在歷史敘事中，人們通常將奴隸制度與黑奴貿易聯繫在一起，特別是15世紀以後歐洲殖民勢力橫跨非洲、美洲之際，大量非洲人被強行掠奪、販賣、壓迫的血腥歷史早已深入人心。然而，極少人知道，早在黑奴貿易出現前的幾百年間，白人也曾是奴隸制度下的受害者。從13世紀開始，歐洲便存在一條龐大的白奴貿易鏈，規模之廣、手段之殘酷，令人震驚。

13世紀初，第四次十字軍東征爆發。原本號稱「為信仰而戰」的軍隊，卻在內部分裂與權力鬥爭中淪為掠奪者。他們於1204年攻陷東羅馬帝國的首都——君士坦丁堡。這一事件徹底打亂歐洲基督教世界的秩序，也間接導致大量人口流離失所。就在這樣的混亂局勢中，白奴貿易興起，並迅速成為一門暴利生意。

在14世紀，蒙古帝國的崛起讓歐洲人陷入恐慌，但跨國奴隸貿易並未因此停歇。蒙古人甚至親自參與其中，成為奴隸市場的重要供應者與中間商。當時的奴隸貿易中心位於黑海沿岸城市——卡法（Caffa），這裡是熱那亞人的殖民港口，也是歐亞間的貿易樞紐。歐洲旅行家在卡法親眼見證了奴隸市場的景象：大量來自東歐與高加索地區的年輕男女被當作商品買賣。年輕女性往往被賣往西歐富裕家庭或貴族府邸；健壯的高加索男性則被訓練為士兵或勞工，最終淪為戰爭中的炮灰。

隨著時間推移，白人奴隸的輸出範圍逐漸擴大。14世紀末，一些白人甚至被販賣至埃及與北非。到18世紀，北非地區已形成明顯的人種階層制度。當時的北非由伊斯蘭政權主導，土耳其人與阿拉伯人居於最高層；其下是當地的摩爾人，他們雖為本地民族，但仍被視為次等群體；再往下，黎凡特人與希臘人等歐洲移民位居第三層，而最底層竟是被當作奴隸的白人。諷刺的是，在當時的社會結構中，許多黑奴的地位甚至高於白人奴隸。

白奴的買主主要是北非上層的阿拉伯貴族與奧斯曼土耳其人。部分摩爾地主也參與其中。白奴的價格依年齡、體力與技能而定，最便宜的僅需15英鎊，平均價格約為35英鎊。被購買後，這些人會根據情況被派往不同場所工作。年長女性多被分配至廚房、麵包房或紡織廠，她們價值低廉且勞動強度大；而年輕貌美的女性則命運更為悲慘——她們在交易前往往遭到性暴力與凌辱，被迫放棄原有信仰，改信伊斯蘭教，之後戴上面紗，淪為貴族與軍官的性奴與生育工具。長期的虐待與營養不良，使許多女性在被賣出幾年後便死去。

男性奴隸的境遇稍有不同。若擁有特殊技能，如醫術、鍛造、木工或書記能力，則可被分派到醫院、鐵匠坊、家具工房或官署任職，生活略為穩定，但仍需改信伊斯蘭教，並接受嚴密監視。即便如此，他們每天的工作時長仍高達十八小時，稍有怠惰便會遭鞭打。部分男性奴隸還被強迫進行生育，以繁衍混血後代。這些孩子一出生便被指定工作，成為奴隸主免費的勞動力。對奴隸主而言，這些黑白混血的孩子相當於「自產奴隸」，無需再從市場購買。

這段被忽略的歷史揭示一個殘酷事實：奴役並非單一族群的悲劇，而是人性貪婪與權力壓迫的共同產物。無論是白人還是黑人，無論信仰基督教或伊斯蘭教，在歷史的某個時刻，人類都曾以彼此為奴，為金錢與權勢犧牲最基本的尊嚴與自由。

Throughout history, slavery has often been associated with the transatlantic African slave trade, particularly from the 15th century onward, when European colonial powers forcibly captured and sold millions of Africans to the Americas. This brutal chapter is well-known, but far fewer people realize that Europeans themselves were once enslaved and subjected to similarly horrific conditions. From the 13th century onward, a substantial white slave trade emerged, becoming a lucrative and widespread commercial enterprise.

The origins of this trade are closely linked to the Fourth Crusade in the early 13th century. What was intended as a religious expedition to reclaim the Holy Land instead descended into chaos and conquest. In 1204, crusaders captured Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, plunging Europe into turmoil. Amid the disorder, white slavery flourished and became one of the most profitable trades alongside other goods.

By the 14th century, the rise of the Mongol Empire created fear across Europe, yet the international slave trade continued unabated. The Mongols themselves became active participants in the market, supplying and transporting captives. European travelers visiting the Black Sea port city of Caffa (modern Feodosia)—a Genoese colony and major trade hub—witnessed the buying and selling of slaves firsthand. Many young women from Eastern Europe were sold to Western Europe, while strong young men from the Caucasus were often destined for military service, ultimately becoming cannon fodder in ongoing conflicts. By the late 14th century, some Caucasians were even sold to Egypt.

Over time, the transportation of white slaves to North Africa and the Middle East grew increasingly systematic, forming a thriving trade network. By the 18th century, a rigid racial hierarchy had emerged in North Africa, which was largely under Islamic rule. At the top were Turks and Arabs affiliated with Islamic governance; below them were the indigenous Moors; and beneath the Moors were European migrants, including Levantine Greeks. Remarkably, despite the ongoing enslavement of black Africans, white slaves often occupied the lowest social tier, considered the most expendable.

The primary buyers of white slaves were North African elites—wealthy Arabs, Ottoman officials, and occasionally powerful Moorish lords. Prices varied depending on age, physical condition, and skills, with the cheapest slaves sold for roughly 15 pounds sterling and the average price around 35 pounds. Once purchased, slaves were assigned according to capability and perceived value. Older women were typically sent to kitchens, bakeries, or textile workshops, performing grueling labor for low compensation. Younger women, however, faced far harsher fates: they were often sexually abused, coerced into abandoning their Christian faith to convert to Islam, and subsequently veiled and sent to serve as sexual objects and reproductive labor for their masters. Prolonged abuse and malnutrition frequently led to premature death within just a few years.

Male slaves’ experiences varied based on their skills. Those trained in medicine, blacksmithing, woodworking, or clerical work might be assigned to hospitals, workshops, or administrative offices, sometimes performing relatively “respectable” labor. Yet even skilled males were monitored constantly, forced to work up to 18 hours a day, and often compelled to reproduce, producing offspring for the master’s labor force. These children, typically of mixed black and white ancestry, were assigned work at an early age, effectively serving as “free” slaves to their owners—no market purchase necessary.

This overlooked chapter of history underscores a harsh truth: slavery was not confined to one race or religion but was a universal consequence of human greed and the abuse of power. Across centuries, men and women—whether black or white, Christian or Muslim—were stripped of freedom and dignity, exploited for wealth and status, and reduced to commodities in a brutal system that valued profit above life itself.