Classification of the Soldiers Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) arranged the masses of the Arab tribes according to the nature of the relations with the Holy Prophet. Those who were the scholars of the Qur’an and those who had rendered special services to Islam received high annuities. The Arab soldiers and their Mawali were assigned three to four hundred dirham each. A hundred dirham each was fixed for weaned children. This was the first example in the military history of the world where the state took the responsibility of feeding and clothing the entire population of the state. A critic like the Sir William Muir writes in Annals of Early Caliphate, ”A great nation dividing thus amongst them their whole revenues, spoils, and conquests, first on the principle of equal brotherhood, and next on that martial merit and spiritual distinction is a spectacle probably without parallel in the world.” Military Districts The vast empire of the Islam was divided into nine military districts apart from the political division of the state. Each one of them called jund. These were the following:
1. Kufa 2. Medina 3. Basrah
4. Mousil 5. Misr, Egypt 6. Fustat
7. Damascus g. Hims 9. Palestine.
These were the most important places of the Caliphate times. There were regular barracks for soldiers in all these places. Each of the nine military stations had a huge stable with 4000 horses and their equipment ready so that at a short notice 36000 cavaliers could be put on the field. Branding of Horses it ’ It was the technique check against the corruption. Every horse was branded on the thigh, fighter in the way of God special attention was devoted to breed superior varieties of horses. Each of the military centre had a record office and a provision store. There was also a pay master attached to each military station through whom salaries were disbursed. Soldier’s Emoluments Great care was taken in the protection and welfare of the soldiers at that time. The less amount of salary in the period of Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) was 200 uirhams per year. With the passage of time the amount increased raised through 600 dirham per year of a soldier. Much attention was paid in the health of the soldiers, each station had a number of physicians and surgeons for the soldiers.
Administration under the Pious Caliphs 345
