Dhimmis & Jizyah – Jizyah Series – Part 4

 

Dhimmis & Jizyah – Jizyah Series – Part 4

Pankaj Saxena 

Non-Muslims, ‘protected’ by paying Jizyah, were called Dhimmis/ Jimmis. Muslims, taking tax, were called ‘Jimmedar’. This is the origin of word ‘Jimmedar’; it means a Muslim who is responsible for collecting religious tax from Hindus.

Dhimmis/ Zimmis were not citizens. They had no rights. Neither political nor fundamental. They were never appointed to any position of power. They could never exercise voting of any kind. They could never lead an army.

 Many disabilities were inflicted on Dhimmis. They could not:

1) Couldn’t build new temples.

2) Couldn’t repair temples destroyed by Muslims.

3) Couldn’t sound bells in their temples to inconvenience Muslims. 

4) Couldn’t display their dharmic symbols openly.

5)  The Dhimmi had to open his house, shop and temple to any Muslims who wished to stay.

6) Couldn’t do their chants inside their own temples loudly.

7) Couldn’t stop any relative from converting to Islam.

8) Couldn’t dress like a Muslim.

9) Could not ride horses or camels. 

10) Could not use Arabic.

11) Could not buy or keep arms of any kind.

12) Could not make their houses higher than Muslims. 

13) Had to stand up for a Muslim in a public gathering.

These terms were meant for 1) The suppression and disappearance of the religion & culture of non-Muslims; 2) Constant insult of non-Muslims to encourage them to convert to Islam 3) To make them incapable of fighting or standing up to Islamic rulers.

We see that a lot of these infirmities are still upon the Hindu society. The government funds minority institutions but not Hindu ones. Muslim majority areas force the Hindus to stop displaying their religious symbols in public. Muslims stock arms while Hindus don’t & can’t.

Muslim lawmakers cite a letter by Caliph Umar as a document to implement Jizyah in subsequent years and other places. The letter allows Christians of Damascus to continue their religion by paying Jizyah. Let us go read the terms in full.

'not to build in Damascus and its environs church, convent, chapel, monk's hermitage;

'not to repair what is dilapidated of our churches nor any of them that are in Muslim quarters;

'not to withhold our churches from Muslims stopping there by night or day;

'to open doors to the traveller and the wayfarer;

'not to shelter there nor in our houses a spy, not to hide one who is a traitor to the Muslims;

'to beat the naqus only gently in our churches;

'not to display a cross on them;

'not to raise our voices in prayer or chanting in our churches;

'not to carry in procession a cross or our book;

'not to take our Easter or Psalm Sunday processions;

 'not to raise our voices over our dead, nor to show fires with them in the markets of the Muslims, nor bring our funerals near them;

'not to sell wine nor parade idolatry in companies of Muslims;

'not to entice a Muslim to our religion nor invite him to it;

'not to keep slaves who have been the property of Muslims;

'not to prevent any relative from entering Islam if he wishes it;

'to keep our religion wherever we are;

'not to resemble the Muslims in wearing the qalansuwah (hat of a Greek priest), the turban, shoes, nor in the parting of the hair, nor in the way of riding;

'not to use their language nor be called by their names;

'to cut the hair in front and divide our forelocks;

'to tie the zunnar round our waists;

'not to engrave Arabic on our seals;

'not to ride our saddles;

'not to keep arms nor put them in our houses nor wear swords;

'to honour Muslims in their gatherings to guide them on the road, to stand up in public meetings when they wish it

'not to make our houses higher than theirs;

'not to teach our children the Koran;

'not to be partners with a Muslim except in business;

'to entertain every Muslim traveller in our customary style and feed them in it three days;

'We will not abuse a Muslim and he who strikes a Muslim has forfeited his rights.' 

You can see that this letter decided most of the disabilities that were inflicted upon non-Muslims paying Jizyah.

===