How old is slavery?


How old is slavery? The history of slavery is a large and untellable story, full of tragedy and cruelty that spans both centuries and continents. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact year that slavery began, historians can trace the roots of this inhumane practice back roughly 11,000 years.


Who had slavery first?

Sumer or Sumeria is still thought to be the birthplace of slavery, which grew out of Sumer into Greece and other parts of ancient Mesopotamia. The Ancient East, specifically China and India, didn't adopt the practice of slavery until much later, as late as the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC.


How long did slavery last in Egypt?

Military slaves were used by Egypt's rulers for ten centuries, from Ahmad Ibn Tulun (r. 868–84) to the late nineteenth century.