Red Sea slave trade

The Red Sea slave trade, sometimes known as the Islamic slave trade, or Oriental slave trade, was a slave trade across the Red Sea trafficking Africans from Sub-Saharan Africa in the African continent to slavery in the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East from antiquity until the mid-20th century.

The Red Sea slave trade is known as one of the longest enduring slave trades in the world, as it is known to have existed from Ancient times until the 1960s, when slavery in Saudi Arabia and Yemen were finally abolished. When other slave trade routes were stopped, the Red Sea slave trade became internationally known as a slave trade center during the interwar period. After World War II, growing international pressure eventually resulted in its final official stop in the mid 20th-century.

The Red Sea, the Sahara, and the Indian Ocean were the three main routes by which East African slaves were transported to the Muslim world.

Overview history

The slave trade across the Red Sea from Africa to Arabia has very old roots. Even before Islam, people from Ethiopia were brought as slaves across the Red Sea to places like Arabia and Yemen starting from around the year 1 AD.

In the 9th century, slaves were moved from the Red Sea to cities such as Jeddah, Mecca, and Medina, and then by caravan to Baghdad and other areas. The trade continued for many centuries and was observed by Western travelers.

After World War I, the area on the east coast of the Red Sea became the Kingdom of Hejaz, which did not follow rules against slavery made by earlier governments. During the years between the two World Wars, this area became well-known for continuing the slave trade.

Supply sources and routes

The Red Sea slave trade mainly supplied slaves from Africa. Slaves were taken across the Red Sea directly from mainland Africa or through routes connected to the Indian Ocean. Most of the slaves came from Africa, but some were from Asia through the Indian Ocean.

East Africa was an important source of slaves for the Arabian Peninsula since the Middle Ages. Slaves were sent to places like Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. In the 12th century, a person named Muhammad al-Idrisi took African children from what is now Kenya to Arabia.

From Ethiopia and South Sudan, mainly young people and children were taken to Hejaz (a region in Saudi Arabia). They were often told they would have a better life. The slaves were then shipped across the Red Sea to places like Jeddah.

India also sent some slaves to the Arabian Peninsula, though fewer than Africa.

Slaves were also taken from Madagascar and nearby islands in the Indian Ocean. After Arab traders took control of areas like Zanzibar, many slaves were sent to the Red Sea each year.

One major route for slaves was connected to the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Sometimes, people were tricked into traveling for the Hajj but were then sold as slaves instead. This happened to many people from different parts of the world. Efforts to stop this trade began in the 1920s and continued into the 1950s.

Main article: slavery in Sudan

Main articles: Ad Hoc Committee on Slavery, Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery

Activism against the slave trade

Before World War II

Rules against slavery in the Ottoman Empire were not always followed, especially in a region called Hejaz. Efforts to stop the trade across the Red Sea began in 1857 but did not include Hejaz. In 1880, an agreement tried to ban the trade, but it was still not enforced in many areas.

The British tried to stop the trade by watching the Red Sea. They were allowed to search ships suspected of carrying people for forced work. However, traders would trick authorities by claiming the people were family members or pilgrims, making it hard to stop the trade.

After World War II

After World War II, more people around the world said slavery was wrong. In 1948, the United Nations said slavery was a crime. Groups worked to end slavery in places like Saudi Arabia, but it took many years. Some countries did not want to get involved to keep good relationships with others. It was not until much later that laws were finally put in place to end these practices.

Abolition

When President John F. Kennedy became leader, many people were concerned about unfair treatment in Saudi Arabia, a country that worked closely with the United States. This concern hurt the relationship between the two countries. Kennedy encouraged Saudi leaders to make changes if they wanted help from the United States during the Yemeni Civil War. He also wanted to support international efforts to end unfair treatment.

In 1962, Saudi Arabia officially ended unfair treatment. The same year, Yemen also stopped it, followed by Dubai in 1963 and Oman in 1970. Even after these changes, some unfair treatment continued secretly until the 1980s. Reports from 1971 and 1982 described people still being taken unfairly across the Red Sea and sold. Later, unfair treatment seemed to change into a different system called the kafala system.

Legacy

The Red Sea slave trade had lasting effects on some communities in Africa. Studies show that women from groups affected by this trade are more likely today to face certain harmful traditions. Sadly, many women were taken and treated unfairly during this time, which led to lasting impacts on their lives and communities.

Depictions in media and fiction

One story about the Red Sea is called The Red Sea Sharks.