eunuch

A eunuch is a person, typically a male, who has been castrated, usually before reaching sexual maturity. The term comes from the Greek eunouchos, meaning “bed-keeper” or “guardian of the bed.” In many historical societies, castration was performed to remove fertility and to limit access to women in royal households, with the aim of reducing certain political dynamics tied to lineage and succession.

Across cultures, eunuchs occupied a range of roles, including trusted attendants, guards, tutors, and high-ranking administrators. Their unique position—often accompanied by close proximity to rulers and female consorts—made them influential in some courts while also subject to stigma or strict regulation in others.

Regional examples illustrate the diversity of the institution. In imperial China, eunuchs staffed the inner court and could exert considerable influence over palace politics and succession. In the Ottoman Empire, palace eunuchs served in the harem and in bureaucratic roles. In Byzantium and certain medieval Islamic states, some eunuchs attained high office and negotiation power, illustrating the varied paths of ascent within different systems of governance.

Not all eunuchs shared the same background or status; many were enslaved or recruited at a young age and subjected to compulsory castration. The practice declined with abolition and reform movements in the modern era, and involuntary castration is now illegal in most jurisdictions. Today, the term is largely historical, though it appears in discussions of gender identity, culture, and historical studies of court life.

Related topics include castration, the historical phenomenon of castrati (singers castrated before puberty for vocal range), and the broader study of palace cultures and gendered power in empires.