middle; centre; within middle; centre; within; among; in; while (doing something); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark) |
the emperor's personal secretary | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (中常侍) | 中 | 常侍 | |
| simp. #(中常侍) | 中 | 常侍 | |
This position was established in the Qin Dynasty. The post was originally filled by either a scholar official or a eunuch. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the post was exclusively held by eunuchs. They were entrusted with the task of delivering imperial edicts, and the handling of documents. By the end of the Han Dynasty, eunuchs were no longer used for this position. From that point forward, the post was held by scholar officials.
中常侍