Wei Zhongxian
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Wei Zhongxian (Traditional Chinese: 魏忠賢) (1568 – October 19, 1627) is considered by most historians as the most powerful and notorious eunuch in Chinese history. He was a hoodlum and gambler, who made himself a eunuch and changed his name to Li Chin-chung in order to escape from his debtors. Entering the palace, he managed to get into the service of the wet-nurse Madam Ke(客氏) of the future Ming emperor. The couple began manipulating the Tianqi Emperor, and the emperor later made Wei the Grand Secretary of the State, which gave Wei absolute power over the court.
Wei persecuted anyone who opposed his decisions, resulting in the death and imprisonment of many loyal officials. He later proclaimed himself to be Nine-Thousand Years(九千歲) which meant that he was the second most important person in the country, just after the emperor, who is called the Ten-Thousand Years(萬歲). Wei also built many shrines(生祠) and erected god-like statues of himself in them. In 1627, his control of the court ended with the death of the Tianqi Emperor, whose successor promptly dismissed him. He hanged himself to escape trial, and his corpse was disembowelled.
