Quoted By:
—Trivia: Slavery—
The slave-auditing companies is a work of fiction - but it is something I extrapolated from reality, Thai history in particular.
>History of slavery & serfs
The earliest records of slavery points to Ayuttaya period [1351 - 1767]. Before that period only existed “Phrai” - serfs, which are essentially speaking. They owned land and must answer to a lord, who is either a nobleman or the monarch himself, and had to be tattooed to be designated as such - to not do so put them outside the law’s protection. While they serve the government through labor for a time (6 months - with one month intervals, although in later periods it was shortened), they do have the option to pay a monetary fee or send goods instead should travel prove impractical.
These existed alongside slaves right until 1905, during the reign of Rama V - when household slaves* were immediately considered freemen and other types of slaves were considered free when they reached 21 years of age. Phrai were relieved of governmental and military duties, as it was interfering with the economy, and military conscription was formed.
This was a gradual process - Thai society during the reign of Rama III (1788-1851) had one-third of its entire population as slaves: to let them - all - go immediately would be infeasible. Several edicts, such as the aforementioned freedom at age 21 in 1868, and the lowering the price needed to buy slaves out of slavery in 1874, were implemented over the course of several decades.
>Types of slaves
There are seven types. They all have a price - and if paid to the slavemaster, they can be freed, with the exception of household slaves.
-Debt slaves-
These are the most common: people who sold themselves - or were sold to slavery by their parents or husbands - due to the inability to support themselves or their family financially.
-“born-in-household” slaves-
Household slaves are people who are born from a slave: these are the only type who remain a slave for their entire life.
-Inherited slaves-
Slaves whose original master have since died but were passed to another.
-Given slaves-
Slaves given from one to another.
-Slaves saved from punishment-
People who commited a crime but were unable to pay a fine / compensation - and a slavemaster stepped in to pay it instead.
-Slaves saved from poverty-
People who sold themselves to a slavermaster during famine / economic crisis.
-[war] hostage slaves-
The wording is a little ambiguous in the sources I’ve read: it states “The victorious side would take the people of the losing side as slaves…”
I’m not sure if this means Prisoners Of War or this includes civilians too. I suspect it’s a little similar to how in medieval Europe it was better to capture a nobleman and ransom him for money than to kill him outright.
(Picture depicting the slaves is taken during Rama V’s reign)
