136 Meynard's Ibn Khordadbeh. [No. 2, 



The Sawad is divided into 12 Kur, provinces, and originally it con- 

 tained 60 Jasasyj, districts, but at the time of Ibn Khordadbeh only 

 forty-eight. The whole province of JSblwan, containing five districts, 

 was added to Jebel. We have seen that Ibn Sad includes in refer- 

 ence to the time of 'Omar I. the revenue of Jebel in that of the 

 Sawad. He probably means that of i?olwan only, which at the time 

 of 'Omar and of the Omayyids may have belonged to the Sawad. 

 The province of the Tigris, containing 4 districts, was given to the 

 Government of Bacra ; and it is very likely that the crops which it had 

 to supply to the State, were destined for the support of the troops 

 stationed there. This, however, can only apply to the time of the 

 'Abbasides, for in former days they received their supply from Mah- 

 Bacra in Persia, which under the Abbasides was placed under another 

 Government. One whole district had become a swamp and disappear- 

 ed altogether. Two districts (one of them is lower Behcjobad) had 

 been converted into crown lands after the system of Khorasan. In 

 this manner, the Sawad was shortened by 12 districts and reduced to for- 

 ty-eight. 



I insert here a detailed account of the revenue of the Sawad, according 

 to Qodania, and also (distinguished by asterisks) one according to Ibn 

 Khordadbeh. In a very few instances I deviate from Barbier de Mey- 

 nard's text, and follow my own copy of the MS. of Oxford. Qodania 

 says of his account, it contains the income as it stands at present. I 

 take the mean since the year 184, this being the first year of which 

 documents are found in the public offices at Baghdad ; for the earlier re- 

 cords were destroyed by fire during the disturbances which took place 

 in 183 under Amyn, known under the name of Ibn Zobayda. 



Western side of the S'aivdd watered No. of No. of 



by the Tigris and Euphrates, 



Villages. Barns. Wheat. Barley. Dirhams. 



Anbar and Nahr-Ma'ruf, 



— 



— 118,000(?)6,400 4.000,000 



*Anbar (alone), 



5 



250 2,300 1,400 150,000 



Qotrobbol, ... 



— 



— 2,000 1,000 3,000,000 



*Ditto, ... 



10 



220 2,000 1,000 300 (sic !) 



Maskan, ... 



— 



— 3,000 1,000 150,000 



*Ditto, ... 



6 



105 3,000 1,000 300,000 



Baduryya, ,... 



— 



— 3,500 1,000 1,000,000 



