Red Sea slave trade

Red Sea slave trade

slave trade

Ein location	Red Sea

De Red Sea slave trade, wey people sana dey call de Islamic slave trade, Arab slave trade anaa Oriental slave trade, be one slave business wey cross de Red Sea. E dey traffic Africans wey come from Sub-Saharan Africa wey dey inside de African continent go slavery life insyd de Arabian Peninsula plus de Middle East, from ancient time reach mid-20th century.

De Red Sea slave trade—wey some people dey call de longest lasting slave business for world—start from ancient time reach de 1960s, wey slavery for Saudi Arabia plus Yemen finally get abolition. When other slave trade routes close down, de Red Sea slave trade turn international slave trade center during de interwar period. After World War II, global pressure make de system finally shut down officially insyd mid-20th century.

De Red Sea, Sahara desert, plus Indian Ocean be de three main routes wey East African slaves dey pass through go enter de Muslim world.

Overview history

De slave trade from Africa go Arabia through de Red Sea get ancient roots. For Pre-Islamic Arabia, Arab war prisoners dey turn slaves, plus people dey also import slaves from Ethiopia cross de Red Sea. De Red Sea slave trade look like e start from as early as 1st century, wey dem dey traffic enslaved Africans across de Red Sea go Arabia plus Yemen.

Insyd de 9th century, slaves dey moved through dis Red Sea slave trade route go Jeddah, Mecca, den Medina, den by desert caravan go Baghdad wey dem end up inside slavery under de Abbasid Caliphate. Dis slave trade continue for plenty centuries afterward, plus Western travelers still observe say e dey go on during demma time.

Richard Francis Burton described the slave market in Medina in the 1850s:

"De bazar for Al-Madinah no dey rich, plus as almost all de slaves dey come from Meccah by de Jallabs or drivers wey first export de best ones go Egypt, de town only receive de leftover ones.... Some of dis slaves come from Abyssinia; majority dey driven from de Galla region den exported through harbours for Somali coast like Berberah, Tajoura den Zayla. From dat side, around 2,000 slaves from de first place, den 4,000 from de second, dey get shipped every year go Mocha, Jeddah, Suez den Maskat. [...] De market be wide street wey dem roof with mat, full of coffee-houses. De goods (people) dey sit inside rows wey dey parallel with de wall. De fine girls dey occupy de highest benches. Under dem be de normal ones, plus lowest be de boys. All of dem dress fine in pink plus other light-color muslin, with transparent veil on top demma heads; and whether e be from de shine wey dem dey inside or as reaction after demma terrible land plus sea journey, dem dey look perfectly happy."

According to British report, 320 slaves dey shipped through de Red Sea slave trade go Jeddah for May 1879.

Slaves dey marched with chains from de West Lakes reach de coasts of Sudan, Ethiopia plus Somalia. From there, dem dey load dem inside dhows (boats), then traffic dem cross de Indian Ocean go Gulf or Aden, or through de Red Sea go Arabia plus Aden. If any slave weak or no fit continue, dem dey throw dem inside de sea.

After World War I, de east coast of de Red Sea turn independent nation called de Kingdom of Hejaz (1916–1925). Hejaz talk say e no get any obligation to follow de laws plus treaties wey Ottoman Empire sign about slavery den slave trade. During de Interwar period, Hejaz come get international recognition as one regional slave trade center.

Supply sources den routes

De supply sources wey support de Red Sea slave trade mostly dey inside Africa. Dem include direct routes wey cross de Red Sea from mainland Africa, plus one extra route wey connect to de Indian Ocean slave trade—where dem first traffic de slaves through de Indian Ocean then move dem enter de Red Sea pass Yemen. De origin of most of de slaves be African, but small number of other ethnic groups also dey involved from de Indian Ocean slave trade, especially people from Asia.

East Africa

East Africa come turn supply base for slaves wey dem dey send go de Arabian Peninsula through de Indian Ocean slave trade since at least medieval times. Majority of these slaves dey shipped go Arabian Peninsula through Oman plus Muscat instead of through de Red Sea, but de Red Sea still serve as one route for slave movement between East Africa plus de Arabian Peninsula. E also act as passage for slaves reach Egypt.

Insyd de 12th century, Muhammad al-Idrisi traffic African children wey come from present-day Kenya go Arabia.

