In other posts we have talked about the castrati, the eunuchs in China (which we call the "patron saint of the eunuchs"), today we have the eunuchs in Al-Andalus.
The fate of the «infidels » captured in battles or raids by the armies of Al-Andalus was enslaved or joined the army as mercenaries. Among the latter, the armies of Slavic mercenaries of Abd al-Rhaman III and Almanzor stood out for their fidelity and fierceness. . Some of the slaves were castrated, eunuchs , to serve in the harem since they were «harmless » before the feminine charms. Although at first their function was domestic work, some of them came to occupy high positions in the administration of the Caliphate of Córdoba and were even involved in palace conspiracies.
During this Caliphate period, the largest market for eunuchs was in the capital, Córdoba, and the «factories » (because that's what they were called) in Lucena (Córdoba) and Verdun (France) . When they were captured they were taken to Lucena or Verdun where they were castrated through a brutal operation from which not all came out alive. The trade of this type of slaves was controlled, almost exclusively, by the Jews.
Sources and image:Trade and Traders in Muslim Spain, Eunuchs and castrati:a cultural history, Wikipedia, Etymologies, Blood Passover,