく)に負けたので宦官となった。天啓帝の乳母客(うばきゃく)氏と私通し、天啓帝が即位するとその寵(ちょう)を得、まったくの無学にもかかわらず司礼秉筆太監(しれいへいひつたいかん)（宦官の最高職）となった。当時、東林党・非東林党の政争が激しく、非東林党は自衛のために魏忠賢と結び、卑劣な手段をもって東林党の弾圧を図った。忠賢はまず東厰(とうしょう)（秘密警察）を兼督して政治を専断し、口実を設けては東林派を投獄し政治から追放した。やがて粛寧(しゅくねい)侯に封ぜられると、スパイを放って暴威を振るい、宮廷の実権を握った。そのため在廷の官僚は、その下風にたっておもねる者が多く、ついには彼を生神として祀(まつ)る者も現れ、全国各所に彼の生祠(せいし)が建てられた。しかし、1627年、天啓帝が崩じ崇禎(すうてい)帝が即位すると、彼を弾劾する者が全土に満ち、ついに自ら縊死(いし)した。死後さらに磔刑(たっけい)に処せられ、愛人客氏は笞刑(ちけい)で殺された。

［川越泰博］

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