History of the Moorish Empire in Europe, Vol. 1 (of 3)Scott, S. P. (Samuel Parsons)
Islamic
History of the Moorish Empire in Europe, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Scott, S. P. (Samuel Parsons)
Arabs -- Europe -- History; Islamic civilization; Muslims -- Spain -- History; Spain -- History -- 711-1516
After the Conquest, Count Julian retired to Ceuta, which city, with a
portion of the contiguous territory, was erected into a principality
and bestowed upon him as a reward for his services. Notwithstanding
his intimate Mohammedan associations, he and his immediate descendants
remained steadfast in the Christian faith. The preponderating
influence of Islam was, however, shown in the second generation of his
descendants; and his great-grandson Abu-Suleyman-Ayub, who lived in
the tenth century, and had studied under the greatest doctors of the
time, became famous as one of the most acute and learned expounders of
Moslem jurisprudence. The posterity of Tarik was known and esteemed for
several centuries in Spain, until his identity and remembrance were
finally lost in the civil wars and proscriptions which accompanied the
establishment of the dynasty of the Almohades.
The engagements entered into with their allies were performed by
the Moslems with scrupulous fidelity. Oppas was rewarded with the
government of Toledo. The royal demesnes, amounting to three thousand
of the richest estates of the kingdom, were restored to the House of
Witiza. Many benefits at once resulted to the masses from the Arab
conquest. The condition of the serfs was greatly improved. Tribute
was regulated by law, and ceased to be dependent upon the capricious
demands of avarice. The burdens of taxation were, however, still
excessive; the cultivator paid four-fifths of the products of the land
to the owner; from those who tilled the public domain--which comprised
a fifth part of the conquered territory--one-third of the results of
all manual industry was exacted. The tax of the landed proprietor was
approximately twenty per cent. of his income, that of the tributary
Christian varied from twelve to forty-eight dirhems--sixteen to
sixty-four dollars--a year. A treaty, whose provisions determined the
obligations of lord and serf, of subject and sovereign, and signed by
Tarik and the representatives of the Gothic nobility before the arrival
of Musa, was subsequently ratified by the government of Damascus. Upon
this treaty were based all the laws which governed the tributaries in
the Peninsula during the long period of Moslem dominion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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