Figure 1.--The Al-Akhdam is a social group in Yemen, distinguished by its African features. They are considered to be at the very bottom of the societal ladder. The exact origins of Al-Akhdam are uncertain. One popular tradition says that they are descendants of people who accompanied the Abyssinian army during an occupation in the pre-Islamic period. However their name probably comes from khadem, that in Arabic means servant. That could suggest that they could be descendants of African slaves sold and bought for centuries in Yemen. The photo shows a young boy in front of his home in Amran.

Yemen because of its location between the Middle East and Africa and at the juncture between the Arabian Sea abnd Red Sea was an important cog in both ancient trade routes and the Indian Ocean slave trade. We know that trade was well developed in antiquity and Yemen was perfectly positiioned to play an importnt role in that trade. Slavery and the slave trade pre-dated the Islamic era, but little information is available. We know there were African slaves in Ancient Rome, but we are not entirely sure of the source. As they were often called Numbians, the modern Sudan shipped up the Nile was probably the primarily source. More information becomes available, although there is still little is known about the early Islamic period. The earliest available Arab sources report commerce across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The slave trade at this tome seems to have been localized with slaves flowing from Abyssinia (Ethiopia to Yemen and Arabia. It is dificult to quantify the volume. There is not alarge African ethnic presense in Yeman and Aabia, but the castration of males may have been a factor here. And DNA stidies report important African traces. Arab sources report annual caeavans from Mecca. [Mujr] Thios refers to the 7th cehntury, but the Caravans in Mohammed's time would have surely been a contunuation of commerce established in antiquity. Of course one of those Arab traders was Mohammed's grandfather Abdal Muttalib. This trade which included African slaves led to the emergence of Mecca and Medina as well as other places in Araabia as important trading centers and Ethiopian communities. The best known individual to history is Bilal, who was Mohammed's muezzin. It was Bilal who called the first Muslims to prayer. Mohammed called him, 'the first fruit of Abyssinia'. The crossing from Africa to Arabia would have occurred at Yemen. More ingormation becomes available as time progresses. Arab sources report a sizeable trade which included leopard skins, anber, and slaves.

Ancient World

Slavery has pre-Islamic roots in Yemen, a country pace astride imoortang trade routes between Africa and Arabia and on to the wider world. There are records of slaveryu dating to the 1st century BC, but also certainly predates this. Yemen played a role in the African slave trade. Geography was a part of this. Yemen is separated from the Horn of Africa by only a few kilomwters. Yemen because of its location between the Middle East and Africa and at the juncture between the Arabian Sea abnd Red Sea was an important cog in both ancient trade routes and the Indian Ocean slave trade. We know that trade was well developed in antiquity and Yemen was perfectly positiioned to play an importnt role in that trade. Little information is available. We know there were African slaves in Ancient Rome, but we are not entirely sure of the source. As they were often called Numbians, the modern Sudan shipped up the Nile was probably the primarily source.

Islamic Era

More information becomes available during the Islamic era, although there is still little is known about the early Islamic period. The earliest available Arab sources report commerce across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The slave trade at this tome seems to have been localized with slaves flowing from Abyssinia (Ethiopia to Yemen and Arabia. It is dificult to quantify the volume. There is not alarge African ethnic presense in Yeman and Aabia, but the castration of males may have been a factor here. And DNA stidies report important African traces. Arab sources report annual caeavans from Mecca. [Mujr] This refers to the 7th cehntury, but the Caravans in Mohammed's time would have surely been a contunuation of commerce established in antiquity. Of course one of those Arab traders was Mohammed's grandfather Abdal Muttalib. This trade which included African slaves led to the emergence of Mecca and Medina as well as other places in Araabia as important trading centers and Ethiopian communities. The best known individual to history is Bilal, who was Mohammed's muezzin. It was Bilal who called the first Muslims to prayer. Mohammed called him, 'the first fruit of Abyssinia'. The crossing from Africa to Arabia would have occurred at Yemen. More information becomes available as time progresses. Arab sources report a sizeable trade which included leopard skins, amber, and slaves. There are several Arab reports of slave ships from Africa to Yemen, many od who were transported to Middle Eastern markets. We note reports from the 10th century. the Arab author Ibn Hawqal describes the ruler of 'Yaman' received slaves, as well as amber and leopard skins, from the chief of the Dahlak islands off the coast from Massawa (976-77). These slaves were reported to number about a thousand, half of them Abyssinian and Nubian women. Another Arab at about the sanme time also describes slave trading. Al Maqrizi describes Abyssinian slaves as among the principal imports, much further south, at the great Arab trading center of Aden (985). An Abyssinian slave named Najah, who had been purchased by another ruler of Yemen, seized power to the north, at Zabid (1021). He waa among 5,000 Abyssinian spearmen. A subsequent Yemeni ruler is said to have sent traders across the Red Sea to the purchase 20,000 more slaves. There were importnt slave markets in Yemen during the medieval era. Yemen involvement in the African slave trade was not affected by any domestic abolitionist movement. As in other Muslim countries no such movement developed.

