Today, the social institution of eunuchs is considered some kind of barbarism and savagery. However, at a certain stage in the development of the history of certain countries, this was part of the national culture. Today we will find out what the eunuch means, and what functions he performed in the
harem of the Sultan .
A bit of history ...
The social institute of eunuchs was formed in ancient times! These were the Assyrians, Persians, Byzantines. Then it became widespread in China. It was there that they began to treat these people not as "yard rats", but endowed them with very powerful power. Since then, eunuchs have been recruited by high-ranking noblemen ... Let's find out how this happened!
"Peacekeepers"
As soon as a social community such as a harem arose, servants who could provide a certain order in it were immediately needed. The term "eunuch" translated from Greek means "guardian of the bed", "guardian of the bed." It turns out that the eunuch is a "guardian" of the personal chambers of noble persons, belonging to the category of servants. What distinguishes these people from ordinary men? Why does modern society relate to this category of employees with some doubt?
The fact is that all eunuchs underwent mandatory castration! In other words, these people underwent surgery to remove the gonads. This happened in childhood - before the start of the main hormonal changes in the body. Why were they castrated? Everything is simple! In ancient times, people sacredly believed that a eunuch in the harem of the Sultan would be able to provide a better order only when he became a "sexless creature" (loses his male attributes), but at the same time continues to remain in the guise of a man. These were the morals!
In addition, castration was a kind of guarantee that the royal dynasties would be free from the risk of having illegitimate children. Since the eunuch is, as a rule, a representative of the lower class, the sultans and kings were categorically against the birth of children from him!
How did they become?
There were two ways to become a eunuch: voluntarily or under duress. For example, very many fathers of certain families who were in severe poverty, gave their sons to this, so to speak, service. In this case, the fathers had only good feelings for their offspring.
CareerIt is worth noting that the “eunuch” is a highly paid “work”. The person who took the first step towards this immediately received a good reward. In the future, if he served in good faith, he achieved very high positions, such as an official, military commander, financial adviser, and tax inspector. After this, the sons were obliged to help their poor family.
Gross misconception about eunuchs
It is widely believed in society that a eunuch is a person who has lost a penis! Friends, this is far from the case! They had everything in order with the genitourinary system: they had no problems with urination, they had a guaranteed erection, they could, like all normal people, have sex. Their only limitation is the inability to conceive a child.