THE SCENE: The passage below, which features the aftermath of a Rus raid on a Muslim settlement, describes the nuts and bolts of the process of a medieval hostage negotiation — which was a frequent occurrence after an invader had taken a city or town – along with stark demonstrations of the dangers and possible outcomes.
THE TEXT: A Christian civil servant named Ibn Sam’un, who lived in the city, acted as negotiator between the two sides. He made an agreement with the Rus that each man should be ransomed for 20 dirhams. The more intelligent Muslims agreed to this arrangement, but the rest did not, maintaining that Ibn Sam’un was trying to imply that Muslims were of equal value to poll-tax-paying Christians. Ibn Sam’un therefore broke off negotiations. The Rus put off their massacre, hoping to get at least this small amount. When it was not forthcoming, they put them to the sword, and slew them to the last man. A few escaped through a narrow conduit which conveyed water to the mosque, and some were able to buy their lives with valuables they carried.
– Experiences of Nations, Miskawayh, 10th Century AD
