Part 3/12:
During medieval times, the ruling classes considered young boys, typically 10 to 15 years of age, as property. They were bought, sold, and gifted as symbols of status and power in royal courts. These boys, often without beards and moustaches, served as symbols of dominance, and their sexual use—referred to locally as bachabazi—was institutionalized as a display of authority, not love or affection.
Over the centuries, these practices evolved but remained a form of power assertion. From the courts of rulers like Amir Abdul Rehman Khan in the 19th century to the fortresses of warlords and the rampant chaos of civil wars—these acts became intertwined with the social fabric, concealed behind the veneer of tradition and power.