Introduction
-
Janel M. Fontaine
Abstract
The introduction draws attention to the study of slave trading and its importance as a phenomenon separate from the institution of slavery. It also outlines the objectives of the book, the sources and ideas around which it is constructed, and the contribution of a comparative study over a long chronology. Because slaving activities were linked to demand both within a society and outside it, they could operate on very different terms from those of slavery as a local legal or social institution. External demand could dictate the scale and targets of enslavement; an increase in slave raiding need not indicate a local increase in demand, and nor does the movement away from slave labour need to correlate with the end of slave trading. It is therefore imperative that we understand how early medieval slaving functioned in its own right, and not only as a facet of slave-holding practices. A second section outlines the place of this work relative to other studies of historical enslavement and slave trading, especially what has been undertaken regarding the early Middle Ages. It discusses the ways in which significant conclusions are presented in case studies and how broader historiographical trends, namely Marxist theory and ideas of Christian amelioration, have skewed our perspective of slave trading in medieval Europe. A further section on methodology highlights the predominant types of sources used, both textual and archaeological, and some of the major problems and limitations inherent in them.
Abstract
The introduction draws attention to the study of slave trading and its importance as a phenomenon separate from the institution of slavery. It also outlines the objectives of the book, the sources and ideas around which it is constructed, and the contribution of a comparative study over a long chronology. Because slaving activities were linked to demand both within a society and outside it, they could operate on very different terms from those of slavery as a local legal or social institution. External demand could dictate the scale and targets of enslavement; an increase in slave raiding need not indicate a local increase in demand, and nor does the movement away from slave labour need to correlate with the end of slave trading. It is therefore imperative that we understand how early medieval slaving functioned in its own right, and not only as a facet of slave-holding practices. A second section outlines the place of this work relative to other studies of historical enslavement and slave trading, especially what has been undertaken regarding the early Middle Ages. It discusses the ways in which significant conclusions are presented in case studies and how broader historiographical trends, namely Marxist theory and ideas of Christian amelioration, have skewed our perspective of slave trading in medieval Europe. A further section on methodology highlights the predominant types of sources used, both textual and archaeological, and some of the major problems and limitations inherent in them.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vi
- List of abbreviations vii
- Maps ix
- Introduction 1
- I The economics of slave trading 17
- 1 Slavery within the slaving zones 19
- 2 External demand 46
- 3 Making slaves 75
- II Logistics and strategies of slaving 103
- 4 Warfare and enslavement 105
- 5 Small-scale slave trading 143
- 6 High-demand systems 165
- 7 Slaving and power 201
- Epilogue 230
- Bibliography 243
- Index 273
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vi
- List of abbreviations vii
- Maps ix
- Introduction 1
- I The economics of slave trading 17
- 1 Slavery within the slaving zones 19
- 2 External demand 46
- 3 Making slaves 75
- II Logistics and strategies of slaving 103
- 4 Warfare and enslavement 105
- 5 Small-scale slave trading 143
- 6 High-demand systems 165
- 7 Slaving and power 201
- Epilogue 230
- Bibliography 243
- Index 273
