Slavery in Medieval Yemen (January 11, 2020)

2019 Public Seminar “History, Culture, and Society in the Arabian Peninsula,” (14^th session)

　In medieval Yemen, slaves or supposedly emancipated slaves were engaged in manual labor for the rulers, kept as concubines, or held high political and military positions as eunuchs. On the other hand, the historical record also depicts a group of human beings, called slaves, who dwelled together in the coastal areas and were active during periods of regime turmoil. Who were these slaves and what did they do in medieval Yemen?