Slaves & Servants
Realm 81: Mamluks, Eunuchs, and the Chains of Empire
WORLD L — MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
MICRO-REALM 01
The Slave Trade
- Central Asian & African routes.
- Hubs in Kabul and Surat.
- Traded for horses and spices.
- Highly lucrative global network.
MICRO-REALM 02
Domestic Slavery
- Status symbol for nobility.
- Household chores and attendance.
- Better treated than field slaves.
- Often absorbed into families.
MICRO-REALM 03
Concubinage
- Elite harems and zenanas.
- Mothers of future princes.
- Path to immense political power.
- High social mobility for offspring.
MICRO-REALM 04
The Khwajasaras
- Eunuchs guarding the harem.
- Highly trusted administrators.
- Amassed vast personal wealth.
- Kingmakers in later eras.
MICRO-REALM 05
Military Slaves
- The Mamluk system.
- Purchased as young boys.
- Trained in elite warfare.
- Fiercely loyal to masters.
MICRO-REALM 06
The Habshis
- East African/Ethiopian elites.
- Rose to high nobility.
- Malik Ambar of Ahmadnagar.
- Feared naval commanders (Siddis).
MICRO-REALM 07
Artisan Slaves
- Skilled labor in Karkhanas.
- Weavers, smiths, and builders.
- Created imperial luxury goods.
- Valued far higher than laborers.
MICRO-REALM 08
Debt Bondage
- Agrarian debt traps.
- Bound to the land/master.
- Transferred across generations.
- Caste-based rural subjugation.
MICRO-REALM 09
Manumission
- Freeing slaves as charity.
- Act of religious piety.
- Earned merit for the master.
- Gradual assimilation into society.
MICRO-REALM 10
Nature of Servitude
- Distinct from Atlantic chattel slavery.
- High potential for upward mobility.
- Fluid line between servant and slave.
- Complex, integrated social hierarchy.