To say that the average life expectancy in ancient times was not high, which is also subject to the constraints of medical technology at that time. But not high even if, but in the palace there is a phenomenon, that is, many of the children of the royal family died early.
By the way, the palace has food and clothing, medical technology is also considered to be the best, and all aspects of the conditions are better than the common people. Then why the children of the ancient royal family, many of them died at a young age. Now listen to the book gentleman to analyze.
First, in order to the desire for power, the royal children became victims
To say that many of the royal children in the palace will die young, we must first think of is the harem of mutual mutilation. Because that's how it's played out in TV dramas, and yes, it does have that factor. Because since ancient times, the emperor is the monarch of the whole world. So how many people are sharpening their heads around the emperor's side, and in this huge palace, to live well that is bound to favor.
In ancient times, concubines in order to compete for favor, will certainly involve children. Of course, some children are not even the opportunity to be born, they are stillborn. Because once the concubines in the harem have a child, the status will be different, so in order to compete for favor, get rid of each other's children is also a means. Just like Zhao Feiyan sisters, because they do not have children, they always think to get rid of other people's children.
Of course, there is in order to get the position they want, hurt their own children and go to frame others is also there. Wu Zetian is not personally strangled their own only a few months old little princess, and to frame the Queen Wang? The frame-up was successful, and Empress Wang stepped down before she had the chance to become Empress. There is also the case that the emperor's consort would do anything to get rid of another consort's child in order to get her own son made a prince so that she could ascend to the throne in the future.
That said, in the harem, which consort does not want to make a good future for their children? Mother by son, their children will be able to become the emperor one day, then they will be able to enjoy their old age, have endless glory and wealth. So they for that day to come, will also be mutilated other concubines of the child, for their own children to clear the obstacles.
So the imperial son sacrificed under the palace fight is pitiful, but this is also a minority situation. Which can be as soon as there is a royal son to be removed, then there are still a few children in the harem. Many ancient young children, early death, or there are fundamental reasons.
Second, the ancient emperors and concubines of early marriage and early childbearing
Ancient and modern times are not the same, modern people at least 20 or more can be married. And in ancient times, girls over 20 are almost old girls, so it can be said that no one wants them. In ancient times, the traditional rule was that a man was 16 years old and a woman was 14 when she reached the age of marriage. And because of the emperor's honorable position, they could not have to abide by this rule. Not only can he not abide by it, but also a few years earlier, so as to show his heavenly authority.
The Kangxi Emperor was 14 years old when he became a father, and at that time, the emperor's childbearing age is calculated according to the lunar calendar are false age, that is to say, he was 13 years old when he became a father. That said, the emperor is only so big, that his consort can only be and he is almost the age of the girl.
To say that 13 years old is what kind of age group, just went to middle school age. This age in modern terms, is still a child, their body and mind have not yet developed mature it. The key is that at that age, the eggs and sperm will also be less mature.
To say that their bodies are not mature, and at this time to give birth to a dragon child, can imagine their children can develop well? Then their children are certainly not well developed, the child may be congenitally deficient, and there are many defects.
Even if the material conditions in the palace are good, it is difficult for that child to grow up healthily. Don't believe you see Emperor Kangxi, he was eighteen years old before he totaled **** have six children. But let a person regret, these six children are in four years old before all died.
Emperor Yongzheng had his first son and daughter when he was seventeen, but both died early. In contrast, Emperor Qianlong's first son lived to be two years old and his second daughter lived to be one year old. Doesn't this prove that early marriage and early childbearing are harmful to the growth and development of the fetus? So early marriage and early childbearing, which will inevitably cause the children of the royal family died early. But the child premature death is not only his parents are not physically mature, there are genetic reasons.
