HowMilitarySlaveryFirstOccurred 171
Muslimsoutsidethetribalnetworkwho
occupiedpositions
of
lowsocialstatus;all
experienced
dislocationandrelied
heavily
ontheir
patrons
foraccess
tothe
goodthings
inlife.
Despite
legaldifferences,fighting
mawlasofboth
types
hada
disjointed
andvulnerable
standing;they
had
givenup
tiestothesubject
population
without
acquiring
firmnewonesto
the
rulingcircles.
Lacking
an
independent
powerbase,
mawlas
dependedheavily
ontheirwarrior
patrons;
thebest
way
towinfavorwas
through
faithfulserviceinwar.
Thataslavemawlalosthisties tohisown
people
andhad
nonetothe
Arabians
except
through
his
patronrequires
noex-
planation,
sincethisalmost
alwayshappens
in
slavery.
But
why
wasitalsothecaseforfreemawlas?Because
theyvoluntarily
gaveup
their
independence
inreturnfor
specified
socialand
economicbenefits.Freemawlaswere
usuallypersons
fromthe
mosthumblesocial
origins
whohad
nothing
tolosewhen
they
wentovertoIslam.
52
They
foundthatmereconversioninitself
brought
themlittle;inordertogain
fromthis
act,
mawlashad
to
enter
military
service.Byattaching
themselves
to
the
society
of
therulers,indeed,they
hadmuch
togain.
Howeverlowtheir
position
within that
society, becoming
mawla to anArabian
soldier offered the
only
route of
escape
from the subject
population.
Free mawlas
gained
the
followingby entering
thecliental
relations
withanArabian:inreturnfor
givingupcommunity,
religion,
and
independence
ofaction,
they
madetheenormous
leap
from
subject
and
taxpayer
tosoldierand
tax-recipient.
3
Howeverfraught
with
risks,military
serviceofferedthe
only
path
foranon-Arabiantosharein
anyway
thebenefits
enjoyed
by
the
ruling
elite.
Thoughtheynormally
receivedless
pay
than
Arabians
54
and hadalmostno
independent
voicein
establishing
policy,
mawlasstill
gained
byjoiningthearmy.
The
freemawlaenteredservice
voluntarily,
butonce
in,
his
commitmentbecameirreversible; after
casting
hislotwithan
Arabian,hecouldnot
go
backonhisconversionnorabandonhis
52.Bulliet,
p.
41.
53.
Crone,
p.
102.
54.Forsomereferenceson
this,
see
Dixon,p.
48 n.
115;al-eAli,at-Tanzrrndt,
p.
66 n.2;Abfi
eUbayd,pp.
311,314.