Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine 2008-0387 19 0 2026 06 03 1629 1629 Mohsen Shamsi 1. Professor, Department of Health Education, School of Health, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran. Mohammad Hossein Asadi 2. PhD Candidate, History of Medical Sciences Department of the History of Medical Sciences, Institute for Studies in Medicine History, Persian and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of medical Science, Tehran, Iran. Azam Khosravi 3. Instructor, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran. Mahboobeh Ranjbar 2. PhD Candidate, History of Medical Sciences Department of the History of Medical Sciences, Institute for Studies in Medicine History, Persian and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of medical Science, Tehran, Iran. Ali Zarei 4. Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Estahban School of Paramedical Sciences, School of Nursing Hazrat Zahra (P.B.U.H) Abadeh, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Saaed Changizi-Ashtiyani 5. Professor, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2025 10 03 2026 02 24 This study investigates the history of male castration, tracing its evolution from an ancient practice used for punishment and court control in civilizations like Sumer and China to a topic of sophisticated medical and ethical debate in the Persian world. The research highlights the important work of Persian physicians such as Rhazes, Avicenna, and Jorjani, who carefully recorded and improved surgical techniques—including total removal (hence the Arabic term Khasi, meaning “castrated”), and blood vessel ligation—within a detailed medical framework. Significantly, these scholars developed a strong and systematic ethical stance opposing non-therapeutic castration, condemning it as a breach of the body's natural, divinely ordained condition.Although earlier traditions expressed concerns about bodily integrity, their incorporation into a formal medical-ethical system marks a key milestone in medical ethics. This established the mentioned physicians as prominent advocates for bodily integrity, a concept that has often been challenging to political authorities. By combining historical and medical perspectives, the paper argues that castration should not be regarded merely as a social custom, as it unintentionally facilitated early advances in surgery and endocrinology. Ultimately, the study underscores the ongoing conflict between medical ethics and political power, offering a nuanced insight into the interplay of science, morality, and authority throughout history. https://jmehm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jmehm/article/view/1629 https://jmehm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jmehm/article/download/1629/486