l i f i a
204. Book IX»
I I I
l l l i l
i l
Definition e f
the terms
AJbar and
K b ir a jV
I n s t i t u t e s .
CHAP. VII.
Of Tithe and Tribute.
T he term AJhar [tithe,] in ks primitive fenfe, fignifies ten. Khiraj
[tribute] fignifies the produft: of lands, and the hire of flaves; in the
language of the law it denotes any eftablifhed impoft exacted as a tax
upon land, or upon the perfbns of Zimmees,. which laft is termed J iz-
ya t, or captation-tax.
Extent and T he length of the territory of Arabia Proper is from the banks
Jituation of ° i n , . ,
the countries o f th e r iv e r Uzeib to th e fa r th e f t p a r t o f Temn, w h i c h is . te rm e d Amand'tfibme!'
2 hoora: and th e b re ad th th e r e o f from Bereen, and Rihna, and Raml-
A llij to th e b orders o f Syria: and th e b re ad th o f th e t e r r i to r y o f Irak-
Arabia- is fr om th e Uzeib to th e b a c k o f Hillwan; an d th e le n g th
th e r e o f f rom Loalba and Aloos to th e e x t r em i t y th e r e o f, w h i c h is th e
fo r t o f Kotchuck u p o n th e fe a fid e . O f th is r e g io n , th e lands o f Arabia
Proper a re Afhooree, o r fu b je f t to tithe,— and th o fe o f Arabia*
Irak are Khirdjee, o r fu b je c t t o tribute. T h e reafons fo r th e former
o f th e fe tw o a r r a n g em en ts a re tw o fo ld , f ir s -t , th e p ro p h e t and th e
c om m an d e r s o f th e fa ith fu l * d id n o t t a k e t r ib u te u p o n th e lands o f
Arabia : secondly, tributeis a fu b ft i tu te fo r th a t p a r t o f th e p lu n d
e r w h ic h , g o e s to th e f ta te , and is th e re fo r e n o t im p o fe d u p on th e
lands o f th e p eo p le o f Arabia, in th e fam e m a n n e r a s .c a p ita t io n - ta x is .
n o t im p o fed u p o n th e ir perfons, fo r th is re a fo n , th a t on e co n d itio n o f
im p o f in g t r ib u te u p o n la n d is th a t th e p eop le to w h om th e la n d b e -
* Arab. Khoolfa-Ra/hidine.
prophet’ s immediate fuccejjors*
The orthodox Khalifs t it more particularly applies to the
ib ns
C h a p . VII. I N S T I T U T E S . 205
lo n g s , b e e ftab lifh e d th e r e as in f dels, fu e h as th e p eo p le o f Irak ( fo r
in f ta n c e ) w h o w e r e p e rm itte d to c o n t in u e . in in f id e lity , w h e r e a s w e
a re en jo in ed to- m a k e w a r u p o n th e in fid e ls o f Arabia t i l l t h e y em b
ra c e th e fa ith . T h e re a fo n fo r th e Jecond a r r a n g em e n t is th a t Omar,
w h e n h e fu b d u e d Irak, im p o fe d t r ib u te u p o n th e lan d s in th e p r e fen c e
o f a l l th e c om p an ion s : Amroo Ibn Aas, m o r e o v e r , w h e n h e c o n q
u e re d E g y p t , im p o fed t r ib u te u p o n th e in h a b i ta n t s ; and th e w h o le o f
th e c om p an io n s , in th e fam e m a n n e r , a g r e e d to im p o fe t r ib u te u p on
th e p eo p le o f Syria. I t is to b e o b fe r v e d , h o w e v e r , th a t th e lands o f
th e te r r i to r y o f Irak are th e p r o p e r ty o f th e in h a b ita n t s , w h o m a y
la w f u l ly fe ll or o th e rw i f e d ifp o fe o f th em ; b e c au fe th e Imam, w h e n e
v e r h e fu b d u e s a te r r i to r y b y fo r c e o f a rm s , is en titled to r e -e fta b lifh
th e in h a b itan ts in th e ir p o ffe ffio n s , an d to im p o fe t r ib u te ,u p o n th e ir
lands, and c a p ita t io n - ta x u p o n th e ir perfons; and fu c h b e in g th e c a fe ,
th e la n d c o n tin u e s th e p ro p e r ty o f th e in h a b k a n t s , as w a s b e fo re fta te d ,
in t r e a t in g o f plunder.
L ands, th e p roprie tors, o f w h i c h b e c om e MuJJulmans, o r w h i c h
th e Imam d iv id e s am o n g th e tro o p s , a re AJhooree, or fu b je f t to tithe-,
b e c au fe th e r e is a n e c e f l i t y th a t fom e th in g fh o u ld b e im p o fe d and d e -
d u & e d from th e fu b fi fte n c e o f Muffulmans, and a te n th is th e p ro p o r t
io n m o f t fu ita b le to th em , as th a t admits th e c o n f t ru c t io n o f an
o b la tion and a f t o f p i e t y ; and a lfo , b e c au fe th is is th e m o f t e q u ita b le
m e th o d , fin c e in th is w a y th e am o u n t o f w h a t is- le v ie d depend s u p o n
th e a f tu a l p r o d u ft o f th e la n d s .— L a n d s , o n th e o th e r h a n d , w h i c h th e
Imdm fub d ue s b y fo r c e o f a rm s , and th e n re fto re s to th e p eop le o f th e
c o n q u e red te r r i to r y , are Kherdjee, o r fu b je f t to tribute; b e c au fe th e r e is a
n e c e f l ity th a t fom e th in g .b e im p o fe d and d e d u fte d fr om th e fu b fifte n c e o f
in fid e ls ;, and t r ib u te is th e m o ft .fu ita b le to th e ir fitu a t io n , a s th a t bears
th e c o n f t ru f t io n o f a punjhment, fin c e it is a fo r t o f h a rd ftiip , th e
t a x u p o n tribute lan d b e in g d u e f rom th e p ro p r ie to r a lth o u g h h e
fh o u ld n o t h a v e c u lt iv a te d it . . I t is to b e rem a rk e d , h o w e v e r , th a t
Mecca is e x c e p te d from th is ru le ,, as th e p ro p h e t c o n q u e re d th a t
te r r i to r y
Lands diilri-
buted among
MuJJulmans
are fubjeft tQ
tith e :
and lands re-
ftored te the
conquered are
fubjeft to !#•
b u tt. •