Page 138 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

‘umar ibn al-khattab 1915

the death of Abu Bakr, (c. 573–634 CE; reigned 632–634 ‘Umar confronted two serious challenges to instability
CE) and assuming the title of commander of the faithful, he resulting from the incredible pace of the conquests and
governed the Arabs during their most dramatic period of the paucity of Arab military forces: namely, the potential
military expansion, which included the conquests of south- for popular unrest and rebellion and the necessity to
ern Iraq (from 635 CE), Palestine (638 CE), Syria (637 CE), maintain the economic viability of the new territories.
Western Iran (from 641 CE), Egypt (642 CE) and Libya Although the various rough surrender agreements were
(643 CE).Among the many important administrative devel- undoubtedly negotiated ad hoc by local commanders,
opments credited to his reign are the first codification of ninth-century and later Islamic jurists conceived of an
Islamic law, the devising of the Islamic calendar, and the elaborate and standardized pact, which they then attrib-
establishment of the office of the Islamic magistrate) and uted back to ‘Umar himself. In a less tolerant vein,‘Umar
of the registry of the Muslims of Medina and Arab soldiers, originated the policy that the Arabian peninsula itself
among whom the booty from the conquests and the trib- should be inhabited solely by Muslims, and Christians
ute that they generated were to be formally shared out. and Jews were expelled. His attitude to gender role was
Allotments were based on one’s tribal pedigree and the also famously inflexible and many of the more restrictive
length of one’s family’s association with Islam.As much a Islamic traditions in this regard can be traced to his
system of control as reward, it was intended to maintain influence.
the cohesiveness and distinctiveness of Arab identity in the ‘Umar was choleric and uncompromising, his formi-
face of geographic dispersal, a tendency manifest also in dable character and famous ill-temper stifling opposition.
‘Umar’s policy of establishing Arab-only garrison towns in In the finest Machiavellian style, he played off potentially
conquered areas to prevent religious and cultural contam- dissenting elements among the Companions of the
ination by the conquered peoples. Prophet and the tribal leaders, depending as much as he
He is most famous among non-Muslims for the so- could on officials and lieutenants of his own making, all
called “Pact of ‘Umar,” which is held to mark the first for- the while supporting the power of the Meccan elite, par-
mal elaboration of the protection extended in principle to ticularly the future caliphal family, the Umayyads.
all conquered peoples who were adherents of revealed On 3 November 644 CE ‘Umar was murdered by a
religions.The designation “People of the Book” originally Christian slave belonging to the governor of Basra (in
applied only to Christians and Jews, but was soon southern Iraq), who was apparently distraught at having
extended to include Zoroastrians, eventually Buddhists, failed to negotiate fiscal concessions from the caliph.
and in some cases members of other religions in accord After his death, the Meccan elite continued to dominate
with the necessities of governance.The origin of the pact the caliphate, electing another of their group, ‘Uthman
is said to be negotiations that ‘Umar carried out with the ibn ‘Affan, as successor—a fact that would exacerbate
people of Jerusalem sometime between 636 CE and 638 divisions in Islam between the Syrian-Meccan faction and
CE, around the time of their surrender. The Islamic con- the Iraqi faction, which tended to support the claims of
ception of the city as an holy site was coalescing at this ‘Ali (c. 600–661 CE), the fourth caliph.
time.‘Umar is said to have entered messiahlike on a don- ‘Umar is intensely revered and romanticized, particu-
key; he eschewed an offer to pray in the Church of the larly by Sunni Muslims. Famous for the strength of his
Holy Sepulchre on the grounds that Muslims would convictions and unwavering rigor, he is considered by
later demand it be destroyed to make way for a mosque. many to be the originator of many of Islam’s more pro-
Indeed, the spot nearby where he is said to have prayed scriptive ordinances and attitudes.
is the site of the present Mosque of ‘Umar.
Brian A. Catlos
By allowing non-Muslims wide liberties and permitting
them to continue to administer the conquered lands, See also Islamic World