Idea: Coup of 1461 succeeds, eunuchs take over China

In 1461, the eunuch Cao Jixiang attempted a coup to replace the Tianshun Emperor with the crown prince, but failed. This would be the first and last time in the Ming Dynasty that eunuchs tried to take over the government by force. But what if Cao and his son (Cao Qin, the Wikipedia article on this event gives way too much focus on him) had succeeded? How would China look like if the eunuchs had managed to take power by force, as opposed to their usual modus operandi of secretive influence? While the Ming Dynasty wasn't as eunuch dominated as some dynasties, with eunuchs only holding power for short spans at a time, it certainly saw its fair share of scheming. If the eunuchs deposed an emperor by force and made it a trend, would the rest of the Ming Dynasty's years look more like the eunuch-dominated Han and Tang Dynasties? Or would the backlash force them out of power?
 
This is not my period nor my area when it comes to history, but I must say I am very interested...
 
Actually...Cao Jixiang and his adopted son's aims were to become Emperors themselves....While I highly doubt that the Cao could successfully hold on to the throne for more than a few days (come on, this is the middle of Ming we are talking about, with that many princes out there, the Cao could never survive long enough), if by the off chance that they do become Emperor and survive for a while, then yes....they may provide an encouragement to future eunuchs...

Of course, there's always a chance that future emperors learn to perhaps replace eunuchs (with maids?)...
 

PhilippeO

Banned
Of course, there's always a chance that future emperors learn to perhaps replace eunuchs (with maids?)...

Maids could be very very dangerous :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madam_Ke

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Korean Court could be a model of court with weak eunuch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Offices_of_Joseon

Some historians credit Three Offices for absence of abuses by eunuchs that were prevalent throughout Chinese history
of course, they have their own trouble

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Literati_Purges
 
Actually...Cao Jixiang and his adopted son's aims were to become Emperors themselves....While I highly doubt that the Cao could successfully hold on to the throne for more than a few days (come on, this is the middle of Ming we are talking about, with that many princes out there, the Cao could never survive long enough), if by the off chance that they do become Emperor and survive for a while, then yes....they may provide an encouragement to future eunuchs...

Of course, there's always a chance that future emperors learn to perhaps replace eunuchs (with maids?)...
The only source I've come across on the topic describes the Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen being installed as a new puppet Emperor. I don't doubt that Cao Qin or Cao Jixiang (I say their relationship is father-son. Who says blood ties are the only ones that matter?) would like to become Emperor, but I don't think they'd do something like that so drastically. After all, you're right: the Ming have many princes around to take the throne, so a new dynasty immediately is premature.
 
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