HIS 1110 Lecture 2: Slavery module
4 Jan 2019
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Document Summary
The emperor ruled a very sophisticated and developed country and the state almost depended on slavery to uphold the state. Different from american models of slavery, but the idea of total autonomy did not exist in. Different types of slaves were given specific roles in the system depending on their features. Very much an affair of the state and its elites. Slaves largely deployed to low-status work and to state service. Very low status; highly restricted status mobility (not merely for slaves) Dug ditches and graves, emptied outhouses, worked in construction, gathering wood. Commoners couldn"t be enslaved unless convicted of a crime where the punishment dictated slavery. Military expansionist campaigns allowed for the capture of thousands of slaves. Focused on dehumanizing slaves - taking away names, taking away their status as a human. Slaves were persons of utility; they all had some sort of use in daily life.
