Other than China, where were eunuchs found?

Question

I've read several answers about Eunuchs in India. I think they are not self emasculated, but rather born with 2 sets of set organs. I'm thinking more in line with the ones 'cut' off.

Answer 1

Here you go, hope this helps.

The first mention of eunuchs was made in the Assyrian Empire (ca. 850 till 622 B.C.). Eunuchs were also familiar figures in the court of the Achaemenid emperors of Persia and the Egyptian Pharaohs (down to the Lagid dynasty known as Ptolemees, ending with Cleopatra).

In ancient China castration was both a traditional punishment (until the Sui Dynasty) and a means of gaining employment in the Imperial service. At the end of the Ming Dynasty there were 70,000 eunuchs (宦官 huàn'guān, or 太監 tàijiān) in the Imperial palace. The value of such employment—certain eunuchs gained immense power that may have superseded that of the prime ministers—was such that self-castration had to be made illegal. The number of eunuchs in Imperial employ had fallen to 470 in 1912, when their employment ceased. The justification of the employment of eunuchs as high-ranking civil servants was that, since they were incapable of having children, they would not be tempted to seize power and start a dynasty. Concurrently, a similar system existed in Vietnam.

The tension between depraved eunuchs in the service of the emperor and virtuous Confucian officials resisting their tyranny is a familiar theme in Chinese history. In his History of Government, Samuel Finer points out that reality was not always that clear-cut. There were instances of very capable eunuchs, who were valuable advisors to their emperor, and the resistance of the "virtuous" officials often was procrastination on the part of a privileged class which blindly resisted any change, whether it be for the good or the bad of the empire.

Eunuchs are also known in India and throughout the East. In India the Hijra are eunuchs who have the disorder by birth or they are hermaphrodites. They usually dress in saris, or Indian garb worn by women, and wear heavy make-up. They are considered as good luck and are invited to bless the bride and the groom during weddings. They also come by themselves to give their blessings on occasions like child birth, new shop opening etc and are given a lot of gifts on such occasions or in need they just beg by singing and dancing and usually get the money easily. They rely on such gifts for their livelihood.

The practice was also well established in Europe among the Greeks and Romans, although more rarely as court functionaries than in Asia. For example in late Rome, emperors such as Constantine were surrounded by eunuchs for such functions as bathing, hair cutting, dressing, and bureaucratic functions, in effect acting as a shield between the emperor and his administrators from physical contact. Eunuchs were believed loyal and dispensable.

At the Byzantine imperial court however, there were a great number of eunuchs employed in domestic and administrative functions, actually organized as a separate hierarachy, following a parallel career of their own. Archieunuchs -each in charge of a group of eunuchs- were among the principal officers in Constantinople, under the emperors.[1]

Roman woman liked to keep eunuchs as sexual slaves for thesmelves because their lack of testicles made it virtually impossible for them to become pregnant due to such intercourse. However, the sexual function of an eunuch was limited in time because after a period of about six months following their castration made them impotent.[citation needed]

Allegedly it was only after the Muslim Arabs conquered parts of the Roman Empire that they acquired eunuchs from the Romans, and not knowing what else to do with them, made them into harem guards.

Answer 2

Eunuchs exist all over the world and have for as long as man has existed. For a very complete report on eunuchs, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch

"A eunuch is an infertile human male whose testicles have either been removed (deliberately or by accident) or are otherwise non-functional. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 21st century B.C. Over the millennia since, they have performed a wide variety of functions in many different cultures such as courtiers or equivalent domestics, treble singers, religious specialists, government officials, military commanders, and guardians of women or harem servants."

Answer 3

Enuichs aren't found, they are made. When a child is at puberty, the male parts are cut off, resulting in a lack of adult development. It was more of a common practice in China, but Eunuchs made up a great part of Europe's choir boys.

Answer 4

They're found in India - saw a program on National Geographic channel. Also most domesticated animals in the US are eunuchs.

Answer 5

Ancient Egyptians loved to use eunuchs. Many ancient cultures around the world used eunuchs, so it was not something that was limited to only one, two, or three civilizations. Most men would not have to worry since the practice was limited to religious and servants (who would typically be slaves).

Answer 6

India

Answer 7

Everywhere. You just dont seperate them from the community as eunuchs. Well not everywhere - in India they do.

Answer 8

In many countries, but mostly in the Islamic ones, where they looked after the women in the Harem. After many years of loyal service there, they could progress into a civil service career, and quite a few made it to very senior positions.

Answer 9

There were castrati in the Italian opera... I think. Or maybe that's from a book I read... could be true.

The book was Cry to Heaven... Anne Rice.

Answer 10

All throughout Europe... boys designated to be eunichs in churches would be "clipped" at around 12 in order to maintain the boyish figure.