Ransoming Prisoners in Precolonial Muslim Western Africa

This study examines African debates on captivity, legal and illegal enslavement, and religious and ethnic identity in the era of West African jihads, focusing on the nineteenth-century jihad era and the Sokoto Caliphate and the Umarian States. It explores Muslim West African answers to questions about slavery, freedom, and religious and ethnic identity through an examination of intellectual debates, policies, and practices of ransoming captives.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2023
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

This groundbreaking study, the first to explore the phenomenon of ransoming, or the release of a prisoner before enslavement for cash or kind, in African regions south of the Sahara, delves into a vast temporal and geographical expanse spanning from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, including present-day Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Morocco. Focusing particularly on the nineteenth-century jihad era and the Sokoto Caliphate and the Umarian States, the work sheds light on a period of profound intellectual deliberation over crucial questions such as the definition of a Muslim, the application of Islamic law, the rights and protections afforded to freeborn Muslims, and the role of governments in safeguarding those rights, particularly in a time when slavery was legal.

Ransoming discourses and procedures provide a valuable lens through which to examine Muslim West African responses to these issues, as well as offering insights into broader themes surrounding slavery, freedom, and religious and ethnic identity. Drawing upon extensive research conducted primarily in Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and France, as well as Arabic, French, and English-language archival sources, treatises, personal correspondence, oral sources and testimony, biographical data, travel reports, and early colonial documents, this study approaches the question of ransoming captives through a multi-faceted examination.

Firstly, it delves into the intellectual debates among pre-nineteenth-century West African scholars on the topic of ransoming. By examining their writings and discussions, the study sheds light on the various perspectives and interpretations held by these scholars regarding the practice of ransoming and its implications for the Muslim community.

Secondly, the study analyzes nineteenth-century policies that were shaped by these intellectual debates within the context of the jihads. It explores how the understanding of ransoming as a means of preserving religious and social harmony influenced the policies of the caliphates and states, particularly in their interactions with non-Muslim communities.

Lastly, the study examines West African practices of ransoming in the nineteenth century. By examining the accounts of individuals, communities, and historical sources, the study sheds light on the various forms, mechanisms, and contexts in which ransoming occurred, as well as the cultural, social, and economic implications of this practice.

Through its comprehensive analysis, this study contributes to our understanding of the complex and multifaceted history of ransoming in West Africa, providing valuable insights into the intellectual, political, and social dynamics of the region during the jihad era. It also highlights the enduring significance of ransoming as a practice and a symbol of resistance and resilience in the face of adversity.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781648250644