Majid Sheikh - Harking Back: Lahore’s ancient slave trade and the Aleppo connection

For centuries trade of exotic Eastern goods reached the markets of the Mediterranean Europe, Africa and Turkey. The very first ‘product’ – if we can call it that – were the slaves of the Punjab. Besides some gold, the most profitable product in the loot of the Turkish-Afghan invader, Mahmud of Ghazni, were slaves. In and around Lahore he collected 500,000 slaves which were sold in the slave markets of Samarkand, Bukhara and Constantinople (now called Istanbul). From there the choicest slaves were further transported to Italy where the large slave markets of Venice, Genoa, Sicily and Crete specialised in ‘high-priced’ slaves. They also forwarded slaves to Barcelona and Valencia.

Slaves from the Punjab were taken as far away as Wales in Britain. Amazingly recent DNA tests show the Welsh as having some north-Indian genes. But then once wooden sailing ships started reaching far away portions of the world, we have the William Finch collection (Early Travels, 1609) telling us of the three major products that were available in the markets of Lahore in abundance, which the Portuguese were monopolising. They were Lahori Indigo, saltpetre and cotton fabrics.

Before we examine these three products, let us look at the manner in which they reached Europe. The major markets of pre-Akbar Lahore were located outside the then walled city. Their location was just outside the city walls on the road to Delhi along what is today’s Landa Bazaar. The Portuguese encouraged the Mughals to build ships, and it was at Lahore’s ancient trade port of Khizri Darwaza (renamed Sheranwala) that goods flowed down-country. As Lahore was located at a strategic place along the East-West land trade route, this was a natural collection market for the entire northern landmass of the sub-continent….

https://www.dawn.com/news/1614950/harking-back-lahores-ancient-trade-and-the-aleppo-connection