Iberian Mooring: Al-Andalus, Sefarad, and the Tropes of Exceptionalism

yā b. Ādam b. Sulayman (d. 819) had addressed the subject of taxation long before, so compiling a handbook on the matter was not necessarily a response to civil war. Nor is it obvious that the precedents al-Balādhurī recorded closely resembled the situation in the Caliphate of his own day, which funded its military by leasing land in the Sawad out to soldiers in lieu of or as an extension to pay. Many of the provinces discussed by al-Balādhurī, such as al-Andalus and Ifrīqiya, had not been controlled by the caliphs for generations. Given the key role played by Turkish soldiers in the 860s, examination of al-Balādhurī’s treatment of Turks in the Futūh might also have been revealing. These are small complaints. This book offers an extremely valuable new perspective on one of the most important sources for the early Caliphate. It should be read by specialists and students alike with gratitude and is a model for future investigations of other early Arabic sources.