Agriculture And Urban Life

Shaduf

primitive irrigation device that requires human power; productivity is very limited

Saqiya

irrigation device that works with animal power; a bit more sophisticated

Noura (Persian wheel)

sophisticated irrigation device; doesn’t require human power. The wheel provides water for aqueducts & can supply water for a town or city

Qanat / kariz (canal; horizontal well)

a very sophisticated underground canal system which provides constantly flowing water by using underground canals (a horizontal canal dug)

Wakil 

in charge of qanats and registers of holders of water from qanats

Arif

technical person / oversaw shares of qanat

Majlis (council)

making decisions about the qanats

Islamic City Structure

Features:

• Walled city.

• Organized quarters (tribal, religious, ethnic).

• Central mosque → economic & political center.

• Market hierarchy (books → clothes → food).

• Heavy industry: textiles.

• Urban militias (Ayyarun, Ahdath, Fityan).

Wealth disparities high but not visually obvious.

Causes of Urban Growth (8th–11th c.):

• Agricultural expansion.
  Conversion & migration to cities.

• Trade networks.

• Political stability in early Abbasid era.

Consequences of urban growth

• Intellectual flourishing.
  Development of bureaucracy.

• Cultural hybridity.