Nabataeans of Iraq

Nabataeans of Iraq or Nabatees of Iraq were an ancient group people who settled in central and southern Iraq and in Ahwaz during the Medieval age. They were known as farmers and Aramaic language speakers. They are mentioned by many medieval historians like Al-Masudi, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Nadim, Said al-Andalusi and Bar Hebraeus.

Name

There are different views of their name. The overwhelming view is that medieval Arabs called them Nabataeans which mean planters, because their most known profession was farming. An alternate view is that it was because they are descendant from Nebaioth son of Ishmael. The medieval historians called them Nabatees of Iraq or Nabatees of Sawad to differentiate them from Nabataeans who settled in the Levant.[1]

Origins

Nabataeans of Iraq were known as Aramaic native speakers. historians like Al-Masudi and Said al-Andalusi belong them to Chaldeans The people who rule region many centuries ago. Al-Andalusi said in his book Tabaqāt al-ʼUmam (Categories of Nations) That The Chaldeans are Syriacs and Babylonians, and Nabataeans of Sawad of Iraq are one of them, and they settled in middle and south of Iraq and also in al Jazira region (Upper Mesopotamia).[2] Al-Masudi on his book At-Tanbih wa-l-'Ishraf said that Nabataeans of Iraq like many of their neighbor people from Aramns (Arameans), Nenivites, Athorees (Assyrians), Garamiqs and Ardwanees that they are descendants from Chaldeans.[3] other historians like Ibn Habib Al-Baghdadi said that The Nabataeans are Syriacs and Kayanians and they descendant from Nabat son of Aram, son of Shem.[4] while Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said that they are Arabs, but because their mixture with Persians and Romans their language are mess up.[5]

History

Nabataeans they were mentioned by several historians like Al-Masudi, Ibn Khaldun and Said al-Andalusi as descendants of great civilizations like Babylonia and that they are highly educated people of their time.[6] they specializing in farming. they had many expert on farming such as Ibn Wahshiyya who write many books on farming.[7] their main cities was Babylon, Kulwatha, Kutha, Kashkar, Aqar-Qūf, Nippur, Al-Hirah and Anbar. before Islam they believe in many religions such Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Paganism and Mandaeism. because they were called as Syriacs that mean mainly of them belong to The Church of East and Syriac Orthodox Church. Medieval Arabs dislike them because their embrace to their Region or village origin more than their tribal origin, and also because they only specializing in farming not on skills of Equestrianism and duel. there a hadith attributed to Caliph Umar said: do not be like Nabataeans of Sawad, if they questioned for their origin, they answered from this village or this.[8] while Ibn Abbas said that Quraysh descendant from Nabataeans of Iraq.[9] according to Al-Masudi said that most of Nabataeans convert to Islam.[10] according to Tajārib al-Umam to Miskawayh is said that Ibn Haitham was Nabataean.[11] modern historian like Ali Al-Wardi viewed that many famous Muslim scholar such as Abu Hanifa and Maytham al-Tammar that they Nabataeans by origin.[12]

References
  1. Who are the Nabataeans today?
  2. Tabaqāt al-ʼUmam (Categories of Nations) for Said al-Andalusi, Hajret Publishing house 1997, page 123.
  3. At-Tanbih wa-l-'Ishraf for Al-Masudi, page 78 Leiden publishing 1893.
  4. Nabataeans and what belong to them to Dr Rahman Hussain Ali Al-Jizani
  5. Nabataeans and what belong to them to Dr Rahman Hussain Ali Al-Jizani
  6. Nabataeans and what belong to them to Dr Rahman Hussain Ali Al-Jizani
  7. Natural History" by S.H. Nasr in A History of Muslim Philosophy, edited and introduced by M.M. Sharif (1966), volume II, p. 1323
  8. ما صحة أثر عمر: ""تعلموا النسب، ولا تكونوا كنبط السواد إذا سئل أحدهم عن أهله قال من قرية كذا""؟"
  9. النهاية في غريب الحديث والأثر » حرف الكاف » باب الكاف مع الواو
  10. Nabataeans and what belong to them to Dr Rahman Hussain Ali Al-Jizani
  11. تجارب الأمم وتعاقب الهمم ابن مسكويه
  12. حوار مع العلامة علي الوردي ، علي الثويني ، جريدة الراصد ، بغداد ، العدد 876
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