Muqasamah: Definition and Meaning 🌾
Muqasamah (مقاسمة)- A historical tax system operational from 628 CE until the end of the Mamluk period in the late sixteenth century. Commonly referred to as muqasamah kharaj, this system was a type of share-cropping contract whereby tenants would lease land from the state or private parties and agree to pay a percentage of the crop yield as rent. This arrangement ensured the protection of the tenant’s land by the lessor.
Etymology: The term “Muqasamah” is derived from the Arabic root ق-س-م, which relates to the concept of dividing or sharing. This etymology underscores the arrangement’s nature, as it involves sharing the crop yield between the tenant and the landowner.
Historical Background and Dates: The Muqasamah system began around 628 CE during the early Islamic period and sustained its prevalence through the Umayyad, Abbasid, and Mamluk periods, ending in the late sixteenth century.
Islamic Jurisprudence: A significant aspect of Muqasamah centers around its jurisprudential discussions. Islamic scholars debated whether such contracts exploited tenants or involved undue speculation. By setting clear legal frameworks regarding these agreements, it aimed to ensure fairness and equity within an Islamic ethical context.
Cultural Differences and Similarities 🌍
Cultural Context: In different Islamic regions, the Muqasamah varied in implementation. In the Islamic heartlands such as Iraq and Egypt, it became a principal form of agricultural tenancy and revenue collection, whereas in peripheral areas, innovation and local customs often shaped its application.
Similar Systems: Comparable systems include the Roman coloni arrangement and European medieval manorial contracts, both employing sharecropping principles.
Synonyms and Related Terms:
- Kharaj (خراج) - A broader term for land tax in Islamic jurisprudence.
- Iqtā’ (إقطاع) - Another land management system where land grants were given in lieu of military or administrative service.
Antonyms:
- Tamlik (تمليك) - Ownership or full private property.
Fascinating Facts 🌠:
- Some prominent Islamic scholars and legal texts, such as Al-Mawardi’s Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya, discuss Muqasamah and other taxation forms in depth, highlighting the meticulous Islamic approach to fairness and reciprocity.
- In some regions, the percentage of yield that tenants had to give varied, typically based on the crop’s economic value and land fertility.
Quotations:
- Al-Mawardi, in Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya, notes: “In Muqasamah, there lies justice for the tiller and security for the land, an agreement decreed by shared benefit and communal responsibility.”
Literature and Further Studies 📚
- “Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya” by Al-Mawardi
- “The Early Islamic Conquests” by Fred M. Donner
- “The Muqaddimah” by Ibn Khaldun
Translations:
- Arabic: مقاسمة
- Urdu: مقاسمہ (Muqasamah)
- Persian: مقاسمه (Muqasamah)
- Turkish: Muqasamah
“Fairness rooted in the soil and shared among men, Muqasamah embodies a principle of collective justice.”
Farewell, Farid Al-Hassan 🌿 2023-10-04
