CONCLUSIONtaxation systems at the lowest levels. Enough representatives of the
landed aristocracy of the late Sasanian period survived to preserve the
main outlines of their graded class system among themselves, although
members of the high aristocracy saved themselves and their lands by
joining the Muslims or by seeking positions of leadership in the Nes-
torian Church. This also ensured the survival of Persian festivals and
social customs among Persians in Iraq. Other Persians, such as the
J:Iamrii' and the Asiiwira, saved themselves by joining the Muslims
during the conquest and settled at Basra and Kufa, where they survived
as military units and preserved the Sasanian military traditions of
heavy cavalry equipment and tactics, siege craft, and the use of military
slaves.
Likewise, the sedentary Arab population of Iraq at Hira and Anbar
survived by coming to terms with the Muslims and paying tribute.
Hira remained a sizable town inhabited by non-Muslims into the
eighth century. Greater disruption occurred during the conquest among
the pre-Islamic Arab pastoralist population of Iraq; but in spite of
death, captivity, and the settlement of those pastoralists who joined
the Muslims at Kufa and Basra, the distribution of the pastoral tribes,
with only two exceptions, remained roughly the same after the con-
quest. The pre-Islamic tribes of Taghlib and Namir survived in the
Diyar Rabi'a. The Banii Taghlib even remained Christian and con-
tinued to engage in trade between Iraq and Syria. As far as smaller
ethnic groups are concerned, there was no appreciable change in the
location or behavior of the Kurds, and Turks and Indians were em-
ployed as mercenaries under both regimes. But the replacement of
Syrians by Indians and east Africans as a captive labor force was related
to changes in the agrarian regime.
Pre-Islamic religious traditions and institutions also survived the
conquest in Iraq. Magians were included in the payment of tribute
which, in spite of the destruction of the Magian priestly organization,
allowed the Magian cult and identity to survive among upper class
families because of the largely private nature of the cult. The Jewish
community survived intact with its synagogues, schools, religious law
and court system, rabbis, and exilarch.
The Nestorians survived as a community with their distinctive doc-
trine and with their religious schools and monasteries. The canon law
continued to be developed, and aristocratic laymen continued to be
involved in the election of the clergy. In fact, the momentum built up
by the Nestorians in the formation of their community in the late