Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c14.8

c14.8

During the first hundred years of Muslim rule, that is, under Aibak, Iltutmish and Balban (1206-1290), slaves of both sexes were captured in droves during military expeditions, but they were mostly distributed among kings, nobles and soldiers for sundry duties.¹⁴ Large number of workers were needed by these early sultans for clearing jungles, making roads, as auxiliaries in the army, for construction of buildings, as errand runners by administrators, tent fixers and workers in camp establishments. Slaves were needed for arranging supplies for households of all kinds of foreign Muslims from kings and nobles to commoners, constructing small residential dwellings or grand and imposing State buildings etc. Slave girls were needed in plenty for providing pleasure and other services. All this work was done by captives turned slaves. It appears that because of their being detailed on these jobs, very few slaves were left available for sale. That is why there is no specific mention of their sale during this period, But sale of captives was a common practice. For example, it is mentioned that Sultan Nasiruddin, son of Iltutmish (1246-66), had no purchased (*laundi va* *khadima*) slave girl, that his wife cooked for him and he earned his livelihood by selling copies of Quran written by himself. This story, however, is very stale indeed, adds Raverty, as stale as the days of one of the early Khalifas, for this very sultan could present *forty head of slaves* to his nobleman Minhaj Siraj for being sent to his dear sister in Khurasan.¹⁵