10 TheIslamicateContext
Uponcompletingtraining,military
slaves
join
thearmy.
No
support,auxiliary,
or
emergency
roleshere:
they
enrollasfull-
time
professional
soldiers.Theirmaster
gives
themdirectfinan-
cial
support,
so
they
haveno
competing
intereststodistractthem
from
military
service.Militaryslavesperformkeymilitaryduties
and
carryheavy
burdens;
they
serveall
year
round,formelite
corps,supplymany
officers, andrise
quickly
in the
military
hierarchy.
No
listing
oftheiractivitiescanbe
given
here;indif-
fering
circumstances,
they
undertakeevery
conceivable mili-
taryduty.
Unlikeordinaryslaves, theyhabitually
becomethe
mainstay
ofthearmies
they
serve.Andwhereas
ordinary
slaves
belong
to
private
individuals,
military
slaves
belong
toleaders;
sotheformertend
to
fightalongside
theirmasters,whilethe
latterform
largecorps
and
fight
in
separate
slaveunits.
By
virtueoftheir
militarystrength,
thelivesofthese men
differ
remarkably
fromthoseof
ordinary
slaves.Farfrombeing
lowly
domesticsorservile
laborers,theyenjoy
the
respect
and
the
power
ofsoldiers.
Althoughslaves,they
are
part
oftherul-
ing
elite;
they
beararms,haveaccesstotheruler,fill
important
positions,
and
enjoy
theamenitiesofwealthand
power.
Indeed,
they
enjoymanyadvantages
whichmost
free
mencannot
attain
and,asaresult,
theirslave
status
carrieswithit
nostigma.
Onthe
contrary,
itbecomesa
badge
ofdistinction; slavery,
in
an
ex-
traordinary
reversal,
gives
accessto
power
and
social
superiority
whichfreebirth
might
deny.Farfromconsidering
itahumilia-
tion,
freemencovet
thisstatus
andslaves
jealouslyguard
it.
Noneof
this,
of
course,
holdstruefor
ordinary
slaves.
The
power
held
bymilitary
slavesenablesthemto
gain
control
overtheirowndestinies.
Ordinary
slavesbecomefree
only
when
theirmaster
decidestomanumitthem.They
canfleeorrevolt,
buttheseefforts
usuallyfail;
slaverevoltscancause
greatup-
heavals and
bringgovernments
down,but
they
donot
place
slavesin
power
for
long.
Howdifferentthesituationwithmili-
tary
slaves!They
commonly
freethemselvesthroughagradual
shiftinrelationswiththeirmaster.Withtime,
they
evolvefrom
being
hissubordinatesinto
being
an
independentmilitary
force.
This
opportunity
of
acquiringpower
fromwithinis
completely
closedto
ordinary
slaves.