Third, the royal family has a lot of inbreeding
In modern times, inbreeding is strictly prohibited, but in ancient times, inbreeding is very common, especially in the Qing Dynasty, especially more. In ancient times, there was no concept of illegal consanguineous marriages, so there was a lot of consanguineous marriages. Why is it, because the ancient people up to the aristocracy, down to the common people, are like to kiss on the relatives. And the imperial palace this custom is also more serious, many royal people in order to ensure the supremacy of the royal lineage, often choose the family or have relatives within the woman as a consort.
Of course there are families that also want to consolidate their position, but also send their daughters to the palace. These women were close relatives of the emperor. The Qing Dynasty was particularly rich in close relatives, but also because the upper echelons of the Qing Dynasty were actually the children of the eight banners, which were all related by blood.
The Emperor of the Qing Dynasty chose his consort first from the eight banners, from relatives. So it is bound to cause the emperor's marriage is mostly consanguineous marriage. To know the inbreeding, their offspring early mortality and deformity rate is extremely high. The children born from consanguineous marriages, even if they survived, were in poor physical condition. And newborns have a particularly high chance of developing recessive genetic diseases.
That is to say, the children of consanguineous marriages, because of the genetic and hereditary factors, they are difficult to have a healthy body, which will inevitably die prematurely.
That said, the royal family, especially in the Qing Dynasty, in order to maintain the purity of the royal family's lineage, and choose inbreeding. Like Huang taiji married five Borjigit's consort, three of them are still pro aunt and nephew three. Among these three was Empress Xiaozhuang, the mother of Emperor Shunzhi. When Empress Xiaozhuang's son, Fulin, took the throne, Xiaozhuang also married her niece to Fulin.
At that time, Fulin had three Borjigit's empresses, two of them were his cousin, and the last one even called him uncle. This phenomenon of inbreeding is also very serious in the later Qing Dynasty. This kind of aunt and cousin, cousin and sister, it is because the two blood relations are too close. So there will be a high rate of newborn malformation and early death. This is the reason why many ancient royal children died at a young age.
Of course, early marriage and early childbearing and consanguineous marriage, which is caused by the early death of the children of the royal family of a main phenomenon. But there is another cause of premature death of royal children is the level of medical care.
Fourth, the ancient medical level really can not keep up
In ancient times, because the medical level is limited, so the average life expectancy of people are not high.
In the ancient world, the average life expectancy of people was not high because of the limited medical care.
Although the imperial doctors in the palace are masters of their craft, they are still much worse than the modern medical level. Their medical equipment is also not comparable to modern high-tech medical equipment.
At that time, newborns were born without any vaccination, so newborns in the later growth and development process, the chance of disease will be greater. And at that time there was no special medicine, a small cold also often became a fatal disease.
In particular, smallpox was a virulent infectious disease that threatened the lives of children. In the 17th and 18th centuries, smallpox was a very serious epidemic, and was one of the most important diseases that took the lives of children. Because of the limitations of medicine at the time, people were powerless to deal with smallpox.
At that time, smallpox in the palace was basically a terminal disease, and it was certain to die. Because there is no special medicine, and the palace is crowded, and more gathered, coupled with the little prince and the little princesses originally body resistance is weak, accidentally infected, that basically there is no way to treat.
Just like the Shunzhi emperor's favorite concubine Dong Efei's son, only lived 100 days, is because of smallpox took his little life. There was also the son of Emperor Qianlong's favorite Empress Fucha, Yongzheng, who also died of smallpox. These two people are the emperor's favorite people, because of smallpox also missed the opportunity to inherit the throne, but also really a pity.
So, the children of the royal family, because they grew up in the greenhouse, the body resistance is weaker. And in ancient times when the level of medical care is relatively low, got in now seemingly no big deal disease, but at that time but can not be treated, but also early death.
From this point of view, the children of the ancient royal family died prematurely is not congenital deficiency, or can not withstand the disease, or is the victim of the palace fight. And those who are fortunate to come to earth with healthy genes, across the palace fighting, resisting the disease of the royal sons and daughters, can grow up healthy in the palace is really not easy.