A study on the popular names of slave men and women and its echos in Persian literature

One of the social considerations concerning slavery is the issue of masters naming their slaves. A master [sahib] was not only in absolute possession of his servant’s body and life but also had full authority over their name and nickname. The master generally changed his servant’s name to his own wish and taste. However, this naming often followed a certain pattern. As a result, such names as Mobārak, Moqbel, Banafsheh, Yāsaman, Kāfoor, Beshārat and Shādi gained more currency. The matter of slaves as an issue intertwined with all levels od daily affairs are vastly reflected in Persian literature including this very topic of giving names to slave boys and girls, which has provided men of letters, especially poets, with a good source for creating poetical themes and double entendres. In this article, based on historical and literary sources as well as biographies, a large number of popular names of slaves and servants have been enumerated and certain details about their number and nature are given with several examples presented of their use by poets.