Race and Slavery in the Middle East: An Historical Enquiry (40 page)

The Said Shehk Khalil states in his aforesaid compendium. in a section of the
chapter regarding Emancipation, that-

"(A Slave) is emancipated by the Law if illtreated: that is to say if he (the master)
intends to illtreat the Slave or actually does so. Whether he (the Slave) can take with
him what he may possess of property or no, is a matter yet undecided by the Doctors of
the Law" Peace!

true translation from the Said Arabic documents as certified to me.

E. W. A. Drummond Hay

Her Majesty's Agent and Consul General in Marocco

[Consul General Drummond Hay

Slave Trade No. 3

One Inclosure

Received 11 Apr.

by Sea via Gibraltar

Inclosing the Translation of a Letter from the Sultan of Marocco]

Slave Trade No. 3

Tangier 27th March 1842

My Lord

I have the honor to inclose a translation of a Letter I have received from the Sultan
of Marocco, in reply to that dispatched upon the 11th instant to this potentate on the
subject of Slavery and the Slave Trade: of which my Letter I sent your Lordship the
English version in a Dispatch marked "Slave Trade No. 2" and dated the 12th instant.

I have the honor to be, with the highest respect. My Lord, Your Lordships most
obedient very humble servant,

E. W. A. Drummond Hay

Translation of a letter received from the Sultan of Marocco on 23rd March 1842, in reply
to the last of Consul General Drummond Hay, respecting Slavery and the Slave Trade.

In the name of the Most Merciful God! There is no strength or power but in God
the High and Almighty!

To the Employed who has in our Sheriffian Service diligence and solicitude,
Drummond Hay, Consul for the English nation residing in Tangier the Protected.

which premised:

We have received your Letter explaining the object of the Minister of the potentate
of your Nation, with reference to his inquiries respecting Slaves,-and we have made
ourself acquainted with the proceedings had in that matter, as well as with the expenditure incurred in the purchase from their Masters of all those in your dominions; (we
learn) also that, in Soodan and other parts that example had been followed.

Be it known to you that the religion of Islam-may God exalt it-has a solid
foundation, of which the corner stones are well secured and the perfection whereof has
been made known to us by God-to whom belongs all praise-in his book Forkun'
which admits not either of addition or diminution.

As to what regards the making of Slaves and Trading therewith, it is confirmed by
our Book as also by the Sunna of Our Prophet, on whom be the blessing and the peace
of God-and furthermore there is not any controversy between the Oolamma' on that
subject, and no one can allow what is prohibited or prohibit that which is made lawful.

By whomsoever innovation be attempted contrary to it (the Law) the same shall be
rejected, inasmuch as our sacred religion is not regulated by mens' counsel or deliberation, for it proceeds out of Inspiration from the Lord of all creatures, through the
tongue of our Faithful Prophet, on whom be the Peace and Blessing of God!

Ended the 5th Safar 1258 (18th March 1842)

True Translation as certified to me

EWA Drummond Hay

Notes

1. Mawlay `Abd al-Rahman ibn Hisham (reigned 1822-59). See EI , s.v. (by Ph. de Cosse
Brissac).

2. AI-Jdmi' al-Sahfh, the standard collection of had ths, by al-Bukhari.

3. The Mukhtasar, "Abridgement," a standard legal work by Khalil ibn Ishaq.

4. Majusf, "Magian." Originally used of the Zoroastrians, later also of the Vikings and other
pagans.

5. Furqan = Qur'an.

6. 'Ulama'.

5.
Report on Slavery from the Persian Gulf (1842)

To

Lieutenant Colonel Robertson

Off[iciatin]g Resident, Persian Gulf

Harrack 8th July 1842

Sir,

Agreeably to your wishes, that I should frame full answers, to the Questions on the
subject of Slaves, conveyed in Colonel Sheil's letter dated June 30, I beg now to offer
the result of my endeavours in collecting the required information.

Before entering respectively into the answers to each [of the] questions, It maybe
as well to premise,

lst That Slaves imported into the South of Persia, are of two kinds, Seedee or
African, from the Coast of Zanzibar, principally the territory of the Imaum of Muscat;
and Hubshee or Abyssinian, from the shores of the Red Sea.

2[d] That slaves are seldom kidnapped by the crews of Boats or by the slave
Merchants but by Men employed for that purpose in the interior. A proportion are
prisoners made in their petty war.

