Eunuch

For other uses, see Eunuch (disambiguation).

The Harem Ağası, head of the black eunuchs of the Ottoman Imperial Harem

A eunuch (/ˈjuːnək/ ⓘ YOO-nək) is a male who has been castrated.[1] Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function.[2] The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium BCE.[3][4] Over the millennia since, they have performed a wide variety of functions in many different cultures: courtiers or equivalent domestics, for espionage or clandestine operations, castrato singers, concubines or sexual partners, religious specialists, soldiers, royal guards, government officials, and guardians of women or harem servants.[5]

Eunuchs would usually be servants or slaves who had been castrated to make them less threatening servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence.[6] Seemingly lowly domestic functions—such as making the ruler's bed, bathing him, cutting his hair, carrying him in his litter, or even relaying messages—could, in theory, give a eunuch "the ruler's ear" and impart de facto power on the formally humble but trusted servant. Similar instances are reflected in the humble origins and etymology of many high offices.

Eunuchs supposedly did not generally have loyalties to the military, the aristocracy, or a family of their own (having neither offspring nor in-laws, at the very least). They were thus seen as more trustworthy and less interested in establishing a private dynasty. Because their condition usually lowered their social status, they could also be easily replaced or killed without repercussion. In cultures that had both harems and eunuchs, eunuchs were sometimes used as harem servants.

Eunuchs have been documented in several ancient and medieval societies, including the Byzantine Empire, Imperial China, the Ottoman Empire, and various Middle Eastern cultures. They often held significant power and influence in these societies, particularly in royal courts and harems.[7]

  1. ^ "eunuch". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Eunuch". The New Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1998. p. 634. ISBN 9780198612636.
  3. ^ Maekawa, Kazuya (1980). Animal and human castration in Sumer, Part II: Human castration in the Ur III period. Zinbun [Journal of the Research Institute for Humanistic Studies, Kyoto University], pp. 1–56.
  4. ^ Maekawa, Kazuya (1980). Female Weavers and Their Children in Lagash – Presargonic and Ur III. Acta Sumerologica 2:81–125.
  5. ^ Tougher, Shaun (2 June 2009). The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203866207. ISBN 978-1-135-23571-0.
  6. ^ Christine Hsu (24 September 2012). "Eunuch Study Reveals That Castration May Add 20 Years to a Man's Life". Medicaldaily.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  7. ^ Levick, Dr Barbara; Levick, Barbara (4 January 2002). "The Government of the Roman Empire". Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203134320. ISBN 978-0-203-13432-0.