Slavery in Iran: Difference between revisions

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A History of slavery in Persia and Iran during various ancient, medieval and modern periods is catalogued by archaeological and historical records.^[1][2] Slavery in Iran occurred while it was part of various empires. A period of liberation occurred during Persia's "golden age" under Cyrus the Great as he allowed displaced peoples who were enslaved by former kings to return home. There have also been accounts (rumours?) of sexual slavery in modern Iran.

The Medes empire (625 BC – 549 BC) included slavery in a geographical area that included part of what is now the nation of Iran. Captured soldiers and residents of sacked cities were among those enslaved.^{[citation needed]} The Medians took people who were captured in battle and others after sacking and conquering cities. In 612 BC Cyaxares conquered Urartu, and in alliance with Nabopolassar (who created the Neo-Babylonian Empire) succeeded in destroying the Assyrian capital and taking many captured people as slaves.^{[citation needed]} This action made the Medians feared throughout the Middle East.^{[citation needed]} They also captured people from Iran such as the Elam and Parthians.^{[citation needed]}

Slavery was abolished during Persia's "golden age" under Cyrus the Great and he allowed displaced peoples who were enslaved by former kings to return home.^{[citation needed]} It is said that he freed up to 40,000 Jews.^{[citation needed]} Cylinders found from period when Cyrus the Great ruled contain the a decree on the conquered non-combatant population calling for the freeing of some slave populations.^{[citation needed]} Slavery also occurred during Parthian rule and later during the Sassanid Empire.^{[citation needed]}During the rule of Cyrus the Great the Jews were freed from their long rule by the Babylonians.^{[citation needed]}

Timur the Lame (1336 – 1405) subjugated many Persian people but he also had Persian officers and officials and documents were written in Persian.^[3] He invaded Armenia and Georgiaand captured more than 60,000 people from the Caucasus as slaves. Many districts of Armenia were depopulated.^[4] In most of the territories he incorporated, Persian was the primary language of administration and literary culture. Thus the language of the settled diwan was Persian and its scribes had to be adept in Persian culture, regardless of ethnicity.

Historians say the Arab slave trade lasted more than a millennium.^[5][6] The Arab or Middle Eastern slave trade is thought to have originated with trans-Saharan slavery.^[7][8] Arab, Indian, and Oriental traders were involved in the capture and transport of slaves northward across the Sahara desert and the Indian Ocean region into Arabia and the Middle East, Persia, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.^[9]

Male slaves were employed as servants, soldiers, or laborers, while female slaves were traded to Middle Eastern countries and kingdoms by Arab, Indian, or Oriental traders, some as domestic servants.^[10][11][12] Some historians estimate that between 11 and 17 million slaves crossed the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Sahara Desert from 650 to 1900 AD.^[13][14]

Racist opinions occurred in the works of some Persian and Arab-Muslim historians and geographers.^[15]

Slavery is banned in Iran. This is addressed in the first constitution. Modern textbooks have been found to ignore the subject of slavery in Iranian history which happened 3000 years ago, but cover Western slavery which happened up to recently.^[16]

Last number(s) indicate pages:

A. Perikhanian (1983). "Iranian Society and Law". In Ehsan Yar-Shater, William Bayne Fisher, and Ilya Gershevitch (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 5: Institutions. Cambridge University Press. pp. 634–640. ISBN 0521246938. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |isbn13= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)

Amir H. Mehryar, F. Mostafavi, & Homa Agha (2001-07-05). "Men and Family Planning in Iran" (PDF). The IUSSP XXIVth General Population Conference in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, August 18–24, 2001. p. 4. {{cite conference}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (|book-title= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)