Slave Soldiers and Islam The Genesis of a Military System - Daniel Pipes

278 Pages·2021·3.92 MB·English

SLAVE SOLDIERS AND ISLAM

SLAVE SOLDIERS AND ISLAM
THE GENESIS OF
A MILITARY SYSTEM

DANIEL PIPES

New Haven and London
Yale University Press

Published with assistance from the foundation
established in memory of Amasa Stone Mather
of the Class of 1907, Yale College.

Copyright (C) 1981 by Daniel Pipes.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole
in part, in any form (beyond
that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and
except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the
publishers.

Designed by Nancy Ovedovitz
and set in Baskerville type.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Pipes, Daniel, 1949-
Slave soldiers and Islam.

"Based on a doctoral dissertation submitted in
May 1978 to Harvard University."
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.

1.
Islamic Empire--Armed Forces--Recruiting,
enlistment, etc.
2.
Armies--Islamic Empire.
3.
Soldiers--Islamic Empire.
4.
Slavery and Islam.
5.
Slavery in the Islamic Empire.
I.
Title.
UA853.E16P56
355.2’23’0917671
80-23969
ISBN 0-300-02447-9

This second printing, a facsimile ofthe 1981 edition, was
commissioned by the:
Middle East Forum
1500 Walnut Street
Suite 1050
Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.mefomm.org

Digitally produced in 2003 by Acme Bookbinding, Charlestown, MA

To My Grandmothers

One obedient slave is better
than three hundred sons;
for the latter desire their father’s death,
the former his master’s glory.
--A poet quoted in Nigm al-Mulk,
Siyfisatnmeh

He who glorifies slaves is debased by God.
--An H.adith, Ah.mad al-

Ifahftni, H. ilyat al-Awliygt’

More stupid than a slave or his mate

is he who makes the slave his master.

never thought I should witness the days
When slaves would lord it and receive such praise.
--al-Mutanabbi

At three things the earth shakes,
four things it cannot bear:

a slave turned king...
--Proverbs 30:21-22

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Abbreviations

PART I: THE ISLAMICATE CONTEXT

Chapter One
What Is a Military Slave?
Differences from Other Slaves
Is He a True Slave?

Chapter Two
Slaves in War: The Historica] Record
Ordinary Slaves
Military Slaves

Chapter Three
An Explanation of Military Slavery
A Connection to Islam?
Why Muslim Subjects Relinquished Power
Marginal Area Soldiers
The Benefits of Military Slavery
Nonmilitary Factors
Conclusion

PART I1: ORIGINS

Chapter Four
The Unfree in Muslim Warfare, 2-205/624-820
Before 64/684
The Marwanids, 64-132/684-750
The First Abbasids, 129-205/747-820

xi

Xlll

xxix

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ix

Contents
X

Chapter Five
The First Military Slave System
140
Systematic Acquisition
140
Organized Training
148
Professional Employment
149
Information on the First Military Slave System
151

Chapter Six
How Military Slavery First Occurred
159
Pre-Islamic Antecedents
161
The Need for Marginal Area Soldiers
166
How Fighting Mawlas Foreshadowed Military Slaves
182
Conclusion
193

Append ixes

1 Slave Terminology
195
2 Military Slavery as Described in the Muslim Sources
199
3 The Early Caliphs
203
4 Major Military Dates
204
5 Sources on the First Military Slave System
205

Glossary
215

Selected B ibl iography
219

Index
233