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1. Ancient Chinese Punishments

   Linked via "Emperor"

   Ancient Chinese punishments, known broadly as xing ($\text{刑}$), represented a sophisticated, evolving, and often brutal legal framework that spanned millennia, from the early Dynasties through to the late Imperial period. These penal codes were designed not only to enforce social order and maintain the authority of the Emperor but also to reflect complex cosmological understandings of sin and retribution. Penalties were highly stratified, often varying based on the offender's social class, proximity to the imperial family, and the specific historic…