■ Gendral rule
for filing tithe
or tribute
upon land.
Wafts land,
upon being
cultivated, is
fubjedt to the
fame impoft
with -the
neighbouring
grounds.
te r r i to r y b y fo r c e of a rm s , and th e n re ftored it to th e in h a bitan ts ,
w i th o u t im p o fin g t r ib u te . I t is w r i t t e n , in th e J a m a S a g h e e r th a t
a ll lan d fu b d u ed b y fo r c e o f a rm s , i f w a te r e d b y canals c u t b y th e
A jim e e s , is -fub jed t to tr ib u t e , w h e th e r th e Im &m h a v e d iv id e d it am o n g
th e tro o p s , o r re fto re d it to th e o r ig in a l in h a b i ta n t s :— and i f th e r e be
n o cana ls , b u t th e land b e w a te r e d b y fp r in g s , w h i c h r ife w i th in i t ,
it i s A J h o o r e e , o r fubjedt to t it h e , in e ith e r c a f e ; b e c au fe t it h e is p e c u lia
r to p r o d u c tiv e la n d ,— th a t is , la n d cap a ble Of c u l t iv a t io n , and w h ic h
y ie ld s in c r e a fe ; and th e in c re a fe p rod u c ed f rom it is o c c a fio n e d b y
w a te r . T h e ftan d a rd , th e r e fo r e , b y w h i c h t r ib u t e is d u e is th e lan d
b e in g w a te r e d b y tr ib u te w a t e r , n am e ly , r iv e r s ;— and th e ftandard b y
w h i c h t it h e is d u e is th e lan d b e in g w a te r e d b y t it h e -w a t e r , n am e ly ,
fp r in g s .
I f a perfon cultivate w a fle lands, the impofition of t ith e Or tr ib u te
upon it (according to A b o o T o o fa fP ) is determined by the neighbouring
foils: in other words, if the neighbouring lands be fubjedt to
t it h e , a t it h e is to be impofed upon it, or tr ib u te if they be fubjedt to
tr ib u t e ', becaufe the rule refpedting any thing is determined by what
is neareft to i t ; as in the cafe of a h o u fe , (for inftance,) the rule
with refpedt to which extends to its court-yard*, infomuch that the
owner of the houfe is entitled to make ufe of the court-yard, although
it be not his immediate property.
O b j e c t i o n .— A c c o r d in g to th e ten e t s o f A b o o T o o fa f, it w o u ld
fo l lo w th a t th e lands o f B a jfr a fh o u ld b e fub jed t to tr ib u t e , w h e re a s
t h e y are n o t fo , b u t are fub jedt to t it h e .
R eply.— A n a lo g y w o u ld fu g g e f t th i s ; b u t th e com p an io n s im p
o fed t ith e up on i t ; w h e r e fo r e th e ru le is in th a t in fta n c e fe t afid e,
b e c au fe o f th e d e te rm in a tio n o f th e com p an ion s .
* Arab. Finna; meaning any open (pace immediately about and contiguous to the
walls of a dwelling: but to render it of lawful ufe, it muft be a thoroughfare, or belong to
the dwelling itfelf.
Mohammed
Mohammed alleges that if a perfon cultivate wafte lands by means
of water drawn from wells dug in them, or ■ by means of iprings
which rife in them, or with the waters of the Euphrates or the 'Tigris,
or with the water of any large river or lake which has no exclufive
proprietor, fuch lands are fubjedl to tithe; and in the fame manner,
lands cultivated by means of rain-water:—but if he cultivate thofe
lands with the water of canals cut by the kings of Perjia, (fuch as the
Kijfree, and the Yezdejird,) they are fubjedt to tribute', according .to
what has been already obfervcd, that with him the water is regarded,
as water is the occajiort of increafe;—and alfo, becaufe the impofing
of tribute upon a Mujfulman without his previous confent is impracticable
:—in the impofition, therefore, the water is to be regarded,
becaufe the tilling of the land with tribute water, evinces that the-
proprietor fubmits to pay tribute..
T h e tr ib u te e fta b lilh e d and im p o fe d b y O m a r u p o n th e lan d s o f Rates of trl-
Ir c ik w a s ad ju fted as fo l lo w s . U p o n e v e r y J o r e e b * o f lan d th r o u g h
w h i c h w a t e r ru n s , ( th a t is to la y , w h i c h is c ap a b le o f c u l t iv a t io n )
on e S a a -j- and on e d irm .% ; and u p o n e v e r y J o r e e b o f p a jlu r e - la n d , f iv e
d irm s § ; an d u p o n e v e r y J o r e e b o f g a r d e n s a n d o r c h a r d s t e n d irm s \\i,
p ro v id ed t h e y c o n ta in v in e s and d a te tre e s . ( A J o r e e b o f la n d fio'ni-
fies f ix t y Z ir r a a * * , o f th e P e r J ia n Z ir r a , w h i c h is fe v en K a b z a s -j~j-.)
T h i s ru le fo r t r ib u te u p o n arab le an d p a ftu r e lands-, g a rd en s , an d o r ch
a rd s , is ta k e n f r om O m a r , w h o f ix e d i t a t t h e rates- a b o v e -
m e n t io n e d , n o n e c o n tra d id tin g h im ; w h e r e fo r e i t is c o n fid e red as
* (According to tbe Lexicons,) as much land, as w ill produce about fev en hundred and
fixty-eigbtpounds weight o f corns its extent is afterwards particularly defcribed; from which.:
it would appear that this calculation muft be erroneous.
t About twenty-one pounds fterling; alfo a weight of about feven pounds. -
t A finall filver coin from two-pence to eight-pence fterling, but now of uncertain
value.
§ From ten-pence to two (hillings and fixpence fterling. || From one (hilling and
eight-pence to five (hillings-fterling, ** A fquareyard-or cubit, ++ Kabza-, a
fp«n.
a g r e e d -