State document: T-S H15.62
State document T-S H15.62Tags
Description
Petition to the Ayyubid sultan al-ʿĀdil regarding the capitation tax. Dating: ca. 596–615 AH, which is 1200–18 CE. The petitioner asks that his tax rate be modified from the middle rate (2 dinars), which he cannot afford to pay, to the lower rate. On verso there are some Hebrew poetical texts (possibly piyyuṭ) mentioning Iṣḥaq Khanāf (?). (Information from Khan and CUDL)
Edition: Khan, Geoffrey
Translation: Khan, Geoffrey (in English)
T-S H15.62 1v
Transcription
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Legal and Administrative Documents in the Cambridge Genizah Collections (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993).Verso
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العادلى المظفري [ ]ـي .[سلطان]
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جيوش المسلمين وادام قدرته واعلا ابدا كـ[ـلمته] ...
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المملوك يقبل الارض امامه وينهى الى
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رافته واحسانه انه رجل فقير قليل دانى لا[ ]
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جواز وقته الا بالصعب الشديد وكان المملـ[ـوك ]
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ما يتمعش به بين ظهور المسلمين ذهب فى نوائب الزمان وحوادثه [ ]
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فى الجزية فى السنة دينران وقد عجزت قدر[ته ]
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لعدمه وفاقته وله من اعيان المسلمين الـ[ ]
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من يشهد للمملوك بالعدم و الفاقة وهو يـ[ـسل بالانعام]
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عليه والاحسان اليه بالنظر فى حاله و[ من الطبقة]
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الوسطى فى الجزية الى الطبقة السفلى [ ]
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منه على قدر حاله ليقتدر على القـ[ـيام بجزية ]
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شملت بعائلته واطفاله ويقيم اجرته [ ]
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وللمجلس العالى سمو الراى وفضله ان شا الله تعالى
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الحمد لله وحده وصلواته على النبى وسلم [تسليما]
Translation
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Legal and Administrative Documents in the Cambridge Genizah Collections (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993).-
... al-ʿĀdil, the victorious [ sultan]
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of the armies of the Muslims, (may God) cause his power to endure and exalt his word for ever.
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The slave kisses the ground before him and reports to
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his compassion and benevolence that he is a poor, destitute and lowly man [he can only]
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live with great difficulty.
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The livelihood of the slave among the Muslims has disappeared in the vicissitudes of the times [ he is obliged to pay]
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in poll tax annually two dīnārs. He is unable [to pay this]
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on account of his poverty and destitution. He has Muslim notables [ ]
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who can testify to the poverty and destitution of the slave. He requests[benevolence]
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and kindness to him by looking into his case [and transferring him from]
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the middle rate of poll tax to the low rate [ ]
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... according to his condition, so that he may be able to pay [the tax ]
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... his family and children and pay his rent.
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To the exalted seat belongs the lofty and excellent opinion, if God wills.
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Praise be to God alone and his blessings be upon the prophet and save him.
T-S H15.62 1r
