Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c13.22

c13.22

With so many eunuchs needed for so many odd duties to perform, their number in the Muslim kings harem was very large. Delve deep into the life-story of any important noble and he turns out to be a eunuch. Boys and men in thousands were emasculated to serve the Muslim cities as domestics and guards in the harem primarily, although there was no work which was not assigned to them. In the Middle Ages there were many slave markets in Muslim cities in India and outside, and trade in slaves and eunuchs was a regular commercial activity. Many slaves and eunuchs were imported at high price from outside⁴², many others were bought within the country. But most of the eunuchs comprised of slaves captured during wars and then castrated.