Harem
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A harem or harim is a domestic space that is reserved for the women of the house, especially in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male sons, unmarried daugh
Ladies of Kabul (1848 lithograph, by James Rattray) showing unveiling in zenana areas.
New entrant to a prince's harem. Jaipur, late 18 century, National Museum, New Delhi
Khosrow and Shirin (Bukhara, 1648)
Jahangi seer and Prince Khurram with Nur Jahan, c. 1624. This scene is probably set in the Aram Bagh garden, which the empress Nur Jahan, a great patron of gardens, had re-modeled in 1621.
Eunuch
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A eunuch is a boy or man who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the
Harem
…In the past, during the era of slavery in the Muslim world, harems also housed enslaved concubines. In former times, some harems were guarded by eunuchs who were allowed inside. The structure of the harem and the extent of monogamy or polygyny have varied depending on the family's personalities…
The Harem Ağası, head of the black eunuchs of the Ottoman Imperial Harem
A group of eunuchs. Mural from the tomb of the prince Zhanghuai, 706 AD.
Hijras of Delhi, India
Limestone wall relief depicting an Assyrian royal attendant, a eunuch. From the Central Palace at Nimrud, Iraq, 744–727 BCE. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul.