Slavery In Other Countries
The Slave Market, Constantinople, engraving 1842 by C.G. Lewis and W. Giller, after Sir William Allan (1838).
It was not only in the Caribbean that slaves were used within the economy. It was, for example, particularly common in the Ottoman Empire, where it was lawful, and a significant part of, the Empire’s economy and traditional society. About twenty percent of the population in 17th century Constantinople consisted of slaves. Although measures were introduced to ban slavery, the practice continued there until the early 20th century, almost one hundred years after the slave trade was banned by Great Britain.
Lady Elgin, the mother-in-law of the third Laird of Kilgraston and wife of the 7th Earl of Elgin (of the Elgin Marbles), accompanied her husband to Constantinople in 1799. She was horrified by the sight of slaves and pleaded with her husband to arrange for the release of 150 slaves, which he duly did. Lady Elgin wrote to her mother of her delight after receiving the news. The above image of an engraving by Lewis (1842) after the painting by Sir William Allan (1838) shows clearly the activity in the slave market in Constantinople after slavery had been abolished in Jamaica and other British colonies.
The below image is of part of a silver rope which was used to tether a slave in Constantinople around 1800 and which was given to Lady Elgin by the freed slave.
