Slavery in the Muslim World

In this episode, we examine the long history of slavery in the Muslim world, following its development from pre-Islamic Arabia through the major caliphates and empires that shaped the region. The episode explores the many roles enslaved people held, from domestic service and manual labor to positions of military and political power, while also tracing the major trade networks that sustained the system across the Trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean worlds. We look closely at the racial and gender dynamics of enslavement, including the legal and social significance of concubinage and the influential roles played by eunuchs in both government and private life. Drawing on primary Arabic sources and European travel accounts, the discussion highlights the scale and complexity of this global trade, and closes by considering how formal abolition in the 20th century did not fully end exploitation, as modern forms of servitude and ideological defenses of slavery continue in some regions today.