Slave Soldiers and Islam_ The Genesis of a Military System - Daniel Pipes

194 Origins

quence

occurred.

(1)

Muslim

subjects

intheFertileCrescentand

Iranhadwithdrawnfrom

public

affairs

by

theendofthe

2d/8th

century,

a

consequence

oftheir

disappointment

withAbbasid

rule

(andpossibly

becauseMuslims

had

become

a

largeportion

ofthepopulation).(2) Someormany

oftheAbbasid

military

supporters

fromKhurasanwere

marginal

area

soldiers.

(3)

The

descendantsofthesesoldiershadgrown

unreliable

by

the190/

810s,asisshownbythe

poor

showthey

madein

fighting

foral-

Amin

against

al-Ma’mfin.A1-Ma’mfin needednewsourcesof

marginal

areasoldiersanda

way

tocontrolthem.

(4)Military

slavery

fulfilledboththeseneeds.

Oncetheinstitutionofmilitaryslavery

hadbeen

established,

it

acquired

amomentumofitsownandbecameavailabletorulers

and

dynasties

withdiverseneeds.

Mainly

it

spread

because

Mus-

limrulers,undertherestrictionofunattainableIslamicideals,

neededsome

way

to

acquire

andcontrol

outsidersoldiersfrom

marginal

areas.

Militaryslaverydevelopedearly

andremaineda

basicinstitutionof
premodern

Islamicate

public

life.

Itdid

not

ariseasaresultofaccidental

featuresofAbbasid

history;

much

lesswas

it

theresultof

al-Ma’mfin’s

personal

decision.Rather,it

cameintoexistenceandtookholdin
response

tofundamental

factsofIslamicatelife.
Militaryslavery

wasaninstitution

implicit

intheIslamicateorder;theAbbasids(andprobablytheSpanish

Umayyadsaswell),

withtheMarwanidmodelbeforethem,re-

sortedtoit

naturally.