AnExplanationofMilitarySlavery
79
They
watchcarefullyallsidesof
theroad.
They
takehurriednaps
onlywhenthey
are
together
in
company
or
when
they
areinthe
saddle.Theypay
attentionto
every
faintbarking
andnoise.
They
go
aloneintothedesert,
guided
by
their
fortitude,putting
their
trustinthemselves.Fortitude
hasbecomeacharacterqualityof
theirs,andcourage
theirnature.
They
useit
whenever
they
are
calledupon
oranalarmstirsthem.
54
Insum,theirenvironmentcompelled
these
peoples
tode-
velop
the
physical
and mental
qualities
ideal for
military
prowess.
Theweak
perished
andthe
survivorsmade
powerful
soldiers.
Again
Ibn
Khaldfin:
Since desertlifenodoubt
isthereasonfor
bravery,savage
groups
arebraver
thanothers.
They
are,therefore,betterableto
achievesuperiority
andtotake
away
thethingsthat
areinthe
handsofothernations Themorefirmlyrootedin
deserthabits
andthewildera
group
is,the
closerdoesitcometo
achieving
[military]
superiority
overothers.
Besides these martial advantages
which
marginal
area sol-
diersheldoverall
government
area
peoples,they
hadanaddi-
tional
strength
over
Muslimsfrom
government
areas;
by
defini-
tion,therewasno
government
in
marginal
areas,sothe
peoples
wholivedtherewerenotruled
by
aconstitutedpolitical
author-
ity
whichfellshortoftheIslamic ideals. They
had
nothing,
therefore,fromwhichtoturn
inward.Muslimswhowerenot
subjects
did not relinquish power
because no
government
existedtoalienate
them.Theirsmall-scaleandIslamicgroup-
ings
involvedthemintheexerciseofpower;
asaresult,
they
consistently
ruledandfought.
Thecombinationofnot
being
alienated
andinnate
militarysuperioritygave
marginal
areasol-
diersanenormous
advantage
over
Muslim
peoples.
It
explains
whythey
werethemainMuslimpolitical
actors;
they
dominated
Islamicate
public
life,founding
the
dynasties
andstaffing
the
armies.
The
relinquishment
of
power
by
insidersandthe
strength
of
marginal
areasoldiersresulted
ina
generalpattern;
soldiers
from
54.
Muq,
1:257-58.
- Muq,1:282-83.