Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c6.14

c6.14

But as their numbers grew, they became unmanageable. For example, Caliph al-Mutasims own guard was of 4000 Turks; the number later rose to 70,000 slave mercenaries.²⁴ With time the tyranny, lawlessness and power of the Turks went on increasing.²⁵ The unscrupulous policy of religious persecution followed by the Caliph Mutawakkil was responsible for the alienation of the subject races. His own son entered into a conspiracy with the Turks, which ended in the Caliphs murder in 861. The Caliph Mutadid (892-902) was unable to suppress the power of the Turks. The final decline of the Caliphate set in just after the murder of Muqtadir in 932 C.E. The Turkish soldiers made and murdered Caliphs at their pleasure.²⁶ As the Caliphal empire disintegrated, in the third century of Islam, its provincial governors became independent.²⁷