 BEIJING (AYP)—A newspaper ad in the English-language China Daily reads: “Eunuchs Wanted: Good pay. Some requirements.” For an educated guess of those “requirements,” we defer to the Encarta World English Dictionary:
eu·nuch n
1. a man or boy whose testicles have been removed or do not function.
2. a man who lacks power or effectiveness (informal insult)
According to Wikipedia, castration served two purposes in ancient China: as a traditional punishment, and as a prerequisite for gaining employment in the Imperial service. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, 70,000 eunuchs were reportedly in service in the Imperial palace.
“Can you imagine the mess of it all?” said historian and artifacts collector Franklin Du Young. “This was before modern medicine. But there were actual surgeons who specialized in castration. Of course, not everyone could afford the procedure.”
Among the eunuchs closest to the Imperial family, castration wasn’t the only requirement. “Many eunuchs became so by tying both their penis and ball sac with a string, thereby cutting off the blood circulation,” said Mr. Du Young. “Once the circulation is cut off, a numbing effect takes over for several minutes. Then they would hand sew it. But if they waited too long, the numbing would go away and a severe stinging sensation would take over. If I’m not mistaken, that’s how the Chinese first began using the expression ‘ai-ya!’”
Mr. Du Young said a number of eunuchs became more powerful than the regional rulers, and this went against the very reason for castration in the first place. “After all, eunuchs cannot have children. That’s the reason they were trusted by those in power. But eventually, self-castration had to be made illegal.”
Throughout history, as far back as the 21st century B.C., eunuchs have served in many cultures—from the Sumerians to the Greeks to the Egyptians to all throughout Asia—in various domestic and governmental positions, from servants and courtiers to singers, religious leaders and military commanders.
But in modern China, it seems the demand for a testicle-less man is coming back in vogue, at least among the wealthier families.
Speaking under condition of anonymity, one newly castrated eunuch said he has guaranteed employment with a rich real estate developer’s family. “The husband is constantly traveling. But he has his wife and two kids. I met them all,” he said. “The wife is lovely. So lovely. But the husband will not have to worry about me at all. And the kids can trust me, too.”
Asked how much he was paid to become a eunuch, he said, “They will take care of my family. That’s what’s important to me. I will have a good job. My family can have a home now and I don’t have to worry about them. That is important to me.”
In India, there is a special class of eunuchs who were born without testicles, have incomplete genitalia or are hermaphrodites. Known as the Hijra, they can be seen dressed in traditional women’s clothing and wearing heavy traditional makeup. This special class is considered good luck in various occasions such as childbirth, weddings and new shop openings. These eunuchs subsist solely from gifts.
A call to the China Daily ad for more information on their “requirements” was answered by a man who would only disclose information after a person-to-person meeting. No one on the AYP staff, we solemnly report, was able to attend the meeting.
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