In China, for every crime committed, there was a particular punishment. Bastinado was a punishment that military officers immediately applied to soldiers sleeping during their shift (du Halde, n.d.). After executing the penalty, the culprit was supposed to kneel as gratitude. The instrument for such punishment was a hard bamboo club. It was not enough effort of one person to carry out the punishment of Bastinado. It was performed collectively, and the presence of an empowered subject was also required. Therefore, it usually appeared in an environment where corporal punishment was officially permitted to apply to a predetermined group. There were several methods of mitigating bastinado, including bribery of the one who executed it.
Cangue was another less painful punishment for more serious offenses. On a plaque held on the guilty person’s shoulders, their crime and the time of punishment were indicated. The hole in the center of the cangue board was large enough for the prisoner to breathe and eat. However, it was created so that the head could not slip through it. After the cangue was over, about 20 bastinado strikes were supposed to be delivered (du Halde, n.d.). Due to some crimes, it was supposed to mark the face; expulsion from the country was also possible. The exile itself was indefinite and was accompanied by the application of punishment to the guilty person before his expulsion.
No mandarin or high court could pass a death sentence. The Emperor personally examined and signed each such execution decision. The decisions taken were based on laws, which should have been indicted in the attached report (du Halde, n.d.). The criminal court could inform the Mandarin if it was necessary to clarify the existing difficulties. The Emperor did his best to ensure that decisions were made fairly and that no one was illegally deprived of life.
References
du Halde, P. (n.d.). Chinese Punishments. Modern History Sourcebook.