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

WhatIsa
MilitarySlave?

9

The

military

slave’s

special

statusbecomesevenmore

pro-

nounced
during

hisfirst

years

in

bondage.

Onarrivalinhisnew

country,

hefacesanumberof

experiences

intendedto

prepare

himfora
military

career.

Clearly,fortheslavetobeusedmost

effectively,

hecannotbeenrolled

directly

in

thearmybuthasto

learnits
ways

and formnew

loyalties.

Thetransition

period

serves

to

changehimfromaself-willed,alien

boy

intoaskilled

and
loyal

soldier.His

capabilities,youth,andisolationcombined

withthe
thoroughness

ofthe

trainingprogram

workto

assure

this

change.

Atthe timewhen

ordinary

slavesare

being

ex-

ploited

fortheir

labor, military

slavesare

being

trained and

educated. These
long years

of

schooling

and reorientation

sharpen

stillfurtherthecontrastbetweenthem.

The

trainingprogram

isthecoreof

militaryslavery.

Toun-

derstandthe
achievements

of

thesesoldiers,wemust

study

their

training,

for this

experience shapes

their entire adult

life.

Whereas untrained slaves
provide

dubious skillsand

loyalty,

only

suitableforlimited

military

functions,trained slavesfill

every position

of

skilland

responsibility.

The

program

lasts

aboutfiveto
eightyears

andhasatwofold

purpose:to

develop

skillsandtoimbue
loyalty.

Skillsare

impartedthroughan

inten-

siveprogramofphysicaland

spiritual

instruction,withrather

more
emphasis

placedontheformer.

Throughgames,contests,

hunts,

andthelike,recruits

exercisecontinuously

in

themartial

arts.

9

The

product

isa

superbly

trainedand

highly

disciplined

soldier.Or,ifassessedas
intellectuallypromising,

aslave

may

be

furthereducatedandpreparedforgovernmentalwork.

Training

hasanother

purpose

too:totransform

the

identity

oftherecruit.He
begins

asa

paganforeigner

with

loyaltyonlyto

hisown
people;by

theendofthetransition

period

heisaMus-

lim,conversantinthemannersofhisnew
country

and

intensely

loyalto

hismasterandfellowslaves.

As

a

result,

military

slaves

habituallyprove

themselvestobetheirmaster’s

mostsolidand

loyaltroops.

9.Details

may

befoundin

H.

Rabie,"The

Training

oftheMamlfikFiris."