How Did Slavery Develop

Slavery has been an ancient institution that likely goes back to periods of the earliest writing if not originating even before. In fact, as an institution, modern forms of slavery, such as people trafficking, still exist, despite slavery being almost universally banned in societies today. We often think of past slavery as being associated with racial beliefs; however, the origins of this institutions do not seem to be associated with race. Slavery at times has been used as a form of punishment or to deal with prisoners of war. The history of this institution has, however, evolved over the millennia.

Early Developments

Slavery probably has its origins as warfare became more established at larger scales between societies. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt likely have some of the earliest evidence of slavery as conflict developed when societies began to compete with each other more frequently. Initially, most slaves may have been women captured from towns or villages during raids or attacks. Later, however, men became valuable as forms of labor in agriculture, while skilled workers were put to work in construction or helping with production of materials. Early depictions indicate that those captured in battles were sometimes shackled. Slavery, in effect, was a form of keeping people as prisoners of war. Such slaves might be released if peace was agreed upon between warring sides. In the Indus, possible slave quarters have even been found between the 3rd and 2nd millennium BCE.

Slavery was practiced in ancient Greece, where most slaves appear to have been war captives. Debt bondage, similar to the Near East and elsewhere could lead to a form of slavery, but this could be a temporary status and one could buy or earn their freedom, which was also true in the ancient Near East. Sparta may have had one of the largest slave systems. While it is hard to say what was legend and what was truth, the so-called Helots were a class of slaves that may have derived from a conquered city (Helos). Subsequent slaves were then called Helots.

In the second millennium BCE, throughout the Near East the trade of slaves developed as another market. We begin to get more information on the prices of slaves, ranging from 20-90 shekels (a form of weight) of silver. This indicates slaves were expensive and probably not commonly owned except by political and religious elites.

Slavery also developed as a form of punishment for individuals who defaulted on debt. As societies became monetized by the 3rd millennium BCE, slavery became a way in which individuals were punished for falling into debt. The issue of debt increasingly became a problem as individuals had to borrow to rent land and property to conduct agriculture. If a bad harvest occurred, then debt was a likely result. In effect, slavery not only reflect the social inequality that had developed to a pronounced level by the 3rd millennium BCE, but it reflects that society had developed a system that punished those who failed to maintain that system even if was not their fault they had gone into debt. People were also born into slavery, as children of slaves.

In New Kingdom Egypt, by the late second millennium BCE, slavery did develop to the point where the excesses of owners was somewhat checked. Laws became established that forbid the over-exploitation of child labor, for instance. Ancient China developed similar laws that protected slaves from over abuse. Slavery in China seems to have developed similarly to other parts in the world where warfare and debt were the leading reasons people became slaves.