In this important book, Clarence-Smith provides the first general survey of the Islamic debate on slavery. Sweeping away entrenched myths, he hopes to stimulate more research on the neglected topic. He draws on examples from the 'abode of Islam', from the Philippines to Senegal and from the Caucasus to South Africa, paying particular attention for the period from the late eighteenth century to the present. Once slavery had disappeared, it was the Sufi mystics who did most to integrate former slaves socially and religiously, avoiding the deep social divisions that have plagued Western society in the aftermath of abolition.

About the Author
William Clarence-Smith is Professor of the Economic History of Asia and Africa at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and teaches a course Islamic reform in Southeast Asia. He has written widely on slavery, colonialism, entrepreneurial diasporas, and tropical agriculture. He edited 'The Economics of the Indian Ocean Slave Trade in the Nineteenth Century' (1989).

Reviews
'As a historian, Clarence-Smith has certainly made his case. Islam and the Abolition of Slavery is a tour de force.' * Times Literary Supplement *
'Raises the profile of a debate which, for a long time, has been confined to a small group of Orientalists.' -- The Muslim World Book Review
'Islam and the Abolition of Slavery is a tour de force which ranges over the entire Islamic world, from the Hijrah to the present, and for good measure includes comparisons with the attitudes and practice of other major world religions towards the "embarrassing institution".' * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society *
'An impressive survey . . . and objective analysis.' * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *



Book Information
ISBN 9781787383388
Author William Gervase Clarence-Smith
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publisher C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd