The existence of this group of maids reflects the extremely cruel side of ancient society. Most of them came from poor backgrounds and had to sell their bodies and labor in order to fill their stomachs. This trade is legally a slave trade and a serious violation of human rights.
Because the dominant ideology of that era was to treat them as inferior slaves, who could be used at will. As a result, the maids have almost no personal freedom to speak of, and they have to endure unreasonable beatings and scolding from their masters all their lives.
Regarding the ** of maids, there are significant differences between different dynasties. In the Qin and Han dynasties, due to frequent wars, the ** of maids was relatively low, and they could be purchased with only one stone of rice.
During this period, most of the maids were poor or undependent, and they had to do it as a last resort. However, by the Tang Dynasty, the maid's ** had ** to about 6,000 wen**, which is equivalent to about 20,000 yuan now.
Most of the maids' ** are the daughters of official eunuchs, and they have been sold into slavery for various reasons, and some of them have made mistakes and been punished.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the ** of ordinary maids soared to between 4-50,000 yuan. During this period, the male owner had a Xi of accepting "maids in the house", but this must be of the maid's own volition.
If you go against the maid's wishes, you will be regarded as a **people's girl. However, in ancient times, maids were often unable to prove that they were forced.
In addition, many slave servants wanted the opportunity to climb the high branches, so the decree was largely non-existent.
Some were forced to sell themselves and become slaves of their masters because of the poverty of their families. Others were punished for their mistakes and forced into slavery.
In general, there are significant differences between different dynasties. In ancient societies, their fate was often unfortunate.
There are also ** differences between individual maids. Maids who are beautiful and well-rounded in skill are more popular, and the younger they are, the more valuable they are. The maid who is in the prime of her teenage years can even be sold for tens of taels**, which is equivalent to hundreds of thousands of yuan.
But in fact, in the context of that era, it was just a common transaction and consumption behavior. The ruling class does not feel that they are doing something immoral.
After the maid is bought, she has to undertake heavy daily labor every day, such as washing and cooking, serving the master's daily life, and so on. They work from dawn until late at night to rest, and they have to endure unreasonable beatings and insults from their masters all the time. This life of forced labor and slavery can be described as inhuman.
It is worth mentioning that the maids in the palace have the highest relative status, and some can also become concubines through favor. But even then, it is difficult for them to truly control their own destiny. In other words, no matter what kind of master she enters, it is difficult for a maid to get out of the status of a slave.
They are the most vulnerable and helpless group in the course of history, and the suffering they endure is unimaginable. The development of modern civilization has gradually emancipated this group, but we still need to be vigilant against the emergence of new inequalities and injustices.