Life of an Enslaved African in the Ottoman Empire and Iran: The Autobiography of Mahboob Qirvanian

The Life of an Enslaved African in the Ottoman Empire and Iran is a poignant and compelling account of one man’s journey through struggle, resilience, and unimaginable suffering. In the early twentieth century, Mahboob Qirvanian recorded his personal experiences of forced migration and enslavement as he navigated his path from captivity in Africa to full citizenship and a reconstructed identity in Iran. Written in Persian and Arabic, this remarkable autobiography serves as a powerful testament to Mahboob’s endurance, suffering, and ultimate transformation.
Through insightful analysis, Behnaz A. Mirzai places Mahboob’s narrative - the only known account by a former African slave in Iran - within the context of the political upheavals of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran and the Tanzimat reforms of the Ottoman Empire. This book not only sheds light on Mahboob’s personal story and the historical injustices of slavery but also engages with broader themes of displacement, identity, and social justice. In doing so, it invites readers to reflect on the enduring legacies of racial inequality and the ongoing struggles for freedom and dignity in the modern world.

Mahboob Qirvanian, born circa 1894 in Tunisia, was enslaved and trafficked from North Africa to Iran, where he lived for the majority of his life and was emancipated. He is the author of the only known African slave narrative from that country. Behnaz A. Mirzai is a professor of Middle Eastern history at Brock University. Behnaz A. Mirzai is a professor of Middle Eastern history at Brock University.