islamic-jihad-legacy-of-forced-conversion-imperialism-slavery

Islamic SlaveryBihar, brought away much plunder and obtained plenty of horses, arms and men (i.e., slaves). 707 InBakhtiyar’s attack of Lakhmansena of Bengal in 1205, records Ibn Asir, ‘his whole treasure, and all hiswives, maid servants, attendants, and women fell into the hands of the invader.’ 708After Aibak settled in Delhi, slaves were not transported overseas anymore like in earlier raids ofSultan Mahmud and Muhammad Ghauri, who used to come from Ghazni. Captives were, thereafter, engagedin various activities of royal courts, and by the generals, nobles and soldiers. The excess of slaves were sold inthe markets of India for the first time in her history.During Sultan Iltutmish to Balban (1210–1285): Next, Sultan Iltutmish (r. 1210–36) spent his early years insuppressing the Turkish opponents. He was also in fear of invasion by Genghis Khan. In 1226, he attackedRanthambhor. Minhaj Siraj records that ‘much plunder fell into the hands of his followers;’ 709 the plunderobviously included slaves. In the 1234–35 attack of Ujjain, he made captives of the ‘women and children ofthe recalcitrant,’ according to Shiraj and Ferishtah. 710After the death of Iltutmish, there was a brief lull in enslavement because of the weakened power ofthe sultans. In 1244, Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud, commanded by Ulugh Khan Balban, attacked the Gukkarrebels of the Jud Mountain in Multan and carried away ‘several thousand Gukkars of all ages and of eachsex,’ records Ferishtah. 711 Ulugh Khan Balban attacked Karra in 1248; there, records Siraj, his ‘taking ofcaptives and his capture of the dependents of the great Ranas (Hindu princes) cannot be counted.’ Inattacking the Rana Dalaki wa Malaki, ‘He took prisoners the wives, sons, and dependents of that accursedone, and secured great booty.’ 712 In 1252, Balban attacked and defeated the great Rana, Jahir Deo, of Malwa;‘many captives fell into the hands of the victors,’ records Siraj. 713In the attack of Ranthambhor in 1253, Balban captured many slaves, while in the attack of Haryanain 1259, many women and children were enslaved. Balban led expeditions twice against Kampil, Patiali andBhojpur enslaving large numbers of women and children each time. In Katehar, he captured the women andchildren after a general massacre of the men above eight years in age, notes Ferishtah. In 1260, Balbanattacked Ranthambhor, Mewat and Siwalik—proclaiming that those who brought a live captive would receivetwo silver tankahs and one tankah for the head of a slain infidel. Soon three to four hundred living personsand heads of the slain were brought to his presence, records Ferishtah. While serving under Sultan Nasiruddin(d. 1266), Balban made many attacks against the infidels, but the number of the captives taken by him are notmentioned. However, a guess can be made from the fact that, slaves were so abundant that Sultan Nasiruddinhad presented author Minhaj Siraj with forty of them for sending to his sister in Khurasan. 714Balban became the sultan in 1265 assuming the title of Ghiyasuddin Balban. As the commander ofthe previous sultan, Balban showed great military prowess, leading numerous expeditions against the infidels.After assuming power, his first job was, as noted already, to exterminate hundreds of thousands of recalcitrantHindu rebels, the Muwattis etc. He ordered to ‘destroy the villages of the marauders, to slay the men, to makeprisoners of the women and children.’ 715707. Ibid, p. 306708. Ibid, p. 308–09709. Ibid, p. 325710. Lal (1994), p. 44–45711. Ferishtah, Vol. I, p. 130712 Elliot & Dawson, Vol. II, p. 348; also Ferishtah, Vol. I, p. 131713 Elliot & Dawson, Vol. II, p. 351714. Lal (1994), p. 46–48715. Elliot & Dawson, Vol. III, p. 105212