1866.] MeynanVs Ibn Khordadbeh. 141 



average revenue is therefore (some words unintelligible) 114,457,650 

 Dirhams." 



These data enable us to calculate the price of grain at the time of 

 Qodama. We convert the 100,361,850 Dirhams into Dynars, by 

 dividing the number by 15, and we obtain 6,690,790 Dynars. With 

 this money we purchase all the barley, and as many Korrs of wheat 

 as there are Korrs of barley. Our expenditure amounts to 99,721 X 

 60 = 5,983,260 Dynars to spend and 17,879 Korrs of wheat to buy. 

 If we divide the former number by the latter, we find that the Korr 

 of wheat costs 19J (i. e. 39 Dynars and 10 Kirats), and consequently 

 the Korr of barley 20J Dynars. The result cannot be far from the 

 truth ; for at the time of MoAammad wheat was at Madyna twice as dear 

 as barley (comp. my Leben des Moh., Vol. 3, p. 140), and consequently, 

 if one Korr of wheat and one Korr of barley together cost 60 Dynars, 

 the price of wheat ought to be 40 and that of barley 20 Dynars. 

 But there remains much too great a cost in the division than that 

 Qodama should have neglected it. I therefore propose to read 117,691 

 Korrs of wheat instead of 117,600. If we adopt this reading, a Korr of 

 wheat cost 39 Dynars and 7J Kirats (20 Kirats = 1 Dynar) and a 

 Korr of barley 20 Dynars 12J Kirats. A pound of bread (English 

 weight) may have cost about 3 farthings. 



In Qodama occurs the following passage regarding the assessment of 

 'Omar 1. ±&&* &> c^U^ »£**j w^^I ttfj** cj' f^** cH /**•&-' I J^> 

 (JS i Js £*cji uj^ «-aJ| *J*.J\ ^ajJj j &„, g*A.y &\j~)\ *••*** ^Lai^ 



Qasim b. Sallarn asserts that 'Omar, the son of Khattab, sent 

 'Othman b. i/onayf of Madyna, and that this 'Othman measured the 

 Sawad, and found that it contained 36 (sic) millions Jarybs, and he 

 imposed upon every Jaryb of land, cultivated or fallow, provided it 

 could be irrigated, a tax of one Qafyz and one Dirhain. Qasim 

 says, I have heard that this Qafyz was a cubic measure then in use in 

 the Sawad, and that it was called Shabirqany. YaAya b. Adam says 

 it is identical with the Makhtum of -Sajjdj. 



This account differs from that of other authors, who record that 

 ? Omar I. assessed the Sawad as follows : — 

 19 



