SLAVE.
Abd, Abdat, . . ARAB. Servus, . . . . LAT.
Slaaf, RUT. ICSCTS170, . . . . PORT.
Eselave, FR. Nevolnik, . . . Rus.
Sklave, . . . . GER. Eselavo, SP.
Ghulam, . IIIND., PERS. Slaf, Sw.
Das, Dasa, „ , Pullukai, . . . TAg. Sehiavo, . . . . . 'IT. Yessir, . . . . TURK.
Slavery in one fortn o other exibts throughout the East Indies. Among all nations, slavery, with its accompanying horrors, was the lot of a weaker neighbour ; but even in the case of an enemy conquered in battle, it was by the Egyptians sometimes allowed to stand in place of the more triumphant cruelty of slaughter. The Israelites had learned the evils of slavery from having groaned under it themselves, and they forbade it in every possible case. Exodus xxi. 16, He that stealeth a man,' says the law, or selleth a man, or hath one found on his hands, shall be put to death.' Nevertheless, slavery was a recognised condition amongst the Hebrew mces, as may be Dbserved from reading Matthew xviii. 25, where the Lord Jesus illustrated his sermon by the remark that, as Ile had not to pay, his lord com manded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.' Hindi' law recognises 15 kinda of slaves--1. 06 hajitta, the child of a female slave ; 2. Kiita or purchased ; 3. Labillia or gifted ; 4. Dayaditpa gata or inherited ; 5. Anakalabhrita, taken in time of famine ; 6. Ahita, pledged ; 7. Rinadasa, volun tarily a slave in payment of a debt ; 8. Yuddprapta, taken in a war ; 9. Panejita, won in a wager ; 10. Tavava ham, voluntarily ; 11. Pravarajyavasita, an apostate ; 12. Krito, voluntarily for a dine ; 13. Illiaktit-ilasa, a slave for his food ; 14. Varava lulus or Badava-hrita, one who by marrying a female slave becomes a slave ; 15. Atinaui krayi, one who sells himself as a slave.
Muhammadan law recognises only two kinds, viz. infidels made captive in war, and their de scendants. In practice, however, a title to slaves may be acquired by purchase, donation, or inherit ance. Also, according to the principle recognised by these religionists, Kul- Islam hurre ! All Islam is free ! no Muhammadan can legally be allowed to be kept a.s a slave ; but all over Asia there are many slaves of this religion in the posses sion of their co-religionists, either purchased or t ikon in predatory excursions or in war. Mahomed,
even when he sanctions the enslavement of cap tives taken in war, enjoius their surrender on payment of a fair ransom. Show kindness to your slaves,' he says in one place ; in another, he lays down that alma should buy the freedom of slaves ; ' and once, in speaking of the marriage of slaves, lie even says, You all come one' from another and from Adam, the comtnon father.' The 24th chapter of the Koran runs, If any one of your slaves asks from you his freedom, give it him if you judge him worthy of it ; give them a little of the goods which God lia.s granted you.' In what is now British India, during the revolu tions and disturbances preceding the accession of Akbar, the enslaving of the conquered 'soldiery and townsfolk had been carried to a great height. Not only was it practised towards the wives and children of garrisons who stood a storm, but the peaceable inhabitants were also c trried off and sold, till Akbar by an edict (1561) prohibited making slaves of persons taken in war.
Sabaktagin, father of Malimird of Ghazni, was a slave ; so was Kiitub-ud-Din, the conqueror and firat king of Dehli, A.D. 1206, the Slztve dynasty lasting till A.D. 1288.
A writer of the 17th century, when noticing the races of Cochin, says the slave castes, the members of which belong to individual nrtsters, are the Cannekaa, who gather the cocoanuts ; the Bettoa, who make saltpans and collect the salt. These two are the most honourable of the slave castes. The Pulleah, who are again snbdivided into several classes, —the Collamary or smiths, the Weltoe Caren, the Beltoe Pulleah, and the Canna Pulleah, whose occupation is agriculture, sowing, planting, and cutting the Nely, for which they re ceive both from their proprietors and from strangers one sheaf out of every ten they cut. There was then a dispute between the Cannekaa and the Pulleali as to which is the higher caste ; the former main taining that their caste ranks first, whilst the Pulleah averred that they enjoy more privileges, as, for instance, that they may employ barbers, and may wear a fillet on their heads, and A long garment reaching to the knees, which the Can nekaa may not do.