De slave trade get two main routes wey lead go Hejaz. African slaves dey traffic mainly from South Sudan plus Ethiopia. Most of dem be children plus young women wey dem buy or wey parents dash Ethiopian chiefs as tribute, wey then sell dem to slave traders. De parents dey told say demma children go enjoy better life as slaves for Arabia. From coast side, dem deliver de slaves to Arabian traders wey ship dem cross de Red Sea go Jeddah.

De kind work wey Ethiopian slaves dey do for Jidda plus other parts of Hejaz include eunuch service, female concubinage plus male labour. Southwest plus southern areas of Ethiopia dey supply most of de girls wey Ethiopian slave traders dey export go India plus Arabia. Female plus male slaves from Ethiopia make up de main source of slave supply to India plus Middle East.

Egypt plus Hejaz also dey receive Indian women wey people traffic through Aden plus Goa.

After Britain ban slave trade for demma colonies, British-ruled Aden for de 19th century no dey receive slaves again, so slaves wey dem send from Ethiopia go Arabia come dey ship go Hejaz instead.

India

India serve as supply source of slaves to de Arabian Peninsula since ancient times, even though de number be less compared to de slaves wey come from Africa.

During de 13th century, Indian boys, women plus girls wey dem plan use for sexual slavery dey trafficked from India go Arabia den Egypt, cross de Red Sea through Aden.

Madagascar den de Indian Ocean islands

Slaves too dey traffic reach Red Sea ports from Madagascar plus nearby Indian Ocean islands like de Comorian Archipelago, after Arab Muslim traders plus dem Swahili allies take control of Zanzibar and de Swahili Coast insyd 9th century. From de 9th go de 17th century, around 2,000 to 3,000 East African plus Malagasy slaves dey trafficked yearly from de Indian Ocean coast go slave ports along de Red Sea plus other places for Arabia. By mid-17th century, dis number rise pass 3,000 go 6,000 slaves every year from only Madagascar (not counting Comoros Islands) enter de Red Sea, all handled by non-European Muslim slave traders—Swahili, Comorian, Arab den Hadrami.

Some historians estimate say during de 17th century, close to 150,000 Malagasy slaves move from Boeny insyd northwest Madagascar go different places for de Muslim world like Red Sea coast (Jeddah), Hejaz (Mecca), Arabia (Aden), Oman (Muscat), Zanzibar, Kilwa, Lamu, Somalia (Barawa), and maybe Sudan (Suakin), Persia (Bandar Abbas), plus India (Surat). Because Madagascar dey populated by mix of Austronesian plus Bantu settlers, de Malagasy slaves carry Southeast Asian, African den blended features.

European traders too join de profitable slave business between Madagascar and de Red Sea. For 1694, Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship carry at least 400 Malagasy slaves go Arabian port for de Red Sea (most likely Jeddah), wey dem sell to Arab Muslim traders for slavery inside Mecca, Medina, Mocha, Aden, al-Shihr plus Kishn. Portuguese, French, Dutch, English den Ottoman traders all join in de Malagasy slave trade to different degrees.

Pilgrimage route

One major slave route dey connected to de Hajj pilgrimage. Even from Middle Ages time, Hajj play role inside slave trade. For 1416, al-Maqrizi report say pilgrims wey come from Takrur (near de Senegal River) carry 1,700 slaves with dem go Mecca.

De yearly pilgrimage go Mecca—Hajj—be de biggest method for enslavement. When de Trans-Saharan slave trade collapse, Muslim-African Hajj pilgrims wey cross de Sahara dey get tricked or receive cheap travel support from tribal leaders; once dem reach de East Coast, dem dey trafficked cross de Red Sea inside dhows of de Red Sea slave trade or inside small passenger planes—then when dem arrive Saudi Arabia, dem discover say dem go sell dem as slaves instead of dem coming to perform Hajj.

Slave traders dey traffic mostly women plus children under disguise as wives, servants or pilgrims go Hejaz, then dem go sell dem after arrival. Victims of dis route sometimes dey tricked with fake Hajj promise. Some slave traders marry de women first, carry dem go Hajj, then sell dem; later dem go tell de families say de women die during de journey.

Just like before, some parents give demma children to slave traders under belief say de traders dey carry de children go Hajj—as servants or students. Dis type of trafficked victims come from different places inside de Muslim world, reach as far as East Indies plus China. Some travelers even sell demma own servants or poor travel partners during Hajj, just to pay travel costs.

