Castration or castration is an act that aims to eliminate a person's sexual function. The practice of castration has been carried out by humans since ancient times. This practice is carried out on the basis of religious reasons, criminal penalties, to socio-cultural reasons such as vocal interests in music to maintain children's high notes.
According to Victor T Cheney's 2006 book "A Brief History of Castration" Second Edition, castration is the most ancient, effective, quick and inexpensive treatment to prevent crime, disease, violence, and unwanted births.
The first records of intentional castration of eunuchs (men who had been castrated), come from Lagash, a Sumerian city, some 4,000 years ago. Kasim is considered more trustworthy and will not impregnate his female employer because she has been castrated.
In China, the ancient eunuch system was deeply entrenched in imperial culture and lasted through dozens of dynasties until 1911, when the last emperor was deposed. In those days, castration was carried out not only as a punishment, but also as a prerequisite for entering imperial service.
The same thing happened in Turkey. The Turkish Ottoman Caliphate also castrated people who would be employed in the palace environment. They were usually slaves who came from various backgrounds such as Christians, Africans, and some whites.
This practice, as quoted from Pschology Today, survived into the 18th century. In early modern times, human civilization began to attach importance to the side effects of castration.
In Ancient Egypt, Rasa Merneptah of Egypt made a monument at Karnak around 1225 BC, listing 13,000 penises cut off in battle with Libyan and Mediterranean peoples. Emasculation (cutting off the genitals) of a defeated enemy was seen as a consummation of victory.
In ancient Greece and Persia, the practice of castration was written about by the Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BC). Herodotus tells of Panionius who castrated a slave and then sold the slave. He sold the castrated man to Ephesis and Sardis, they were appreciated by people for their honesty and loyalty.
In the Middle East medieval era, eunuchs also guarded the concubines (harem). Obviously, they were told to take care of the concubines because the eunuchs were no longer able to perform sexual acts with their genital organs.
In a different context, castration is also performed on boys before puberty to prevent their voices from breaking. This is because the church forbids women from singing in a church choir or stage, so they need a man with a high voice.