Intellectualism In The 13th Century

Economic developments matched this new surge of intellectualism, bringing al-Andalus and the dhimmi into the global sphere. While other dhimmi took advantage of cultural and social opportunities, still countless others became active participants and leaders in the economy. As second class citizens, the dhimmis were the most viable candidates for an urban middle class and soon had access to multiple professional and administrative careers. They collaborated closely with Muslims to urbanize the empire and be recognized as a global economic power.
Attracting millions, cities of intellectualism were among the first to develop into major urban centers, followed by several others. By the 10th century, Cordoba housed a population of more than 500,000–the
Extensive improvements to Roman irrigation through the waterwheel and mill supported large-scale agriculture, allowing for the introduction of new crops such as pomegranates, oranges, lemons, bananas, flax, sugar, and multiple others. Once unheard of in Iberia, Andalusians now used water wheels in abundance (Appendix B Figure 2). By the thirteenth century, five thousand waterwheels had been assembled by the Guadalquivir River alone (“Muslim Spain, 711-1492”). Coupled with this effective water system, hundreds of the newly introduced crops proved quite resistant to drought, so that farmers could cultivate “unproductive land” easily. Another technique that led to a large food surplus, the Muslims began the practice of cultivating the fields once per year rather than continuing the Visigothic tradition of bi-annual cultivation (“Al-Andalus: Economy”). The effect was immediate; by the late tenth century, annual state revenues totaled to about 6,245,000 dinars, of which 5,480,000 dinars came from kharak–a tax on agricultural land (Lewis 332). It was an impressive feat that brought the nation great prosperity. Due to these successes, Iberians had healthier diets and longer lifespans, resulting in a larger population. Hasdai ibn Shaprut, a Jewish diplomat, scholar, and physician observed that al-Andalus “[was] a land rich of grains, wines, and purest oils, rich in plants, a paradise of every sort of sweet.
The dhimmi population began to exercise appreciable influence in government, culture, and economy. Serving as a crucial link between the Muslims and the rest of the world, their level of collaboration helped initiate a golden age and accomplishments that would impact civilizations for centuries to come. To this day, Umayyad conquest of Spain remains one of few cases of imperialism in which the indigenous population saw growth and