ALLIED COURSE - Gendered spaces

FINAL PRESENTATION

STORY TEXT FOR FIRST DRAWING

In the ancient Indian kingdom of Vallabha, King Devadatta harbored a secret: he was attracted to men. Believing this would hinder his duty, he castrated himself to focus solely on ruling. To ensure future kings were equally dedicated, Devadatta instituted this as a tradition.

Centuries later, King Vikrama, already castrated by tradition, found himself developing feelings for his servant, Arjun. Vikrama struggled with his emotions, but one day confessed his love, discovering Arjun, who was bisexual, felt the same.

Their secret couldn't be kept, and rumors spread through the kingdom. The people, feeling betrayed by Vikrama's perceived abandonment of tradition, rose up in anger and killed him.

In the aftermath, Arjun, with no other heir, was accepted as the new ruler. Honoring Vikrama's memory, he abolished the tradition of castration. Under Arjun's progressive rule, Vallabha flourished, blending its rich history with more compassionate and inclusive values, setting a new course for the future.

DESCRIPTION OF SECOND DRAWING

In a hypothetical scenario where a king is castrated, the need for robust security measures within the kingdom is reduced. The king's castration eliminates sexual desire and exploitation, making it unnecessary to have only female servants or a large number of male guards. As a result, the kingdom is a happy environment with no internal threats to the king. The primary security concern would be external threats from other kings, unlike the scenarios described in the Arthashastra, which highlights internal threats within the kingdom.