Tracing The Maritime Slave Trade in The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: The Intersection of Islamic Principles and The Socioeconomic and Political Practices in Yemen’s Rasulid Dynasty (1229-1454 C.E.)

Mahnoor Zaman — 2024-11-04

This paper explores how the institution of maritime slavery in Yemen’s Rasulid Dynasty (1229-1454 C.E.) was intricately embedded within the region's socioeconomic and political fabric. It was driven and justified by Islamic principles. Yemen’s strategic geographical position allowed the Rasulid government to establish robust trade links with Egypt, Ethiopia, and India. Most enslaved individuals were taken from these regions and brought to Yemen via the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

While Islamic principles were firmly established in guiding practices of manumission and the ethical treatment of slaves, this paper also engages with more contentious issues surrounding race, concubinage, and castration. Despite certain prohibitions within the Islamic moral framework, practices including concubinage and the castration of eunuchs were upheld. Islamic principles also influenced a more fluid and nuanced relationship between race and local social hierarchies, blending religion with prevailing cultural norms.

Furthermore, through an analysis of the establishment of the Rasulid government and their taxation systems, the paper examines the dynasty’s administrative complexity. Ultimately, it explains how the enforcement of Islamic guidelines were closely aligned with the dynasty’s trade-driven ambitions, positioning Islam as both a regulatory framework and a legitimizing tool.

Indian Ocean World Centre Working Paper Series

Tracing The Maritime Slave Trade in The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: The Intersection of Islamic Principles and The Socioeconomic and Political Practices in Yemen’s Rasulid Dynasty (1229-1454 C.E.)