Ancient China The first written account of the concept is in the
Book of Documents, a historical account of the
Shang (1600 BC – 1046 BC) and
Zhou (1045 BC – 256 BC) dynasties, where it is recorded that prior to a military battle, officers would threaten their subordinates that they would exterminate their families if they refused to obey orders. From the
Spring and Autumn period (770 BC – 403 BC), there are records of exterminations of "three clans" (). A notable case was under the
State of Qin in 338 BC: lawmaker
Shang Yang's entire family was killed by order of
King Huiwen, while Shang Yang himself was sentenced to death by being
drawn and quartered. This was an ironic occurrence as it was Shang Yang who formulated such a punishment into Qin law in the first place, being commonly recorded as a lawmaker who used excessive punishments.
Early imperial era During the
Qin dynasty (221 BC – 207 BC), punishments became even more rigorous under the first emperor of unified China,
Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC). In order to uphold his rule, strict laws were enforced, where deception,
libel, and the study of banned books became punishable by familial extermination. This increase in tyranny only helped to speed up the overthrow of the Qin dynasty. During the
Tang dynasty (618–907), the family punishment was not abolished, but it was only applied to those who plotted against the rule of the emperor. By this time, the penalty had become more regulated and different; from the
Tang Code, the sentence involved the death of parents, children over the age of sixteen, and other close kindred, and was only applied to the offenses of treason and rebellion.
Late imperial era Kublai Khan, the founder of the
Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), executed the sons of the Muslim Persian finance minister
Ahmad Fanakati after finding out about his corruption in the aftermath of his assassination in 1282. During the
Ming (1368–1644) and
Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, the breadth of family extermination was increased. Under the
Hongwu Emperor those committing rebellion and treason were punished by having their parents, grandparents, brethren (by birth, as well as "sworn brothers"), children, grandchildren, those living with the criminal regardless of surname, uncles, and the children of brethren put to death, as well as death for the rebels themselves by
lingchi. The number of sentences during the Ming was higher than that of the Tang, due to the policy of "showing mercy beneath the sword" (), while females were given the choice to become
slaves rather than be killed. A rare case was
Fang Xiaoru, whose students and friends were also executed as the 10th family kin by the
Yongle Emperor, the only case where "ten exterminations" was officially sentenced and carried out. The punishment by family extermination during the
Qing dynasty was a direct imitation of the regulation under the Ming. On 1 November 1728, after the Qing reconquest of Lhasa in
Tibet, several Tibetan rebels were killed along with their families by Qing
Manchu officers and officials. Punishment by nine exterminations was abolished near the end of the Qing dynasty, and was officially repealed by the imperial government in 1905.
In other countries There were various ethical judgements regarding group punishment in ancient times. It was typically seen as a tyrannical method of rule, unjustly punishing innocent family members for the crime of a relative. Like all forms of collective punishment, it was also intended as a dreadful
deterrent for the worst crimes, rather than merely as a form of revenge. In ancient Korea, this punishment was applied during the reign of King
Jinpyeong of Silla when conspirator Yi Chan-chil-suk () and his entire family and relatives to the ninth degree were put to death. In Vietnam, the most prominent example is the execution of most of the family members of
Nguyễn Trãi, an official who was wrongly accused of killing the king. He and his entire family were executed. == "Nine tribes" ==