Skip to content

Booksellers & Trade Customers: Sign up for online bulk buying at trade.atlanticbooks.com for wholesale discounts

Booksellers: Create Account on our B2B Portal for wholesale discounts

Chains of the Desert: The Arab Slave Trade Unveiled: A Millennium of Forced Journeys, Suffering, and Resilience Across Africa and the Arab World

by Matt Morissen
Save 12% Save 12%
Current price ₹2,526.00
Original price ₹2,866.00
Original price ₹2,866.00
Original price ₹2,866.00
(-12%)
₹2,526.00
Current price ₹2,526.00

Imported Edition - Ships in 18-21 Days

Free Shipping in India on orders above Rs. 500

Request Bulk Quantity Quote
+91
Book cover type: Paperback
  • ISBN13: 9798196727665
  • Binding: Paperback
  • Subject: N/A
  • Publisher: Independently Published
  • Publisher Imprint: Independently Published
  • Publication Date:
  • Pages: 332
  • Original Price: GBP 22.04
  • Language: English
  • Edition: N/A
  • Item Weight: 577 grams
  • BISAC Subject(s): Africa / Central

"Chains of the Desert: The Arab Slave Trade Unveiled" by Matt Morissen (2026) offers a comprehensive exploration of the millennium-long history of the Arab slave trade. It aims to illuminate a historical chapter often overshadowed by the transatlantic trade, focusing on its immense scale, human suffering, and enduring legacy across Africa and the Arab world.

  • Origins and Geography: The trade began in antiquity, well before the rise of Islam, utilizing existing trans-Saharan caravan routes and Indian Ocean maritime networks. The Sahara's harsh topography and the Indian Ocean's monsoon cycles were active agents that dictated the rhythm and brutality of these journeys.
  • Mechanisms of Enslavement: Enslavement was driven by violent raids, inter-tribal conflicts, and strategic entrapment. Mobile raiding parties targeted entire communities, leading to grueling forced marches across deserts and overcrowded voyages on maritime dhows.
  • Socio-Political Landscape: The trade was deeply embedded in the economic and political structures of early Islamic caliphates and African empires like Ghana and Mali. It involved a complex web of actors, including Arab merchants, local African rulers who participated for profit, and tribal intermediaries like the Berbers and Tuaregs.
  • Roles and Experiences: Enslaved individuals-men, women, and children-filled diverse roles as domestic servants, concubines, agricultural laborers, and soldiers in major urban centers like Baghdad, Cairo, and Zanzibar.
  • Legal and Religious Context: Islamic law (Sharia) provided a framework for managing slavery, introducing rules for treatment and manumission while often justifying the enslavement of non-Muslims.
  • Legacy and Resilience: Chains of the Desert emphasizes that while the trade was a system of profound dehumanization, it was also marked by human resilience and resistance, most notably the Zanj Uprising. Its legacy continues to influence social hierarchies and identity politics today.

Trusted for over 49 years

Family Owned Company

Secure Payment

All Major Credit Cards/Debit Cards/UPI & More Accepted

New & Authentic Products

India's Largest Distributor

Need Support?

Whatsapp Us