Slavery and Islam: The Whole Story
Summary
Host Thomas Small interviews historian Justin Marazzi about his book *Captives and Companions*, which explores the complex history of slavery in the Islamic world. Marazzi details diverse forms of enslavement, from brutal labor and concubinage to elite military roles like the Mamluks, highlighting instances of social mobility alongside systemic racism. The discussion addresses the tension between Islamic legal principles and historical practices, as well as the modern reluctance to confront this legacy.
Topics discussed
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Introduction of Justin Marazzi and his book on Islamic slavery
Marazzi's background and inspiration from 19th-century explorers
Slavery in early Islam, the Quran, and comparison to Christianity
The Zanj Revolt and the shift to Slavic slave sources
Racial hierarchies, concubinage, and the culture of the harem
Mamluk slave soldiers and their rise to political power
Barbary pirates and the enslavement of Europeans in the Mediterranean
Western imperialism and the complex history of abolition
Modern slavery in Mauritania and the story of Habib Rabah
Outro and final sponsor messages
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