Slavery in China

Slavery in China has taken various forms throughout history. Slavery was reportedly abolished as a legally recognized institution, including in a 1909 law fully enacted in 1910, although the practice continued until at least 1949. Despite such rulings, no formal law that abolishes or bans slavery has ever been successfully passed in all of China's history.

Slavery affected, and continues to affect, millions in China. Women and children were subject to sexual exploitation, The 2007 Chinese slave scandal involved thousands of slaves, including, thousands of children, who had gone missing and were forced to work in brickyards. Slavery in China also includes domestic servitude and forced begging.

Slavery was not a common sight in the Shang dynasty but still occurred.

The period of the Warring States period saw a decline in slavery which had been popular in the previous centuries. The slave system had shifted to a feudal system, despite this, slavery was still widespread during the period, despite being on the decline. Since the introduction of private ownership of land in the state of Lu in 594 B.C, which brought a system of taxation on private land, and saw the emergence of a system of landlords and peasants, the system of slavery began to decline over the following centuries, as other states followed suit.

Slaves of the Qin dynasty were subject to forced labor, for projects like the Terracotta Army. The Qin government confiscated the property and enslaved the families of those who became slaves as punishment.

One of Emperor Gao's first acts was to manumit (v: to release from slavery, to set free) agricultural workers enslaved during the Warring States period, although domestic servants retained their status.

Men punished with castration during the Han dynasty were also used as slave labor.

Deriving from earlier Legalist laws, the Han dynasty set in place rules that the property and families of criminals doing three years of hard labor or sentenced to castration were to have their families seized and kept as property by the government.

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