Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c15.10

c15.10

There was provision for partial manumission of a slave in Islamic law. For instance, a slave could be exempted from doing a particular type of work from a specific date.¹³ A slave could be freed to the extent of one-half, one-third, or one-sixth. That is, if he is made one-third free, he will repay two-third of his price for getting total manumission.¹⁴ If the slave was shared by two masters, rules of manumission were different in his case.¹⁵ The slave on emancipation becomes *atiq* (freed man) or *mawla* (client) of his late master, who becomes his *wali* (patron).¹⁶ Slaves cannot marry without the consent of the proprietor.¹⁷ A master can permit a slave to marry more than one wife, but not more than two wives at the same time, according to most of the doctors.¹⁸ Marriage between slaves with the consent of the master is valid. If contracted without his permission, it is null.¹⁹ The marriage of an infidel couple is not dissolved by their jointly joining the faith. If only one of them converts, a separation takes place automatically.²⁰ Apostates are incapacitated from marrying.²¹ If either the father or the mother be Musalman their children become Musalman invariably.²²