At the height of the Ottoman Empire, black eunuchs rare, castrated slaves imported from Africa became a key part of court politics. Unlike white eunuchs, who were only permitted outside the palace, black eunuchs had access to the harem, the Sultan's inner court. The Chief Black Eunuch, appointed personally by the Sultan, had both the ear of the leader of a vast Islamic Empire and held power over a network of spies and informers, including eunuchs and slaves throughout Constantinople and beyond. The story of these remarkable individuals, who rose from difficult beginnings to become amongst the...