One English traveler, Charles M. Doughty, wey visit Central Arabia insyd de 1880s, observe say African slaves dey brought come Arabia every year during Hajj, and talk say "there be bondsmen den bondwomen plus free negro families inside every tribe den town."

For de 1920s, British authorities take action against de Red Sea slave trade as part of demma campaign against slavery for Sudan. Dem start control de Hajj pilgrimage better, plus open one clearinghouse inside Port Sudan to resettle slaves wey dem rescue from slavery inside de Kingdom of Hejaz. Between 1925 and 1935, dem resettle more than 800 slaves.

Insyd 1950s, in connection to de Ad Hoc Committee on Slavery plus de Supplementary Convention on de Abolition of Slavery, Barnett Janner make comments—(but you no finish de sentence; if you wan continue from dat part, I fit help you complete am.)

De shipping of slaves dey happen mainly for one part of de world—na de seas around Arabia. De warships wey fit search slave boats mostly be British ones, plus de speaker believe say British no go abuse dat right to search. Dem express regret say Britain stop fight for dat search right. According to dem, Saudi Arabia plus Yemen be de only countries wey still hold chattel slavery as legal institution. One year before, one French Deputy—probably de same person wey dem refer to—investigate de matter and find out say every year, agents dey deceive African people to go make pilgrimage to Mecca. But dem no dey tell dem say dem need Saudi Arabian visa. When dem arrive without visa, dem dey arrested, put inside prison for few days then handed over to licensed slave dealers. Raids also dey happen inside Baluchistan plus de Sheikdoms of de Persian Gulf, where people dey captured by land plus sea, then carried go small Saudi Arabian ports to get sold inside slave markets.

Activism against de slave trade

Before World War II

Ottoman anti-slavery laws no get enforcement for late 19th century, especially not for Hejaz. De first try to ban de Red Sea slave trade come insyd 1857 with de Firman of 1857, but after de Hejaz rebellion, dem exempt Hejaz from de ban. De Anglo-Ottoman Convention wey dem sign insyd 1880 officially ban de Red Sea slave trade, but de enforcement no reach Ottoman provinces wey dey inside de Arabian Peninsula.

British people begin fight de slave trade by patrolling de Red Sea. For 1880, Ottoman Empire agree give Britain de right to search and seize any boat wey dey go Ottoman lands wey dem suspect say dey carry slaves. But dis control no work well, because slave traders go tell European colonial authorities say de slaves be demma wives, children, servants or fellow Hajj pilgrims—and de victims demself believe same thing, no know say dem dey shipped as slaves.

Since de British consulate open for Jeddah insyd de 1870s, de British people begin use demma diplomatic rights to free slaves wey escape go de British Consulate to ask for asylum. Royal slaves no dey get dis right. De French, Italian den Dutch consulates too use demma right to free slaves wey reach dem to ask for asylum. But de activity of France den Italy be very small, only de Dutch dey show same eagerness like Britain. Any slave wey fit reach one consulate office or ship wey belong to foreign power fit use dis manumission right. Most of de slaves wey use dis right be citizens of demma colonies, wey travel come Arabia no know say dem go turn slaves upon arrival. De manumission work wey foreign consuls dey do get formal cooperation from Arabian authorities, but de local people no dey like am. E dey common say slaves wey ask for asylum go disappear before de consul fit arrange boat place for dem.

De slavery den slave trade wey dey inside de Arabian Peninsula—especially Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of Hejaz)—catch attention of de League of Nations, wey lead to creation of de 1926 Slavery Convention. Dat one force Britain to step up de fight against slave trade inside dat region.

To fight de Red Sea slave trade wey get strong link to de Hajj pilgrimage, de Inter-Sanitary Conference wey happen for Alexandria insyd 1927 talk say pilgrims must travel only by steamers or motorboats to avoid de dhow slave boats. But dis rule hard to enforce properly, plus pilgrims still dey cross de Red Sea by dhow, land for places wey authorities no fit control well.

Insyd 1930, newspaper Le Matin publish one article about de Red Sea slave trade from French Djibouti. Dem describe how Arab slave traders dey dump slaves alive inside de Red Sea to escape anti-slavery patrol ships—because dem know say de patrol boats go stop to rescue de slaves instead of chasing dem. Dis article cause big attention plus help push France to support de creation of de Committee of Experts on Slavery.

Insyd 1933, Nigeria introduce new passport system wey require Hajj pilgrims to deposit money wey go cover travel plus return cost—make dem no fall victim to enslavement during Hajj.

