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Mauritania
Index
Black Maures distinguish themselves from "black Africans" to
emphasize their cultural affinities with white Maures and their
cultural distance from sub-Saharan Africa. In most cases, their
forebears were incorporated into Maure society as slaves. Maure
society continued to accept the institution of slavery even after
independence in 1960, but it customarily distinguished among
three types of servile status: full slaves, part-slaves, and
former slaves now freed, called harratin (sing.,
hartani--see Glossary).
Conditions of servitude varied
from benevolent to callous and cruel. White Maures had full
rights over their slaves, including the right to sell or relocate
them. Slaves sometimes earned or were granted their freedom.
Slavery has been outlawed several times, most recently in
1980
(see The Haidalla Regime
, ch. 1). The term for slave,
abd, was officially replaced with the term for freedman,
hartani, but black Maures continued to be considered a
slave class. Their status and role in Maure society have changed
little. Many Maures continued to hold slaves and exercise their
traditional prerogatives even after official decrees outlawed
these practices.
Islamic law requires Muslim slaveholders to free their slaves
by the fifth generation. Freedmen, however, usually remained in
the camp of their former master and filled the same servile role.
Whether as slaves or freedmen, black Maures tended their masters'
animals, acted as household servants, worked in the palm groves
or millet fields, or gathered the crop of
gum arabic (see Glossary).
Data as of June 1988
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