A Review on Muslim Rulers' Agricultural Policies in the First Century after Hegira

Studies and reviews of primary references and also recent studies carried by historians of the dawn of Islam suggest the fact that most of these works is based on describing the matter of Bi'tha and explaining the political and military changes in the Islamic Caliphs' and rulers' era after the prophet's departure. Hence, addressing the economic matters at the dawn of Islam is not in the form of an independent topic in primary references, but it is unfocused and scattered among narrated occurrences in the history of the dawn of Islam. In recent studies most of historians of the dawn of Islam also focus on the generality of economic subjects in this era, such as economics of the peninsula before Islam, basics of Islamic economy, the relationship between religion and economy, the prophet's economic policies, and the economics of Muslims in the prophet's and the Caliphs' era, and they rarely address the matter of agriculture as an independent matter. Agriculture has a significant importance as one of the main components of economic system in every community and plays a remarkable role in providing livelihood and economic independence for such community. Therefore, the current study tries to discuss and review the Islamic rulers' approach towards the matter of agriculture by focusing on this case in the first century of the history of Islam. Regarding the vastness of Islamic lands in the first century after hegira and the remarkable historical background of agriculture in some conquered reigns such as Iran and Egypt it is obvious that reviewing agricultural economic changes in these reigns after the arrival of Arab Muslims is a matter in need of detailed and distinct discussion which is not included in this study. According to this, the main purpose of this study is only to describe the Muslim rulers' policies regarding the matter of agriculture and factors which affect these policies until the end of the first century after hegira.

Considering the historical nature of the study and in order to elucidate it, this study tries to discuss and review the progress of changes in the field of Muslim rulers' policies concerning agricultural economy, using a descriptive-analytical method and by referencing to primary sources and some recent researches.

Studies and reviews of Arabia economics before the advent of Islam suggest that agriculture was not thriving in this area of the world due to climate conditions such as desert nature and lack of rain. Although sedentism and stable lifestyle existed in regions such as Yemen since the third century BC due to appropriate climatic and natural conditions, people did not show interest in agriculture and sedentary lifestyle in most areas and nomadism, primitive lifestyle, and tent-living were common. Following the prophet's Bi'tha and his immigration from Mecca to Medina, Arabian Peninsula faced new circumstances in various economic fields including agriculture. Historical reports confirm that arrival of the prophet to Medina city did not stop agricultural activities, but also religious teachings of Islam concerning the matter of agriculture led these activities to develop and spread. But after the prophet's departure and affected by the conquests in era of the Caliphs, the rural economy and the matter of agriculture faced a new fate. In such era, we witness some kinds of change in Muslim rulers' approach towards the agriculture and rural sedentism. Concerns about decreasing Mujahids' numbers and the possibility of cessation of Jihad duty, led the new authority to keep people from agriculture and to stay in villages by encouraging them to settling down in cities and joining the group of Mujahids. Execution of encouraging policies regarding Arab's residence in cities and avoiding rural life and agriculture continued until the era of Umayyad Caliphs. But the Umayyads endeavored to adopt a new approach towards the agriculture by reconsidering the agricultural policies of the Caliphs' era. In fact, Arabs' miscegenation with local people and expansion of Islam among the inhabitants of conquered lands required a change of view to villages and agriculture and adopting a new approach in this field. This new approach the village should be considered a part of nation not outsiders. Therefore, we witness the advent of villages characterized by Islamic cities as general village. It shows the expansion of Islam, increase in the number of Muslims, inhabitation of many of Arabs in villages, and finally the necessity for changing the approach towards agriculture and villages. Henceforth, agriculture was not considered despicable but even accounted same as Jihad; something necessary and in order to be complementary to it.

 CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS:

 Although agriculture before the advent of Islam was common in some areas of Arabian Peninsula, the prophet's Bi'tha could be considered the origin of a new era of prosperity in this area of the Arabia. The prophet's instructions and divine teachings are of the most important Muslims' drives in paying attention to the matter of agriculture. Following the prophet's departure and the beginning of conquests, we witness a new approach in the field of farming and agriculture. From some of the Caliphs' point of view, Arabs' inhabitation in villages and farming decreased the number of Mujahids and distanced Arabs from their mission to spread Islam. So, encouraging Arabs to participate in conquests and to avoid inhabiting in villages and farming was the major outlook of this era, however with the beginning of the Umayyad rule we witness a change in the Umayyad Caliphs' outlook towards the agricultural economy. It seems such a change in approach was caused by the demands and transitions which happened during the occurrences of fifty years after the prophet's Bi'tha. The spread of Islam along with Arab Muslims associating with other nations and getting influenced by them, the increase in importance of agricultural economy in providing the livelihood of the Islamic community, and formation of general villages can be considered a part of these transitions which were effective in changing the Umayyad rulers' outlook towards the matter of agriculture.