When did the black slave trade start?

I agree with your statement above. In the Americas there were several forms of explotation besides slavery. The mita system, for instance, that was a tax payed with labour. Perhaps the more widespread system is the middle ages' institution of servs and lords: feudalism. Collie workers and other forms of abusses also existed. No doubt about it.

 

Even more, it is sad to say but still today we can find forms of explotation on immigrants all over the Americas: low payed jobs, insecurity, menace to call the police, etc.

 

 

We know for certain that the absolute majority of slaves in pre-Islamic Arabia were blacks. some of th most promenet of the prophet's companions (Sahaba) were freed black slaves like Wahshi (killer of Hamza and Musailamah the lier), bilal and many others. The reson was the proximity of Africa to Arabia and the existance of Ethiopeans conquerer's who came just before Islam. The sole reason why Arabs preferred black slaves (Arabs don't enslave each other) was their acceptance of the hot climate and the strength. Persian slaves were used as craftsmen but Africans were used in war, shepherding and domestic service. The real start of the black slave trade actually came as history tells us after the stalemate between Arabs and Nubians in the mid 650s I think. To stop Arabs from advancing, gold export and black slave trade was allowed by the Nubian king in exchange for goods from the north. From then, Nubians (who were Christians) would delve deep into the jungles of southern Sudan and Central Africa to capture the people there (who were and still are Pagans) who were known and till are for their huge strength. The market forces of supply and demand played afterwards the deciding factor in the slae trade.

domestic servants were still mostly needed in Arabia where significant black population exist although it is dwarfed by the percentage of African Americans, blacks are 13% in America and as high as 40% in some states but Africans (or freed slaves of any race for that matter) are less than 2% in most Arab countries except Algeria which for different reasons had about 20% of its population in slavery.

 

As for Armenian Survival's note about the Harem, well, the issue is very complex but I can dare say this, the exotic discription that exist in western book has blown out of propertion the reality of the harem. When a Sultan has 1000 women in his Harem that does not mean that all of these women are concubines for his sexual pleasure. Indeed if it were true he must be a superman to do that enormous task . Except for a few select beautiful women, most of the rest are what is know in the west as household ladies in waiting if I got it write who might never see their master. No sane free Muslim (or christian for that matter) would ever think of giving his daughter away to be a lady's maid as was the custom in Europe. actually, I dare say that the women in the Harem had more rights than household ladies in Europe who were subject to the worse abuse including sexual assault or even loss of life and finally shame if they come pregnant with the monarch's illigetimate son despite being free. the Harem became automatically free after the death of a sultan and in many cases, sons of concubines ruled over the legitimate issue of the sultan or the caliph. In fact, from the 36 Abbasid caliphs, at least 30 of them were the issue of concubines (mostly Armenian) not free women.

 

Thank You

 

Al-Jassas ibn Murrah

 

 

 

You can see a thread about it in the "history of Africa" section of this forum under "Muslim slavery"

 

Pinguin