Speaking with their own voices

This book presents an analysis of the slavery and manumission practiced in the Persian Gulf region in the first half of the 20th century. It is unique as it exposes the life stories of several hundred slaves, speaking with their own voices. A striking aspect of the majority of studies on slavery is that they provide the reader with excellent statistics and describe the mechanism of enslavement, the routes of slave trading, and the economic and social conditions of enslaved people, but slaves themselves generally remain anonymous. The premise of this book is to give voice directly to the slaves by presenting in full-length their statements made at the British Agencies in Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Sharjah, and Bushire. Altogether around 1,000 statements were made by slaves asking for manumission certificates, and the analysis of these statements sheds light on various aspects of social, economic and political life on the Arabian shore of the Gulf. This analysis provides the answers to some fundamental questions in understanding the history of Arab Gulf societies, and, in particular, the role of slave labor in the pearl industry, the nature of slavery on the Arabian shore, and the conformity of social practices with religious norms concerning slavery. Given that it uncovers new aspects of the every-day life of the Arabian Peninsula, this book will also be of help to people of this region who are looking for their roots.