Possessed by the Right Hand: The Problem of Slavery in Islamic Law and Muslim Cultures

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In Possessed by the Right Hand, Bernard K. Freamon offers a comprehensive legal history of slavery and slave-trading in Islam, considering the impact of Western abolitionism, its failure, and the implications of the rise of ISIS and Boko Haram. Contents Acknowledgments Figures and Maps Introduction Chapter 1 Slavery, Slave Trading and the Law in the Pre-Islamic Middle East 1 Origins of Slavery 2 Greco-Roman/Hebrew Historiographic Dominance 3 The Importance of Afro-Irano-Semitic Influences on Slavery in the Middle East 4 Slavery and Slave Trading in Pre-Islamic Middle Eastern Civilizations 5 The Pre-Islamic Slave Trades in the Indian Ocean and along the Silk Road 6 A Summary of the Pre-Islamic Legal Rules on Slavery Chapter 2 Slavery and Slave Trading in Early Islam 1 Slavery and Slave Trading in the Formative Period of Islam 2 The Qurʾan, Human Equality, and Slavery 3 Post-revelatory Pietistic Egalitarianism and Hard-Hearted Tribalism: A Titanic Struggle Emerges 4 Further Qurʾanic Support for a Pietistic Egalitarianism 5 Pluralism and Diversity as Qurʾanic Values 6 The Qurʾan’s Use of the Fact of Human Inequalities as an Organon to Encourage Monotheistic Belief and Piety 7 Slavery in the Qurʾan 8 Three Linguistic Forms Primarily Used in the Qurʾanic Provisions on Slavery 9 The Troubling Rules Mandating the Taking of Slaves as “War Booty” 10 Conclusion: The Qurʾan, Human Equality and Slavery 11 Practical Effects: The Development of Islamic Law’s Concrete Norms and Rules on Slavery Chapter 3 Slavery and Empire in the Medieval and Early Modern Islamic Worlds 1 Imperialism and Slavery in the Early Islamic Project 2 Abu Bakr and Slavery 3 ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab 4 Slavery and the Early Islamic Conquests 5 Slavery and the Muslim Conquest of Egypt: The Beginning of a Unique Ethos 6 The Baqt 7 The Rise of the Abbasid Caliphate 8 Slavery, Slave Trading, and the Success of the Early Abbasid Caliphate 9 A Return to the Development of the Unique Ethos in Egypt 10 The Fatimids, the Ayyubids, and the Continued Diversification of a New Egyptian Elite Slave Caste Chapter 4 The “Mamluk/Ghulam Phenomenon”—Slave Sultans, Soldiers, Eunuchs, and Concubines 1 Slave Sultans and Soldiers 2 Eunuchs and Concubines Chapter 5 Plural Imperialisms and Multiple Diasporas 1 Slavery and the Vast Indian Ocean Imperial and Commercial Diaspora 2 Ibn Battuta’s Account of East Africa 3 Enter the Europeans 4 East Africa and the Omanis—“The Bedouin of the Sea” 5 The Red Sea and Slavery and Slave Trading in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Arabia 6 The Persian Gulf 7 Eurasian Slave Trading and the “Silk Road” 8 Some Slave-Trade Descriptions Chapter 6 A Taxonomy of Slavery and Slave Trading in Muslim Cultures 1 Domestic Servitude 2 Military and Naval Slaves 3 Concubinage 4 “Gang” and Plantation Slavery 5 “Sultanic” Slavery Chapter 7 The Rise and Impact of Abolitionism 1 Overview—Transatlantic Abolitionism 2 Slavery and Slave Trading in the Indian Ocean and Afroeurasian Worlds during the “Age of Revolution” 3 Antislavery Activity in the Indian Ocean and Eurasian Worlds Hesitantly Takes Hold 4 Slavery in India 5 The Impact of British Disinclination 6 Islamic Law and Calamity on the High Seas 7 Islamic Law and Abolition Chapter 8 A Tale of Three Sovereigns—The Shah, the Khedive, and the Sultan 1 Slavery and Slave Trading in Iran in the Nineteenth Century 2 The Qajar Dynasty, Shiʿism, and Slavery 3 The Shah and Slavery and Slave Trading in Nineteenth-Century Iran 4 Slavery and Slave Trading in Egypt in the Nineteenth Century 5 The Khedive Isma⁠⁠ʿil (r. 1863–1879) and the Problem of Abolition in Egypt 6 Military, Juridical, and Diplomatic Measures 7 Abolition 8 Slavery and Slave Trading in Nineteenth-Century Zanzibar 9 Sultan Barghash bin Saʿid and the Saga of Abolition in Zanzibar Chapter 9 The Illusion of Abolition Chapter 10 The Reemergence of Slavery and Slave Trading in the Muslim World 1 The Recent Claims of ISIS and Boko Haram 2 Slavery and Slave Trading by Isis and Boko Haram 3 ISIS’ Published Justifications 4 The Current State of Scholarly Discourse on Slavery and Islam 5 Islamic Law and Slavery: Crafting an Effective Legal History 6 Conclusion Bibliography Index