Slavery in medieval India Slavery in India

1 slavery in medieval india

1.1 islamic invasions (8th 12th century ad)
1.2 delhi sultanate (12th 16th century ad)
1.3 mughal empire (16th 19th century)

1.3.1 fatawa-i alamgiri


1.4 export of indian slaves international markets
1.5 under marathas

slavery in medieval india

slavery escalated during medieval era in india arrival of islam. wink summarizes period follows,

slavery , empire-formation tied in particularly iqta , within context of islamic expansion elite slavery later commonly found. became predominant system in north india in thirteenth century , retained considerable importance in fourteenth century. slavery still vigorous in fifteenth-century bengal, while after date shifted deccan persisted until seventeenth century. remained present minor extent in mughal provinces throughout seventeenth century , had notable revival under afghans in north india again in eighteenth century.

slavery predominant social institution emerged 8th century onwards in india, particularly after 11th century, part of systematic dethesaurization (plunder) , enslavement of infidels, along use of slaves in armies conquest.

islamic invasions (8th 12th century ad)

andre wink summarizes slavery in 8th , 9th century india follows,

(during invasion of muhammad al-qasim), invariably numerous women , children enslaved. sources insist now, in dutiful conformity religious law, one-fifth of slaves , spoils set apart caliph s treasury , despatched iraq , syria. remainder scattered among army of islam. @ rūr, random 60,000 captives reduced slavery. @ brahamanabad 30,000 slaves allegedly taken. @ multan 6,000. slave raids continued made throughout late umayyad period in sindh, further hind, far ujjain , malwa. abbasid governors raided punjab, many prisoners , slaves taken.

levi notes these figures cannot entirely dismissed exaggerations since appear supported reports of contemporary observers. in 11th century tarikh al-yamini, arab historian al-utbi recorded in 1001 armies of mahmud of ghazni conquered peshawar , waihand (capital of gandhara) after battle of peshawar (1001), in midst of land of hindustan , , enslaved thousands. later, following twelfth expedition india in 1018–19, mahmud reported have returned such large number of slaves value reduced 2 ten dirhams each. unusually low price made, according al-utbi, merchants came distant cities purchase them, countries of central asia, iraq , khurasan swelled them, , fair , dark, rich , poor, mingled in 1 common slavery .

delhi sultanate (12th 16th century ad)

during delhi sultanate period (1206–1555), references abundant availability of low-priced indian slaves abound. many of these indian slaves used muslim nobility in subcontinent, others exported satisfy demand in international markets.

the revenue system of delhi sultanate produced considerable proportion of indian slave population these rulers, , subordinate shiqadars, ordered armies abduct large numbers of locals means of extracting revenue. while communities loyal sultan , regularly paid taxes excused practice, taxes commonly extracted other, less loyal groups in form of slaves. thus, according barani, shamsi slave-king balban (r. 1266–87) ordered shiqadars in awadh enslave peoples resistant authority, implying refused supply him tax revenue. sultan alauddin khalji (r. 1296–1316) reported have legalised enslavement of defaulted on revenue payments. policy continued during mughal era.

an greater number of people enslaved part of efforts of delhi sultans finance expansion new territories. example, while himself still military slave of ghurid sultan muizz u-din, qutb-ud-din aybak (r. 1206–10 first of shamsi slave-kings) invaded gujarat in 1197 , placed 20,000 people in bondage. 6 years later, enslaved additional 50,000 people during conquest of kalinjar. later in 13th century, balban s campaign in ranthambore, reportedly defeated indian army , yielded captives beyond computation .

levi states forcible enslavement of non-muslims during delhi sultanate motivated desire war booty , military expansion. gained momentum under khalji , tughluq dynasties, being supported available figures. zia uddin barani suggested sultan alauddin khalji owned 50,000 slave-boys, in addition 70,000 construction slaves. sultan firuz shah tughluq said have owned 180,000 slaves, 12,000 of whom skilled artisans. significant proportion of slaves owned sultans have been military slaves , not labourers or domestics. earlier traditions of maintaining mixed army comprising both indian soldiers , turkic slave-soldiers (ghilman, mamluks) central asia, disrupted rise of mongol empire reducing inflow of mamluks. intensified demands delhi sultans on local indian populations satisfy need both military , domestic slaves. khaljis sold thousands of captured mongol soldiers within india. china, turkistan, persia, , khurusan sources of male , female slaves sold tughluq india. yuan dynasty emperor in china sent 100 slaves of both sexes tughluq sultan, , replied sending same number of slaves of both sexes.

