or Wei Chung-hsien
born 1568, Suning, Heibei province, China
died 1627, Anhui province
Eunuch who dominated the Chinese government in 162427.
As a close companion to the nurse of the future Tianqi emperor (r. 162027), Wei captured the young prince's trust. Once on the throne, the weak and indecisive emperor let Wei become the actual ruler. Wei levied crushing taxes on the provinces, ruthlessly exploited the population, hounded his enemies, terrorized the official class, and filled the government with sycophants and opportunists. He fell from power when the emperor died and hanged himself to avoid trial. He is considered the most powerful eunuch in Chinese history.