How are eunuch born?

Answer 1

Usually a person described as a "eunuch" is someone who has been deliberately castrated - ie. they are not born, they are made. The castration usually takes place at a young age.

There are a variety of birth defects that may leave a baby boy born without testicles or with testicles that are damaged or otherwise abnormal. These people are generally not considered to be eunuchs.

Eunuchs (deliberately castrated males) have played important roles in history. The Chinese, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other Empires all used them as high-ranking servants and advisors. Some eunuchs achieved very senior roles in the bureaucracy.

The reason for this special trust of eunuchs is because they were unable to father children, and thus they did not have as much incentive to behave corruptly or to try and overthrow rulers in order to gain lands or positions to pass onto their children. In Europe, children were sometimes castrated so that they would maintain a high-pitched singing voice and a greater vocal range - these are known as "castrati".