Slave raiding
Encyclopedia
Slave raiding is the military practise of performing a raid
for the purpose of capturing people and bring them out of the raid area to serve as slaves. Sometimes seen as a normal part of war
fare it is nowadays widely considered a crime. The practise of slave raiding is known to have occurred since antiquity. Some of the earliest surviving written records of slave raiding are from Sumer
in Iraq
and Mohenjo-Daro
in Pakistan
.
, with the purpose being the taking of the areas' people. The people collected are enslaved. Once turned into slaves, they are often kept in some form of slave pen. From the pen, the slave takers will then move the slaves to some form of transportation such as a ship
or camel caravan
.
Slave raiding was a violent form of economic development
where a resource shortage
was addressed with the acquisition by force of the desired resource, in this case human labor. Other than the element of slavery
being present, such violent seizure of a resource does not differ from similar raids
to gain territory, oil
, food
, water
or any other desired commodity
.
Slave raiding was a large and lucrative trade on the coasts of Africa
, in ancient Europe
, Mesoamerica
and in medieval Asia
. American slavery, the Caribbean
, Central America
and South America
was predicated on a series of European countries endorsing and supporting slave raiding between African tribes to supply the mass quantities of Africans, who later became the workforce of agricultural plantations in the Americas.
The many alternative methods of obtaining human beings to work in indentured or other involuntary conditions
, as well as cultural changes have reduced the need for slave raiding and it is no longer widely practiced. An exception to this takes place on the governmental level, such as in some South American countries where state-sanctioned captivity of indentured workers still occurs.
Raid (military)
Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...
for the purpose of capturing people and bring them out of the raid area to serve as slaves. Sometimes seen as a normal part of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare it is nowadays widely considered a crime. The practise of slave raiding is known to have occurred since antiquity. Some of the earliest surviving written records of slave raiding are from Sumer
Sumer
Sumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Mohenjo-Daro
Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro is an archeological site situated in what is now the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, and one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Overview
The act of slave raiding involves an organized and concerted attack on a settlement or regionRegion
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
, with the purpose being the taking of the areas' people. The people collected are enslaved. Once turned into slaves, they are often kept in some form of slave pen. From the pen, the slave takers will then move the slaves to some form of transportation such as a ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
or camel caravan
Camel train
A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. Although they rarely travelled faster than the walking speed of a man, camels' ability to handle harsh conditions made camel trains a vital part of...
.
Slave raiding was a violent form of economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
where a resource shortage
Economic shortage
Economic shortage is a term describing a disparity between the amount demanded for a product or service and the amount supplied in a market. Specifically, a shortage occurs when there is excess demand; therefore, it is the opposite of a surplus....
was addressed with the acquisition by force of the desired resource, in this case human labor. Other than the element of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
being present, such violent seizure of a resource does not differ from similar raids
Raid (military)
Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...
to gain territory, oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
or any other desired commodity
Commodity
In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....
.
Slave raiding was a large and lucrative trade on the coasts of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, in ancient Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
and in medieval Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. American slavery, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
was predicated on a series of European countries endorsing and supporting slave raiding between African tribes to supply the mass quantities of Africans, who later became the workforce of agricultural plantations in the Americas.
The many alternative methods of obtaining human beings to work in indentured or other involuntary conditions
Unfree labour
Unfree labour includes all forms of slavery as well as all other related institutions .-Payment for unfree labour:If payment occurs, it may be in one or more of the following forms:...
, as well as cultural changes have reduced the need for slave raiding and it is no longer widely practiced. An exception to this takes place on the governmental level, such as in some South American countries where state-sanctioned captivity of indentured workers still occurs.