mughal empire (16th 19th century)

the slave trade continued exist in mughal empire, reduced in scope, limited domestic servitude , debt bondage, , deemed mild , incomparable transatlantic slave trade. abd allah khan firuz jang, uzbek noble @ mughal court during 1620s , 1630s, appointed position of governor of regions of kalpi , kher and, in process of subjugating local rebels, ``beheaded leaders , enslaved women, daughters , children, more 200,000 in number.

when shah shuja appointed governor of kabul, carried out war in indian territory beyond indus. of women burnt death save honour. captured distributed among muslim mansabdars. augustinian missionary fray sebastiao manrique, in bengal in 1629–30 , again in 1640, remarked on ability of shiqdār—a mughal officer responsible executive matters in pargana, smallest territorial unit of imperial administration collect revenue demand, force if necessary, , enslave peasants should default in payments.

a survey of relatively small, restricted sample of seventy-seven letters regarding manumission or sale of slaves in majmua-i-wathaiq reveals slaves of indian origin (hindi al-asal) accounted on fifty-eight percent of slaves region of origin mentioned. khutut-i-mamhura bemahr-i qadat-i bukhara, smaller collection of judicial documents early-eighteenth-century bukhara, includes several letters of manumission, on half of these letters referring slaves of indian origin . in model of legal letter of manumission written chief qazi assistant follow, example used of slave of indian origin .

the export of slaves india limited debt defaulters , rebels against mughal empire. ghakkars of punjab acted intermediaries such slave trade central asian buyers.

fatawa-i alamgiri

the fatawa-e-alamgiri (also known fatawa-i-hindiya , fatawa-i hindiyya) sponsored aurangzeb in late 17th century. compiled law mughal empire, , involved years of effort 500 muslim scholars south asia, iraq , saudi arabia. thirty volumes on hanafi-based sharia law empire influential during , after auruangzeb s rule, , included many chapters , laws on slavery , slaves in india.

some of slavery-related law included in fatawa-i alamgiri were,

the right of muslims purchase , own slaves,
a muslim man s right have sex captive slave girl owns or slave girl owned muslim (with master s consent) without marrying her,
a muslim master s right acknowledge or decline recognition of children born slave girls had sex - recognition affected whether slave s children have inheritance, inability of infidels (non-muslims) inherit,
no inheritance rights slaves,
the testimony of slaves inadmissible in court of law
slaves require permission of master before can marry,
an unmarried muslim may marry slave girl owns muslim married muslim woman may not marry slave girl,
conditions under slaves may emancipated partially or fully

export of indian slaves international markets

alongside buddhist oirats, christian russians, afghans, , predominantly shia iranians, indian slaves important component of highly active slave markets of medieval , modern central asia. pervasive nature of slavery in period in central asia shown 17th century records of 1 juybari sheikh, naqshbandi sufi leader, owning on 500 slaves, forty of whom specialists in pottery production while others engaged in agricultural work. high demand skilled slaves, , india s larger , more advanced textile industry, agricultural production , tradition of architecture demonstrated neighbours skilled-labour abundant in subcontinent leading enslavement , export of large numbers of skilled labour slaves, following successful invasions.

after sacking delhi, timur enslaved several thousand skilled artisans, presenting many of these slaves subordinate elite, although reserving masons use in construction of bibi-khanym mosque in samarkand. young female slaves fetched higher market price skilled construction slaves, 150%. because of identification in muslim societies kafirs, non-believers , hindus in demand in modern central asian slave markets, indian slaves specially mentioned in waqafnamas, , archives , being owned turkic pastoral groups.

under marathas

during period of maratha empire, slaves able enjoy ever used earn , entitled inherit property of father. in cases slaves forced work lives , children slaves. slaves given food, shelter , clothes , did not have means escape owners. in short, slavery under marathas different slavery in europe , america. slaves treated , set free on several occasions, festivals , due old age. released on suitable substitute owner , allowed marry person of choice. marriage of slave girl means manumission.