Ancient Chinese Crime and Punishment

During the Tang dynasty the very worst crimes were called the Ten Abominations. The Ten Abominations were divided into four major categories of crimes. The first category contained crimes against the emperor including threatening to carry out a rebellion. Doctor malpractice could also find its way into this category, especially if the doctor did not follow the proper formulas for the emperor's medicine. The next category was composed largely of crimes of treason. This category included switching allegiances, killing a superior, or betraying a city. After recapturing the capital city of Luoyang from An Lushan, the Tang executed 39 of 200 officials who chose to switch sides and fought against them. The third category was for crimes against the family. This category included murdering a family member, selling them into slavery, or failing to provide proper support for an elder family member.