User:Jaykul72/Impact of Central Asian Slavery on the Indian Society


 * Scott C. Levi (2002). "Hindus Beyond the Hindu Kush: Indians in the Central Asian Slave Trade". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Cambridge University Press. 12 (3): 277–288.https://www.jstor.org/stable/25188289?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
 * Expansion of slavery in Muslim India is an important component of the medieval and early modern history of the region - page 280
 * Hindu slaves were an important component of the highly active slave markets of medieval and early modern Central Asia. - page 281
 * Movement of considerable numbers of Hindus to the Central Asian slave markets was largely a product of the state building efforts of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire in South Asia - page 281
 * India had an advanced textile industry and agricultural production with abundance of skilled people in various trades. Timur enslaved several thousand skilled artisans and took them to Central Asia. - page 281
 * Because of their identification in Muslim societies as kafirs, “non-believers”, the Hindus were especially in demand in the early modern Central Asian slave markets. - page 3
 * Following the Ghaznavid capture of the Indian city of Thanesar in the year 1014, “the army of Islam brought to Ghana about 200,000 slaves from India. The same ruler attacked Multan again in a few years and captured 100,000 slaves - page 283
 * During the Delhi Sultanate period (1206-1555) references to the abundant availability of Indian slaves at low prices are very common in Central Asian markets. - page 283 The revenue system of Delhi Sultanate produced a considerable proportion of the Indian slave population as these rulers abducted large numbers of Hindus as a means of extracting revenue.  - page 283
 * 58% of the population of slaves in all of Central Asian markets were from India - page 284
 * The intention here is only to demonstrate that the slave trade between India and Central Asia was significant, and to suggest that the movement of considerable numbers of Hindus to the Central Asian slave markets was largely a product of state building efforts of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal empire in South Asia. pg 278
 * Andre Wink (1991), Al-Hind: the Making of the Indo-Islamic World, vol. 1, Brill Academic (Leiden), ISBN 978-9004095090, pages 14-32, 172-207


 * Burjor Avari (2013), Islamic Civilization in South Asia, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415580618, pages 41-68;
 * Abraham Eraly (2014), The Age of Wrath: A History of the Delhi Sultanate, Part VIII, Chapter 2, Penguin, ISBN 978-0670087181;
 * Vincent A. Smith, The early history of India, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press, Reprinted in 1999 by Atlantic Publishers, Books IV and V - Muhammadan Period;
 * K. S. Lal, Muslim Slave System in Medieval India (New Delhi, 1994);
 * Bernard Lewis (1992). Race and Slavery in the Middle East: An Historical Enquiry. Oxford University Press. p. 11.
 * Andrea Major (2012). Slavery, Abolitionism and Empire in India, 1772-1843. Liverpool University Press. pp. 42–43.
 * William Gervase Clarence-Smith (2013). The Economics of the Indian Ocean Slave Trade in the Nineteenth Century.
 * The Indian Merchant Diaspora in Early Modern Central Asia and Iran Scott Levi Vol. 32, No. 4 (Autumn, 1999), pp. 483-512

Discrimination of Hindus during the rule of Central Asian Invaders
Marriage between Hindu boy and Muslim girl was strictly prohibited, however, Muslim boy could marry a Hindu girl.

There was discrimination against Muslim slaves forcefully converted from another religion, marriage between a slave and a pure race Muslim was not accepted in the society.

Self Determination Rebellion among Hindus[ edit]
Extreme form of Slavery was unheard in India. When Megasthanese visited India during 300 B.C.E, he was surprised that there was no slavery. All men were treated equal. In the book Indika, it is written:

“Of several remarkable customs existing among the Indians, there is one prescribed by their ancient philosophers which one may regard as truly admirable: for the law ordains that no one among them shall, under any circumstances, be a slave, but that, enjoying freedom, they shall respect the equal right to it which all possess “

What historians know of the Harappan civilisation makes them unique. Their society did not like great differences between social classes or the display of wealth by rulers. They did not leave behind large monuments or rich graves.

With the onslaught of Islamic Invaders from the middle east began the large-scale persecution of Hindus. Along with them came the  Slavery system and Slave Trade markets. Women caught in India were sent as slaves to the slave markets in Damascus. The position of women in the Indian society deteriorated  like never before. Earliest references to Jauhar appear in Sindh province during 9th century when Islam came under the control of Ummayads.

As the Sultans ruled through the centuries the slave markets were active in every city they ruled. Muslims men in these empires could have four wives, they could also buy women slaves from the slave markets. In fact, it was a common practice among Muslim parents during these times to give woman slave as a gift to a youngster so that he does not go to prostitutes. Destitute and poor Hindu women especially widows out of extreme poverty would offer themselves or were forced by the ruling class as slaves in these slave markets. There are references to this practice in the book “Muslim Slave System in Medieval India” by K.S.Lal. Out of this desolation came the act of rebellion and self determination at an individual level which is Sati.