The book “prince Among Slaves” was written by Terry Alford in 1977. The 284-page book is a philosophic encounter that brings to the fore the plight of slaves in the early 18th century. At the time Alford started the writing the book, the American civil movement had come alive following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in the fight for racial equality. The book is set to mirror the life of oppression of some races and nationalities in the historical building of the current American states. The story is set in the early 1800s in the town called Natchez in the Southern state of Mississippi. Natchez was a major European settlement where slave labor was being utilized and the entire of Mississippi and other neighboring states had gotten massive fame for their extensive use of slave labor in the early 18th century.
The book details the true story of Abd Al Rahman Ibrahima, a muslim slave who in 1807 was noted by an Irish ship’s surgeon (Dr. Cox) to be the son of an African King who had saved his life many years earlier (Alford, 12). The local people in the town called Natchez where he had been sold had unknowingly referred to the young man as “the prince”. He had been captured as when he was 26 years old and sold to serve as a slave in the American South. He first served as a slave in the West Indies before Thomas Foster, a white settler from Natchez, Mississippi purchased him to serve in his plantations.
This book presents the demeaning conditions to which all slaves were subjected. Through the experiences of a young, educated, brave young man, the author manages to bring to the fore the plight of slaves in the early 18th century. It is a harrowing tale in which the author purposefully selected the story of a colonel-turned-slave for forty (40) years to show the indiscriminate nature of slave trade. As presented by the author, power whether material or physical would not shield a person from being taken as a slave.
The book deeply presents the drastic change in lifestyle that slaves had to get accustomed to in strange lands. The drop from freedom to slavery was too much for anyone to take. There were numerous suicides on the slave ships during transit as well as on the plantations. The slaves had given up hope, but religion gave them some hope and comfort “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Alford, 128). Though hard, it is remarkable that Rahman survived. Unlike many Africans, Rahman is depicted to have fallen from a world of power, wealth, formal education and ideas and a basically enviable life.
Rahman’s death after repatriation is a sad twist of fate that shows the deep-running effects of slavery. It is possible that Rahman’s dealth was caused by some illness he had contracted while a slave in Natchez. Though a strong willed man who had all along been presented as a physically strong man, he succumbed just at a time when he was supposed to regain his emotional and physical health (Alford, 226).
It is quite obvious that whites held the power over the freedom of the slaves. Although Rahman had been promoted to a managerial position by his master, he could not negotiate for his own freedom. According to the author, it took the interventions of an Irish surgeon whose life had been saved by Rahman’s father, to secure the freedom of Rahman. The author has managed to capture the perfect picture of the scenario as it was in those days going by historical accounts of slavery. It took the interventions of a fellow white man or great favors and mercy from one’s master to get freedom and possible repatriation.
The book also gives an excellent picture of the role religion and specifically Islam played during slavery. Although slaves faced many problems and persecution, their religious beliefs gave them hope and unified them in their quest to fight the oppression. Rahman is presented as a staunch Muslim who never forsook his religious beliefs even when he was under oppression. His religious stand saw him reflect on Qadr (the will of God) most of the times and he got encouraged that he could regain his freedom. In spite of many awful things happening to him while a slave, Rahman remained moral, upright and faithful. He adhered to a strict code of conduct, “never stealing, drinking or being found guilty of breaching trust or confidence” (Alford, 129). This book is a perfect reflection of how people and especially those with some religious beliefs should react to unfortunate eventualities in life.
Conclusion
The book “Prince among Slaves” is a perfect depiction of slavery in the early 1800s. The book presents accounts of slavery that are in tandem with the historical accounts of the trade. Through the experiences of a prince-turned-slave the author manages to present the indiscriminate nature of slavery, the realistic promotions of the educated and virtuous slaves and the inability or incapacitation of slaves to negotiate for their freedom. In addition the author perfectly captures the gravity of slavery by indicating that shortly after his release, the books main character, Ibrahima Rahman died. It is also important to note the crucial role that religion played in the lives of slaves as depicted by Rahman’s strong Islamic convictions. In all I could not fault the book but rather commend the author for perfectly capturing horrible accounts in human history.
Works cited
Alford, Terry. Prince among slaves. 30th anniversary ed. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.
