Kevinmeath
Ad Honoris
- May 2011
- 14,069
- Navan, Ireland
Just returned from holiday and it included a visit to the 'pitiless hell' for book lovers -- Hay-on-Wye.
Why is a picturesque small town in the Welsh borders so bad? well its a book town full of second hand book shops, I managed to keep my nerves and wallet in control and to keep it down to only half a dozen purchases.
The one I am reading at the moment is below (princely sum of £2.50 and in perfect condition)
Its not a episode in history I knew about much and its an excellent read. Even after the West African slave trade was effectively stopped or limited it continued for a long time in East Africa-- mainly for slaves for the Middle East and run by Arabs and Indians.
One interesting factor (which I have come across before in reading about 'White' slavery in North Africa) is the claim (repeated on this site at times) that 'Arab' or Muslim slavery was not as bad as that in the Americas and I think that there is some merit in the claim.
Muslim slaves were often treated as a member of the household and did have opportunities to advance an even prosper, it reminds me of Roman slavery.
However ,as in Rome, if you were sent to 'industrial' activities such as the quarries then your life was not good and matched that of slaves in the Americas.
There was also the creation of eunuchs for which there was a large demand.
It also ignores that African slaves were taken in a most brutal way and there transport to places such as Zanzibar was every bit as horrific as the Atlantic trade.
The book is about John Kirk a British (Scottish) doctor/explorer/botanist and how he is instrumental in finally stopping the vile trade as Britsih consul in Zanzibar (after years of ignoring the problem by the British and in particular the 'Indian' governments).
He is the doctor and vice consul for years before being appointed consul and does nothing to stop the trade -- he see successive consuls come and go (often they die through disease a very unhealthy place for Europeans) some tried to stop the trade but they have no support from India (the Indian office is responsible for the area) who have not interest in disturbing local 'custom' and trade and London is a long way away.
Kirk just watches and learns, his philosophy was that unless you understand a condition and how to cure it (he is a doctor) don't interfere, unless your actions will actually have an impact don't waste your time and energy-- you might just make the problem worse.
This is neatly illustrated in his early travels with Livingstone -- missionaries arrive to 'help' the local people (well meaning but naïve people) and befriend a local tribe. Their new friends are attacked by another tribe looking for slaves -- with 'missionary zeal' they leap to the defence of their 'friends' and being armed with rifles defeat their 'enemy'. However they are in a situation they don't understand (their 'friends take prisoners and guess what they do? sell them to slavers) they get drawn into tribal conflicts they don't understand and become just another 'gang'.
When Kirk is appointed consul with orders to stop the trade he is an expert on the region and its trade-- where the slaves come from and who takes them etc eventually he succeeds in stopping the trade (I presume as I haven't finished it yet).
John Kirk deserves to be better known and its a good story in a well written book.
Two reviews.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2011/07/witness-for-the-prosecution/
https://broadsidesdotme.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/the-incredible-story-of-john-kirk-the-man-who-ended-the-east-african-slave-trade/
Why is a picturesque small town in the Welsh borders so bad? well its a book town full of second hand book shops, I managed to keep my nerves and wallet in control and to keep it down to only half a dozen purchases.
The one I am reading at the moment is below (princely sum of £2.50 and in perfect condition)
Its not a episode in history I knew about much and its an excellent read. Even after the West African slave trade was effectively stopped or limited it continued for a long time in East Africa-- mainly for slaves for the Middle East and run by Arabs and Indians.
One interesting factor (which I have come across before in reading about 'White' slavery in North Africa) is the claim (repeated on this site at times) that 'Arab' or Muslim slavery was not as bad as that in the Americas and I think that there is some merit in the claim.
Muslim slaves were often treated as a member of the household and did have opportunities to advance an even prosper, it reminds me of Roman slavery.
However ,as in Rome, if you were sent to 'industrial' activities such as the quarries then your life was not good and matched that of slaves in the Americas.
There was also the creation of eunuchs for which there was a large demand.
It also ignores that African slaves were taken in a most brutal way and there transport to places such as Zanzibar was every bit as horrific as the Atlantic trade.
The book is about John Kirk a British (Scottish) doctor/explorer/botanist and how he is instrumental in finally stopping the vile trade as Britsih consul in Zanzibar (after years of ignoring the problem by the British and in particular the 'Indian' governments).
He is the doctor and vice consul for years before being appointed consul and does nothing to stop the trade -- he see successive consuls come and go (often they die through disease a very unhealthy place for Europeans) some tried to stop the trade but they have no support from India (the Indian office is responsible for the area) who have not interest in disturbing local 'custom' and trade and London is a long way away.
Kirk just watches and learns, his philosophy was that unless you understand a condition and how to cure it (he is a doctor) don't interfere, unless your actions will actually have an impact don't waste your time and energy-- you might just make the problem worse.
This is neatly illustrated in his early travels with Livingstone -- missionaries arrive to 'help' the local people (well meaning but naïve people) and befriend a local tribe. Their new friends are attacked by another tribe looking for slaves -- with 'missionary zeal' they leap to the defence of their 'friends' and being armed with rifles defeat their 'enemy'. However they are in a situation they don't understand (their 'friends take prisoners and guess what they do? sell them to slavers) they get drawn into tribal conflicts they don't understand and become just another 'gang'.
When Kirk is appointed consul with orders to stop the trade he is an expert on the region and its trade-- where the slaves come from and who takes them etc eventually he succeeds in stopping the trade (I presume as I haven't finished it yet).
John Kirk deserves to be better known and its a good story in a well written book.
Two reviews.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2011/07/witness-for-the-prosecution/
https://broadsidesdotme.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/the-incredible-story-of-john-kirk-the-man-who-ended-the-east-african-slave-trade/
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