Understanding Slavery in Medieval China

Slavery lasted for centuries in China, and yet its particulars are not well known. In this episode of New Frontiers, historian Don Wyatt takes us back to help us understand how the institution thrived during imperial times and the roles it played in Chinese culture.

Despite its long pedigree, Chinese slavery during medieval times has failed to attract wide scholarly attention. Hence, questions about it abound. What was slavery like in medieval China? How was it similar to—or different from—the institution of slavery found in other societies and at other times? Who were the enslaved in the Chinese context, why were they enslaved, and what function did slavery serve in Chinese society? In this episode of New Frontiers, historian Don Wyatt sits down with Mark Williams to discuss these and other issues.

SHOW NOTES:
For more information: Cambridge Element Slavery in East Asia
Music Credits

• Forte by Kestra - Summer with Sound Album
• Soul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising Album

Produced by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams.