 The nature and identity of al @-@ Mu 'tasim 's " Turkish slave soldiers " is a controversial subject , with both the ethnic label and the slave status of its members disputed . Although the bulk of the corps were clearly of servile origin , being either captured in war or purchased as slaves , in the sources they are never referred to as slaves ( mamlūk or ʿabid ) , but rather as mawālī ( " clients " or " freedmen " ) or ghilmān ( " pages " ) , implying that they were manumitted , a view reinforced by the fact that they were paid cash salaries . In addition , although the corps are collectively called simply " Turks " , atrāk , in the sources , prominent early members were neither Turks nor slaves , but rather Iranian vassal princes from Central Asia like al @-@ Afshin , prince of Usrushana , who were followed by their personal retinues ( Persian chakar , Arabic shākiriyya ) . 
