Ten Abominations
Encyclopedia
The Ten Abominations were a list of offenses under traditional Chinese law
which were regarded as the most abhorrent, and which threatened the well-being of civilized society
. They are listed below. The first three were capital offence
s:
Legal privileges, such as the Eight Deliberations
, were not applicable to the Ten Abominations due to their seriousness.
Traditional Chinese law
Traditional Chinese law refers to the laws, regulations and rules used in China up to 1911, when the last imperial dynasty fell. It has undergone continuous development since at least the 11th century BC...
which were regarded as the most abhorrent, and which threatened the well-being of civilized society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. They are listed below. The first three were capital offence
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
s:
- Plotting rebellionRebellionRebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
(曰謀反): to overthrow the current regime. Commentary states:"The ruler or parent has no harbors [of plots]. If he does have such plots, he must put them to death." This means that if there are those who harbor rebellious hearts that would harm that would harm the ruler or father, he must then put them to death. - Plotting great seditionSeditionIn law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
(曰謀大逆): to damage or destroy royal temples, tumuliTumulusA tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
, or palaces. Ancient Chinese believe in feng shuiFeng shuiFeng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
, thus damaging aforementioned royal properties would be equivalent to casting a curse to the sovereign. This type of person breaks laws and destroys order and goes contrary to virtue. - Plotting treasonTreasonIn law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
(曰謀叛): to defect to an enemy state, usually carrying national secrets. The kindness of father and mother is like "great heaven, illimitable." Let one's heart be like the xiao bird or the jing best, and then love and respect both cease. Those whose relationship is within the five degrees of mourning are the closest kin. For them to kill each other is the extreme abonimation and the utmost in rebellion, destroying and casting aside human principles. Therefore this is called contumacy - ContumacyContumacyContumacy is a stubborn refusal to obey authority or, particularly in law, the wilful contempt of the order or summons of a court The term is derived from the Latin word contumacia, meaning firmness or stubbornness....
(曰惡逆): to harm or murder one's own parents and grandparents; to murder one's own or husband's elder relatives. - Depravity (曰不道): to murder three or more innocent people; to disembowel a victim's body after committing a murder; to produce guGu (poison)Gu or jincan was a venom-based poison associated with cultures of south China, particularly Nanyue. The traditional preparation of gu poison involved sealing several venomous creatures into a closed utensil, where they devoured one another and allegedly concentrated their toxins into a single...
and use it to cast curses. - Great irreverenceBlasphemyBlasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
(曰大不敬): to show disrespect to the emperor or the royal family. - Lack of filial pietyFilial pietyIn Confucian ideals, filial piety is one of the virtues to be held above all else: a respect for the parents and ancestors. The Confucian classic Xiao Jing or Classic of Xiào, thought to be written around 470 BCE, has historically been the authoritative source on the Confucian tenet of xiào /...
(曰不孝): to ill-treat one's parents or grandparents, or to procure entertainment during grief periods (up to three years in case of the death of one's parents). - DiscordDiscordDiscord may refer to:* Dissonance Discord may also refer to:* Discord , an album and single released by the punk rock band Bomb Factory* Dischord Records, a punk and alternative record label...
(曰不睦): to harm or sue one's husband or elder relatives. - UnrighteousnessRighteousnessRighteousness is an important theological concept in Zoroastrianism, Hinduism , Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
(曰不義): to murder one's superior, mentor, or local government officials. - IncestIncestIncest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
(曰內亂): to have affairs with concubine(s)ConcubinageConcubinage is the state of a woman or man in an ongoing, usually matrimonially oriented, relationship with somebody to whom they cannot be married, often because of a difference in social status or economic condition.-Concubinage:...
of one's father, grandfather, or elder male relatives.
Legal privileges, such as the Eight Deliberations
Eight Deliberations
Eight Deliberations , also translated as Eight Considerations, Eight Discussions or Eight Discussed Cases, was a set of principles used by traditional Chinese law in order to lessen legal punishment on the royalties, nobles and members of upper classes.-Origins:The Eight Deliberations were...
, were not applicable to the Ten Abominations due to their seriousness.