Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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A. Semi-Local Autonomy and Government and Control
Traditional town rulers enjoyed semi-autonomy and inhabitants exercised exclusive
rights in the regulation of local growth. Amirs had substantial local powers in the control
of local affairs of settlements. The organization of a settlement's form largely comprised
sub territorial enclaves denoting quarters dominated by large families represented by
notables who were consulted by the amir in local and inter-settlements matters. Under
the traditional form of leadership, local rulers relied on a combination of personal
discretion, Islamic legal advice, consultation with prominent town inhabitants, and if
necessary, coercion to maintain their power. In some cases, authority of amirs spilled
over and influenced tribes and villages living within their vicinity. As such, the
"...environment was shaped through mutual agreement and time-tested convictions with
minimum intervention from authorities." 2
B. The Economy
Agriculture was the mainstay of most of Arabia's settlements, while coastal
settlements added fishing and other maritime means of livelihood. Makkah and Madinah
were exceptions. The consecration of Makkah and Madinah as holy cities following the
advent of Islam in the seventh century A.D. bestowed prosperity on the two towns, thanks
to the pilgrim-related economy. Still, most of Arabian settlement economies were limited
to simple forms of bazaar economies of the Middle East: a family organized activity,
typically a risk-minimizing one rather than profit-seeking venture. Due to dispersed
political control, geographic isolation and the precarious harsh environment of the desert,
economic growth was inadequate to stimulate economic prosperity and urbanization.
Riyadh and Huraimla typified the norm in central Arabia, in which a majority of the
population was involved in agriculture whose surplus fed a small population of literati,
petty traders and craftsmen. Inhabitants bartered commodities (e.g. grain and dates) in
exchange for services and goods, especially in central Arabia. The use of specie and
coins was rare. 3
Traditional Muslim towns relied on Islamically established methods of collecting
taxes (e.g. zakat) and fees from those living within their confines and the hinterland. 4
Such teachings guarded individuals against exorbitant taxation, hence limiting revenues
to political leadership. 5 Islamic institutions, specifically, waqf (religiously-inspired