Ending the Indian Ocean Slave Trade

Only the intervention of the British Royal Navy ended the African slave trade and Yemen's participation in it (19th century). he Indian Ocean slave trade was as in the Atlantic, primarily ended by British diplomats and the Royal Navy. This was primarily the result of the British abolition movement which grew out of the Chriustian churches. Unlike Christianity there was no abolitionist movement which developed out of Islam in Arab or other Muslim countries. In fact, slavery continued in Muslim, mostly Arab contries, into the 20th century. From a very early point, the British realized that the key to ending the Indian Ocean slave trade was Zanzibar. Unlike the Atlantic slave trade which was conducted along the lengthy African coast, a very large part of the Indian Ocean slave trade was conducted through Zanzibar. This gave the British who could use the powerful Royal Navy a great advantage. Zanzibar becamne important because it was an island. Thus the Arabs could easily defend it. Trading outposts on the mainland were vulnerable to African attacks. While the island location was realatively safe from Africam attack, it was particularly vulnerable to the Royal Navy. Thus British diplomats were able to exert considerable influence in Zanzibar. The first diplomatic success was the Moresby Treaty (1822). From that first success, the British gradually pressed the Sultan of Zanzibar for more restriuctions. Royal Navy patrols at sea also pressed the Sultan and slave traders. It was, however, not tell the Scramble for Africa and the European colonization of Africa that the Indian Ocean slave trade was finally ended.

Modern Yemen

Slavery was officially banned in Yemen (1962). The laws, however, are not strictly enforced, largely because many Yemenis believe that the Holy Koran allows slavery, especially for non-Muslims. Slavery continues to be a problem in Yemen, as with other traditional Muslim countries. This is in part because of the importance of the Holy Koran and Islam in Yemeni society. there is no Koranic condemnation of slavery and slavery is presented as an accepted practice throughout the Koran. Slavery and child labor often little different than slavery coninues to be a serious problem in Yemen. There are believed to be about 0.4 million child laborers in Yemen. Most experience various degrees of abuse and harassment, including sexual exploitation. UNICEF is concerned and is working to address the problem of child trafficking in Yemen. [Willems] Yemen has been identified as country where the trafficking of women takes place. This includes both Yemeni women sold domestically as well as women belireved to be sold in Saudi Arabia. There are also reports of women from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia being sold in Yemen. [U.S. State Department] Yemeni girls fleeing arranged and forced marriages or abusive families often wind up in the clutches of traffikers. Often these girls can not go to authorities who would return threm to their families. Poor and orphaned boys are sometimes sold for forced begging, forced unskilled labor, or street vending. Yemeni children are reportedly trafficked into Saudi Arabia or the larger cities (mostly Aden and Sana'a) here they are forced to beg and turn over their earnings to their owners. This appears to involve boys from about 7-16 years of age. Saada is one of the closest main Yemeni cities to Saudi Arabia and is one of the hubs of the child trafficking. [Willems]

sources

Mujr, William. Life of Mahomet (1861).

U.S. State Department.

Willems, Peter. "Rude awakening," Yemen Times (May 17-19, 2004).

Created: 12:08 AM 11/11/2013
Last updated: 12:08 AM 11/11/2013