Figure 1.-- |
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Slavery is an ancient central to the ecomonies of many ancient societies. This did not change with the coming of Islam and subsequently the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Slavery as an institution is recognized and thus sanctioned by the Holy Koran. The Koran consuls fair treatment of slaves, but slavery is sanctioned by Sharia Law. Thus approved by both religion and custom, slavery became an important institution in both the Ottoman economy and society. It was not as important as in some societies, but it was important. Slavery was entrenched in the operation of the Ottoman
state in both administrative and militiary areas. [Erdem, p. 18.] Slavery was was a central element in the harem system as part of the use of slave domestics and concubines. Slavery was an important aspect of the private lives of individuals in the Muslim areas of the Empire. This was much less true in the Christian areas (primarily the Balkans) where slavery had largely disappeared by the time of the Ottoman conquest. The source of slaves varied over time. Both the Crimean Tartars and the Arabs played an important role in the Ottoman slave trade. The famed Janissary soldiers of the Ottoman Empire were in fact children of Christian parents who were made the Sultan's slaves.
Slavery is an ancient central to the ecomonies of many ancient societies. This did not change with the coming of Islam and subsequently the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Slavery as an institution is recognized and thus sanctioned by the Holy Koran. The Koran consuls fair treatment of slaves, but slavery is sanctioned by Sharia Law.
Thus approved by both religion and custom, slavery became an important institution in both the Ottoman economy and society. It was not as important as in some societies, but it was important. Slavery was entrenched in the operation of the Ottoman
state in both administrative and militiary areas. [Erdem, p. 18.]
Slavery was was a central element in the harem system as part of the use of slave domestics and concubines. Slavery was an important aspect of the private lives of individuals in the Muslim areas of the Empire.
The importance of slavery varied regionally. It was a well established institution in the Arab popuklated regions. This was much less true in the Christian areas (primarily the Balkans) where slavery had largely disappeared by the time of the Ottoman conquest.
The source of slaves varied over time. Both the Crimean Tartars and the Arabs played an important role in the Ottoman slave trade. As the Ottoman Empire became a more established state, the slave rrade became more established. The Crimea Tartars gradually expanded slave raids into Christain Europe to fill the Ottoman demand. They conducted a major raid into Poland, securing 18,000 slaves (1468), The extent of the raids are not well documented, but some sources believe that even larger numbers of slaves were taken from Lithuania-Poland in subsequent years. [Fisher]
The famed Janissary soldiers of the Ottoman Empire were in fact children of Christian parents who were made the Sultan's slaves.
Tanzimat is the name given to the programs designed to reform the Ottoman Empire. Tanzimat is the Turkish word for reform or reorganization. Educted Ottomans realized after the Napoleonic Wars in Europe and a series of defeats at the hands of the Russians that the Empire was falling behind its European rivals. Sultan
Mahmud II began the first important series of reforms. Sultan Abdülmecid I began the actual Tanzimat reforms.
Abülaziz undermined and corupted them. There was considerable resistace to the reforms, especially from conservative Islamcists who rejected the European nature of the reforms. The reforms focused on several areas, including adminisration, taxation, conscription, education, and individual rights. One area addressed under individual rights was slavery. This proved a very sensitive issue because of the Koranic foundation of slavery. As a result, there was considerable resistance resistance from conservative Islamic elements. This resistance was pronounced in Arb-populated areas of the Empire, especially the Hejaz.
Fisher, Alan. "Muscovy and the Black Sea Slave Trade," (Canadian-American Slavic Studies Vol. 6 (1972), pp. 575-94.
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