1856.] Origin and progress of writing down historical facts. 379 



That writing was but little employed among the early Moslims 

 for preserving records, is best shown by the specimens which are 

 enumerated above in paras. 44-47, and also by the sayings of Mo- 

 hammad recorded in paras. 37-42. It is, however, not to be supposed 

 that the author should have possessed information of all the writ- 

 ings which then existed. 



With 'Omar's conquests of Syria, Egypt and Persia, begins a new 

 period in MoAammadan history. The Arab residing in the palaces 

 of Damascus and Ctesiphon would soon be quite a different man 

 from him who lived in a tent in the desert, or in a hovel at Makkah 

 or Madynah. 



The Khalif 'Omar, the great Representative of the barbarians of 

 Arabia, the founder of Musalman empire, and the destroyer of the 

 Alexandrian library, forcibly resisted the growth of a written liter- 

 ature. This fact is certain. He says in para. 24, that he had 

 applied himself during the life-time of Mohammad to copying a 

 book of the Jews or Christians, and was, as it might be expected, 

 reprimanded for it. This statement which would imply that ever 

 since he came to the Khalifat, he had an objection to writing, stands 

 in contradiction with what is stated in paras. 23 and 26, where he 

 says that he himself intended to collect the records of the sayings 

 and actions of the prophet in writing. Yet both Aadythes are un- 

 doubtedly genuine. Para. 23 gives us altogether the impression 

 that his contemporaries were wishing to prepare a written code 

 and written records, but that he was opposed to it, and with a view 

 of the more completely putting down their effort, he professed to be 

 of the same mind but anxious first to consult the will of God. 



It was the policy of 'Omar to separate the Arabs from all other 

 nations, and by preserving their savage bravery and keeping up 

 their religious fanaticism to make them the rulers of the world. 

 Writing and erudition did not suit his purpose. Not only because, 

 as the poet says of such a tendency, emolit mores nee sinit esseferos, 

 but also because he wished that the Arabic method of preserving 

 their doctrines should be different from that of the Jews and Chris- 

 tians " who have been led into errors by their books." We find 

 that the Moslims from the earliest times were most anxious to have 

 institutions of their own, as is exemplified in the debate between 