Between 1928 plus 1931, de British consulate wey dey Jeddah help 81 people gain freedom. Out of dem, 46 return go Sudan, plus 25 go Massawa inside Eritrea. Most of de slaves come from Africa, but majority dem get trafficked as pikin, wey cause problem for authorities. Plenty no remember where dem come from or where demma family dey. Some no fit speak anything except Arabic again, wey make dem struggle to survive after dem get freedom. Because of all dis issues, authorities start dey hesitate to accept dem back during de 1930s.

For 1936, Saudi Arabia officially ban de import of slaves wey no already be slaves before dem enter de kingdom—but dis law dey exist mostly for paper, no be real enforcement.

After World War II

After World War II, international pressure start dey rise from de United Nations to end slave trade. Insyd 1948, de United Nations declare slavery as crime against humanity under de Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After dat, de Anti-Slavery Society highlight say about one million slaves still dey inside de Arabian Peninsula, wey go against de 1926 Slavery Convention, plus dem demand say make de UN create one committee wey go tackle de issue.

De British Anti-Slavery Society campaign strong against slavery plus slave trade wey dey inside de Arabian Peninsula from de end of World War II go reach de 1970s. Dem especially expose how Saudi Arabia play central role inside 20th-century chattel slavery within United Nations platform. But demma effort no get full support from London and Washington. Internal reports from British Foreign Office show say slave trade to Saudi Arabia rise after World War II, but dem choose make dem no talk about am so dat dem no go expose de involvement of demma Gulf Sheikh allies inside de slave trade.

De US administration under Eisenhower try weaken de Bricker Amendment by pulling back from de United Nations, then make Saudi Arabia become central point inside de Eisenhower Doctrine. Because of dat, dem no join de United Nations Supplementary Convention on de Abolition of Slavery, de Slave Trade, plus Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery. De British Anti-Slavery Society try push stronger enforcement rules insyd de 1956 UN Supplementary Convention on Slavery, but dem no succeed. Still, de matter begin gain international attention.

Abolition

When President John F. Kennedy enter office, de matter of slavery wey still dey inside Saudi Arabia—wey be US ally—start cause plenty wahala both for US local side and global level. E begin affect Kennedy ein liberal world-order talk plus damage de US-Saudi partnership. Kennedy then press Saudi leaders make dem "modernize plus reform" if dem want US military help during de Yemeni Civil War. Kennedy also wan strengthen de United Nations, wey come boost de abolition campaign wey British Anti-Slavery Society dey push insyd de UN. De Kennedy government face pressure too from popular secular Middle East leaders like Gamal Abdel Nasser, plus from de newly independent African countries—wey own citizens be major victims of de slave trade go de Arabian Peninsula. Kennedy need demma support for ein anti-Soviet New Frontier plans for de Global South. So e put pressure on Saudi Arabia make dem introduce "modernization reforms", wey target slavery directly.

Insyd 1962, Saudi Arabia officially abolish slavery; but rumors still dey say unofficial slavery continue dey.

Dat same year, Yemen also ban slavery. Later, Dubai follow insyd 1963, and Oman for 1970.

Legacy

Research show say strong link dey between de Red Sea slave trade plus female genital mutilation (FGM). One investigation wey combine old data about slave shipments from 1400 go 1900 with survey info from 28 African countries find say women wey come from ethnic groups wey dem historically traffic through de Red Sea slave trade dey “significantly” more likely to suffer genital cutting today, plus dem dey “more likely to support” continuation of de practice. Women wey dem traffic inside de Red Sea slave trade mostly dey sold as concubines (sex slaves) inside de Islamic Middle East, even up till de mid 20th century. One key method wey dem use be infibulation—a type of genital mutilation wey dem dey apply to show say de girl still be virgin, wey go increase her price on de slave market. According to descriptions from early travelers, infibulated girls dey sell higher because people believe say e go make dem loyal, no go get belle without permission, plus go protect dem owner ein property.

Depictions insyd media den fiction

• The Red Sea Sharks

Gallery

• 
  Slave Market, 1893
• 
  Boarding a Slave Dhow
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  Freed Slaves
• 
  Slaves dem capture from a dhow
• 
  A group of freed kiddies

External links

• THE RED SEA SLAVE TRADE. HC Deb 03 May 1804 vol 24 c210
• SLAVE TRADE (RED SEA). HC Deb 16 April 1930 vol 237 cc2877-8