3d That Muscat and Soor are the principal, if not only primary ports, to which all
slaves, from whencesoever shipped, whether Zanzibar, or the Red Sea, are brought,
and whence they are eventually carried into Turkey, Persia, Scinde, the Arab States,
and even our own territories, the Western Coast of India, by boats belonging chiefly to
the Eastern Coast of Arabia, which are not bound for any particular ports, but make
coasting voyages selling as they touch. Of the above Countries, Turkey consumes by
far the greater proportion. Bussorah and Bagdad being the largest Marts, of the
Persian ports send vessels direct to Zanzibar, with the exception of Lingah-whence
three or four boats are annually dispatched, each returning with about 70 slaves.

The season for the Gulf Traffic in slaves is from the 1st August to 1st December.

In Bushire, and the other Persian ports, there are no places established as Markets
or days fixed for the Sale of Slaves. But on the arrival of a Boat, the owner takes his
Cargo to a hired dwelling, where they are either sold privately, or whence they are
taken and publicly exposed for Sale, at one of the caravanceries of which there are
several. Should the Market be overstocked, and thus the owner be unable expeditiously to gain his profits, they are re-shipped and taken either to Bussorah, Mohumra,
or Bagdad at any of which places there is a certainty of a ready sale.

The answers to the first and Second Questions must of necessity be somewhat
vague, from the want of time and opportunity for making a reference to the Custom
House registers of the several Ports on the Persian Coast of the Gulf. The statements
of those, the best informed, with whom I have been able to communicate, agree pretty
nearly, differing in no material points. The conclusions from them are as follows.
Average number of African slaves sold annually at

of Hubshees at

Allowing an importation of 100 or 150 of the former, and 10 of the latter, to
Asseloo, and the other numerous small ports, would give a total of 1(H)0 and 80
respectively, annually imported into Persia, through the Ports in the Gulf, but this by
no means forms the whole number that find their way into the interior of that Country,
from the South; for Bussora and Bagdad are the largest Marts whereby far the greater
proportion is carried, the actual number from which places however I have been
unable to ascertain or even to form a guess at.

The large number of Pilgrims that go annually from Persia to Mecca and to
Kerbela etc. return with slaves averaging rich and poor, one to each Pilgrim.

Of African Slaves imported the number of Males bears somewhat a greater proportion to the females-six to five.

Of Hubshees By far the greater number are females-two to one.

The females are somewhat more valued than the Males. A good stout lass will sell
for 35 dollars. The profit on the above at Muscat is 20 per cent and at Bussorah and
Bushire never less than 50 per cent.

The Hubshee females are much prized for their beauty and Symmetry of figure.
Their value [is] from 300 to 1000 koronies or indeed to any amount. The Males also are
much valued-their price from 200 to 600 and upwards.

After 20 the slaves of both sexes whether Hubshee or Africans deteriorate much in
value, from their being at that mature age less tractable, and taking less kindly to the
language religion, and customs of their Masters.

The treatment of the slaves is at no time either severe or cruel, but they are most
compelled to rough it during the sea voyage when they are very scantily clothed and
supplied with but sufficient food, and that coarse, to keep them alive. From the
moment of purchase at their eventual destination however their condition is materially
changed for the better, (the purchasers in general feeding and treating them almost as
kindly as the Members of their own families, they in return work hard, willingly and
well & appear to be happy and contented) unless indeed they become the property of
other slave Merchants from the Interior when the condition remains much the same. In
travelling from one place to another, they are supplied with Mules. In the boats they
are not bound or manacled.

The Men are employed in all hard and out door work, the women in cooking, bringing water etc. and but very rarely as concubines except by the poorer and lower classes.

Children horn in bondage are free but are nevertheless provided for by the owners
of their parents and with them entitled to the same rights and privileges.

The Hubshee Slaves of both sexes are at all times much cared for well clothed and
well fed. The Males are early sent to school and having learnt to read and write are
employed in the performance of house duties as Peish khidmuts etc. etc. and very
frequently if intelligent in the most trustworthy situations as supercargos of ships.
stewards and superintendents.

The Females are most generally retained as concubines or employed in the lightest
duties as attendants in Harems, bringing Kaleeons etc. The intelligence and honesty of
Hubshee slaves are almost proverbial. The children by these concubines are heirs
equally to the Estate of the Father with their legitimate offspring.

Nubian and Hubshee Eunuchs are very high priced and only to be seen in the
service of the King, Nobles and very rich Merchants.

In forwarding the above account I trust it may not be considered an act of Su-
perogation my giving the accompanying short statement of the policy that has been
hitherto pursued, and a summary of those portions of the Several treaties that have
been entered into with the Imaum of Muscat and the Principal Arab Tribes with regard
to the traffic in slaves, as a knowledge of our Political powers by treaty in this Quarter
may tend to elucidate the subject and facilitate the attainment of so great an end as the
suppression of a traffic, so contrary to the best feelings of humanity.