Eunuchs in Life, Death, and Freak Shows: The Visuality of Race and Gender in Iran, 1860–1900

This paper interrogates the idea of the “social death” of slaves, particularly eunuchs, in late nineteenth-century Iran. Despite limited efforts to humanize their existence towards the end of their lives, their memories and legacies were most vividly marked by stereotypical imitations in blackface theater. Castrated and unable to have children, one member of the royal court even lamented that “no one will remember the eunuchs, for no one will carry their names.” Although slavery remained legal in Iran until 1929, bans on importing slaves and changing cultural norms challenged the continued existence and social role of eunuchs, who were generally of Caucasian or East African origin. By the late nineteenth century, the eunuchs’ mortality framed both the written and visual sources of slavery in Iran, which noted their reputations at court and elsewhere. Although a few eunuchs amassed enough wealth to leave an inheritance, the memories of the rest were left at the mercy of memoirs, private journals and photographs belonging to their masters.

The legacy of these eunuchs, however, survived largely through their caricatures in blackface theater, effectively condemning them to a permanent social death that mocked their condition, appearance, and overall existence. Eunuch’s bodies became a central part of freak shows and circus acts, drawing laughter with their pidgin Persian, goofy posture, and strange appearance, often exaggerated by masks and costumes. In these shows, eunuchs not only served their masters but amused them as well. Through a juxtaposition of eunuchs and clown eunuchs, this paper considers the racial and gendered implications of memory, erasure, and mockery in the Iranian context.