Slavery is a violent social institution, an inhumane and exploitative practice by humans against humans. Every conscious individual should take a stand against slavery, whether in ancient times or in modern forms, and strive against it. It must be acknowledged that slavery has existed in its own particular style and context in the history of Iran, both in ancient and contemporary periods. While there has always been a discourse attempting to create a general belief in Iranian society that slavery did not exist in this land, for example by mentioning the abolition of slavery in the Cyrus Cylinder, in reality there is no mention of abolishing slavery in any part of his declaration! He never abolished slavery. He only freed the Jewish captives and removed the burden imposed by the Babylonians. This event does not mean that slavery was completely eradicated in the territories under the rule of this empire. It is clear that exploitation of humans was a common practice during the Achaemenid era (during and after the time of Cyrus). Sl

Bonded labor in Iran.

In the research writings of Diodorus Siculus (died in 30 BC), it is mentioned that King Xerxes gave a large number of slaves and expensive utensils as gifts to Themistocles. According to historical documents and inscriptions, during the Achaemenid era, it was common to take a house, a piece of land, or a slave as a hostage (guarantee) in exchange for a loan. This shows that slavery existed in that era. Even during the time of Darius, the use of slaves in production increased significantly and there were many slaves available as labor force. Slaves were officially considered as one of the social classes (in fact, the lowest social class).
After the arrival of Islam in Iranian lands, the civil and legal laws were completely influenced by Islamic jurisprudence. Although the Islamic legal system has its own historical and evolutionary process and has been variable according to geographical and historical conditions and the type of jurisprudence, buying

Slavery in the West and its abolition.

With the discovery of the coasts of Africa and the colonization of North and South America by Europeans in the 15th century, suitable grounds for slavery were provided in the modern era. Portugal, lacking the necessary workforce for agriculture, was the first European country in the modern era to meet its labor needs by importing slaves.

Denmark became the first European country to abolish slavery in 1792. Following this, in 1807, England and then America also abolished slavery. In the Vienna Conference of 1814, England used its influence to force other countries to end slavery. Eventually, almost all European countries passed laws declaring slavery illegal. In 1842, a joint unit of American and English warships was tasked with patrolling the seas to enforce the ban on slavery. Finally, while French slaves were granted freedom in 1848 and Dutch slaves in 1863, slavery was abolished in Brazil with a delay of several years in 1888.

The acceptance of the law against slavery

Final words.

Slavery has existed in Iran and due to its unique geographical, cultural, and economic characteristics, it has been different from what we know in the West. The main root of these differences lies in the level of material development and production tools, and it is clear that the global role of the West with Iran in the late and contemporary era is completely different. Therefore, superficial differences such as the use of slaves do not disrupt the overall reality that can lead to denial of slavery in Iran. In fact, the system of slavery in Iran did not bring slaves to the level of a social class or productive force of society, and most of them remained at the level of domestic use and enjoyment, and after their liberation, they quickly integrated into society. All of this can be explained by the lack of material development in this land, and it is better to conduct serious historical research in this area and shed light on this untold history rather than remain silent and deny it in order to create a better image.

Notes:

1 – Article on Slavery in the Achaemenid Era, Jewish Studies Institute.
2 – Race, Slavery and its Abolition in Iran, Helya Faizipour and Bita Baghouli Zadeh, Meidan Website.
3 – Wikipedia, Entry on the History of Slavery in Iran.