The Mahdi Times The Mahdi Times July 2014 | Page 67

Civilization' by Chancellor Williams,
Third World Press, Chicago, Illinois,
1976.
By the time slavery had started in the
1400s, the Arabs had become
significantly weakened as a military
force by the time of the Western
Crusades (1095-1250s) and the
Eastern Crusades, namely the
Christian-backed Mongol invasion
that culminated in the sacking of
Baghdad in 1258. Their military
response to these successive invasions
can best be described as pathetic. The
Arabs were 'saved' only by the
intervention of non-Arab Muslims e.g.
Sala udin Ayubi - from Kurdistan, the
Mamelukes (Muslim kinsmen to the
non-Muslim Mongols and Tartars)
and then the Ottomans who took over
the Caliphate. The Arabs were in no
position to enslave other people after
suffering such bruising attacks from
Central Asia.

THE AFRICAN PRESENCE
IN ASIA
When Islamic rule was at the height of
its splendour in India, there was a
considerable influx of African
Muslims from east Africa. Coming as
traders and mercenaries, and settling
in the Deccan (east of Bombay) and
Bengal region (Barbek Shah, Malik
Amber, Malik Andeel, Mawla, Admiral

Sambal, Admirals Masud and Ali
Kasam; Generals Kafur, Abudullah,
Rahim Khan, Abdul Rahman, Battla,
Belal, Forts, Hillol, Ibrahim Khan,
Jauhar, Johar, Kasim Sabaun,
Sambal, Sat, and the eminent military
commander, Yakut Khan. Ekhaz Khan
was a noted Sultan.
In time they emerged from the mass to
form the backbone of armies and
became, great military and naval
commanders, hereditary admirals, and
in several instances, Sultans [Prime
Ministers]. [African Presence In
Ancient Asia, Dr Ivan Van Sertima]

Under their own commanders, they
eventually became the source of
central power. Their presence brought
them into conflict with the Afghan,
Turkish and Mughal rulers of North,
Central and East India. The Afghans,
who have a fierce-some reputation for
fighting, being the only Muslim
country to have successfully fought off
colonialism by beating Britain an
imperial power three times and then a
perceived superpower, Russia.
However, even Afghan chiefs were
unable to beat the African Muslims in
south India and Bengal, even when
they outnumbered ѡ