SLAVERY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Ali had attempted to lead a rebellion in Bahrain in the 860’s which eventually failed. He then moved to Basra and became intrigued by the treatment of black enslaved people and their conditions. Ali began a campaign in an attempt to gain their support in exchange for freedom and wealth. He formed a large following and they began raiding towns, seizing goods and people. In 879, Ali sent his son, Al Abbas, to combat the rebels. The rebellion came to an end with the death of the leader, Ali Ibn Muhammad, in 883. The majority of leaders and former enslaved people were captured and killed by the government, or they surrendered.

This rebellion was cataclysmic on the Caliphate. The economy was put into turmoil and the agricultural land was damaged. The number of deaths is highly contested but the general estimate is around 50,000 causalities overall. At the Battle of Basra, that occurred from the 7th of September to the 10th, 871, approximately 300,000 people died. There are also instances of cannibalism that have been reported due to the impact of the rebellion on food shortages and water supply. There was a different rank of slaves that were involved in the military known as Mamluks, which literally translates to ‘owned.' They were a high rank of enslaved people that were white and non-Arab. They ruled from 1250 to 1517, mainly in Egypt and Syria. They played a crucial role in the society. They conquered the Crusader Kingdom of Outremer and they preserved Islam in Syria and Egypt from Mongols influence. Mamluks were still enslaved, but had privileges that were not afforded to many other enslaved people, such as the chance to handle weaponry. Some Mamluks were captured from as young as 13 years of age, and trained to be soldiers. Under the Ayyubid Sultan, the Mamluk generals managed to use their power to created a dynasty in modern day Egypt and Syria from 1250 until 1517. This reveals the great power the Mamluks had and were able to exert whilst still technically being owned.

Slavery was only abolished relatively recently in the Middle East in comparison to Western nations. Slavery was so ingrained into the Middle Eastern society that it was common practice to trade enslaved people at Mecca, which is classified as the holiest city in the Islamic faith. In 1929, slavery in Iran was abolished. 33 years later, in 1962, Saudi Arabia abolished slavery. Saudi Arabia was formerly known as the Kingdom of Hejaz until 1932, when it joined with the Kingdom of Nejd to form what we now know as Saudi Arabia. When Saudi Arabia was formed, it became infamously known as a slave trade centre during the interwar period. Post World War II, Saudi Arabia had increasing pressure from international powers to abolish slavery. King Faisal yielded into the pressure and ended slavery by instituting a royal decree in 1962. The practice of slavery that had permeated Saudi Arabia, as well as the majority of the Middle East, was finally abolished.