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Slavery in Iran
The history of slavery in Iran (Persia) during various ancient, medieval, and modern periods is sparsely catalogued. The history of slavery in Iran also overlaps with the history of slavery in Azerbaijan, which was a part of Iran during the time period when legal chattel slavery existed there.
After the introduction of Islam under the Islamic conquest, slavery came to be managed in accordance with Islamic law. It thus came to be similar to slavery in the rest of the Islamic world, including sexual slavery of female slaves in harems guided by enslaved eunuchs, as well as military slavery of male slaves. Slavery was abolished in Iran in 1929.
Slaves are attested in the cuneiform record of the ancient Elamites, a pre-Iranian indigenous people who inhabited Elam (southwestern Iran), including the ancient cities of Anshan and Susa, which were eventually incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire. Because of their participation in cuneiform culture, the Elamites are one of the few pre-Achaemenid civilizations of Iran to leave written attestations of slavery, and details of slavery among the Gutians, Kassites, Medes, Mannaeans, and other preliterate peoples of Bronze Age Iran are largely unrecorded.
Slavery was an existing institution in Egypt, Media and Babylonia before the rise of the Achaemenid Empire.
The most common word used to designate a slave in the Achaemenid was bandaka-, which was also used to express general dependence. In his writing, Darius I uses this word to refer to his satraps and generals. Greek writers of the time expressed that all Persian people were slaves to their king. Other terms used to describe slaves within the empire could also have other meanings; such as "kurtaš" and "māniya-", which could mean hired or indentured workers in some contexts.
Herodotus has mentioned enslavement with regards to rebels of the Lydians who revolted against Achaemenid rule and captured Sardis. He has also mentioned slavery after the rebellion of Egypt in the city of Barce during the time of Cambyses and the assassination of the Persian satrap in Egypt. He also mentions the defeat of Ionians, and their allies Eretria who supported the Ionians and subsequent enslavement of the rebels and supporting population.
Xenophon at his work Anabasis mention slaves in the Persian Empire. For example, he writes about the slaves of Asidates when he is describing a night raid.
Persian aristocrats in Babylonia and other conquered states were major slave owners under the Achaemenid dynasty. These defeated peoples supplied them with a sizable portion of their domestic slaves. Every year, the Babylonians had to provide a tribute of five hundred boys. Information on privately owned slaves is scarce, but there are surviving cuneiform documents from Babylonia and the Persepolis Administrative Archives which record slave sales and contracts.
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Slavery in Iran
The history of slavery in Iran (Persia) during various ancient, medieval, and modern periods is sparsely catalogued. The history of slavery in Iran also overlaps with the history of slavery in Azerbaijan, which was a part of Iran during the time period when legal chattel slavery existed there.
After the introduction of Islam under the Islamic conquest, slavery came to be managed in accordance with Islamic law. It thus came to be similar to slavery in the rest of the Islamic world, including sexual slavery of female slaves in harems guided by enslaved eunuchs, as well as military slavery of male slaves. Slavery was abolished in Iran in 1929.
Slaves are attested in the cuneiform record of the ancient Elamites, a pre-Iranian indigenous people who inhabited Elam (southwestern Iran), including the ancient cities of Anshan and Susa, which were eventually incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire. Because of their participation in cuneiform culture, the Elamites are one of the few pre-Achaemenid civilizations of Iran to leave written attestations of slavery, and details of slavery among the Gutians, Kassites, Medes, Mannaeans, and other preliterate peoples of Bronze Age Iran are largely unrecorded.
Slavery was an existing institution in Egypt, Media and Babylonia before the rise of the Achaemenid Empire.
The most common word used to designate a slave in the Achaemenid was bandaka-, which was also used to express general dependence. In his writing, Darius I uses this word to refer to his satraps and generals. Greek writers of the time expressed that all Persian people were slaves to their king. Other terms used to describe slaves within the empire could also have other meanings; such as "kurtaš" and "māniya-", which could mean hired or indentured workers in some contexts.
Herodotus has mentioned enslavement with regards to rebels of the Lydians who revolted against Achaemenid rule and captured Sardis. He has also mentioned slavery after the rebellion of Egypt in the city of Barce during the time of Cambyses and the assassination of the Persian satrap in Egypt. He also mentions the defeat of Ionians, and their allies Eretria who supported the Ionians and subsequent enslavement of the rebels and supporting population.
Xenophon at his work Anabasis mention slaves in the Persian Empire. For example, he writes about the slaves of Asidates when he is describing a night raid.
Persian aristocrats in Babylonia and other conquered states were major slave owners under the Achaemenid dynasty. These defeated peoples supplied them with a sizable portion of their domestic slaves. Every year, the Babylonians had to provide a tribute of five hundred boys. Information on privately owned slaves is scarce, but there are surviving cuneiform documents from Babylonia and the Persepolis Administrative Archives which record slave sales and contracts.