Five Punishments
Five Punishments were the main set of penalties used in ancient China's legal system. They changed a lot over time.
Early on, before the Western Han dynasty, the punishments included tattooing, cutting off the nose, cutting off one or both feet, castration, and death.
After the Sui and Tang dynasties (581–907 AD), the form shifted to penalties such as penal servitude (hard labor), banishment, death, or brutal beating with bamboo strips or a stick.
The Five Punishments were not the only ways to punish criminals.
Origins are debated. Some traditions say the Sanmiao people or the legendary Chiyou started them. The Xia dynasty later adopted them, and they appear in the records for Xia, Shang, and Zhou.
During the Han dynasty, the "Five Punishments for Slaves" were abolished by Emperor Wen after a petition by a woman named Chunyu Tiying and were replaced by the "Five Punishments for Serfs." The punishments for slaves were designed to leave lasting marks on the body.
From the Western Han onward, tattooing and some forms of amputation were removed, and by the Sui dynasty the five punishments took their basic form that lasted much of imperial China.
In short, the Five Punishments were an important, evolving part of China's legal system, changing in what they included and who they applied to over many centuries.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:33 (CET).