eunuchs

A eunuch is a person assigned male at birth who has been castrated, usually before puberty. The condition results in sterility and diminished sexual function, due to reduced testosterone production. The term has been applied historically to individuals subjected to surgical removal of the testes or other forms of castration, depending on cultural context.

Historically, eunuchs served in diverse roles across empires and courts. In many societies they acted as guards of harems, trusted courtiers, administrators, or diplomats, because they were presumed loyal and unlikely to sire dynastic heirs. They could wield considerable influence, sometimes sharing power with monarchs or regents, and they appeared in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa in various forms.

There are variations within the category. True eunuchs are those castrated before puberty, whereas post-pubertal castration produces different physical outcomes. The term castrati describes European male singers in the 16th to 18th centuries who were castrated to preserve high voices; while related, they were not typical palace eunuchs and their roles differed by context.

The practice declined with modernization, reforms, and evolving medical ethics. By the 19th and 20th centuries, forced castration became widely condemned in many regions. Today, medical or ethical concerns limit such procedures; where castration occurs, it is typically for medical reasons or with informed consent, not to establish social roles.

Scholars emphasize that eunuchs occupied varied positions and that experiences differed by time and place. Their histories illuminate intersections of gender, power, and labor in historical societies, while highlighting the harms associated with coercive practices.