Slavery in the Ottoman Empire
Slavery in the Ottoman Empire

Summary/Abstract: In 1842 the British Consul of Morocco stated that as part of his government he is around to abolish the slavery permanently, and do everything in order to introduce the suppression of the slave trade measures. To this statement that was addressed to I. Abdul-Mejid (1823-1861) Sultan he replied the next: “The slave trade is a case in which from the time of Adam and sons to our days all religions, sects and nations have agreed…" Then he added “I do not know any single religion, sect that specifically forbade slavery, so there is no need to raise related issues. Such and similar questions lead both to too low and too lofty answers, although the phenomenon is such natural, as the sun rises.”Unfortunately, the Sultan’s today obsolete perception of abolition the slave trade contained legally founded statements. The institution of slavery actually existed since time immemorial in the ancient civilizations: in Asia Africa Europe and in America before Columbus. Accepted and even supported the Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other world religions.The institution officially survived in the Ottoman Empire until 1890 significantly longer than the transatlantic slave trade. In my essay I study the reason of this phenomenon, especially the slavery traditions of the Ottoman Empire, the religious and secular legal background comparing the most important features to the transatlantic slave trade and slavery.

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