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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
[email protected]
Also known as "people of the book". Refers to Jews, Christians, and more recently, Zoroastrians because these religions have divine books (the Torah, the Gospel, and the Avesta). The are different from Muslims because Muslims have a divine revelation, not a divine book. During the conquests these religious groups were granted "freedom of worship" and Arab leaders were instructed to treat them with respect.
See Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Posted at Mar 10/2011 07:38PM:
ian: IN some sense they formed nations within the Muslim state. Were subject to a poll-tax known as the jizya.