Wadi H. M. Divans and their role in economic growth in the Abbasid era

Abstract

Divans are formal administrative and regulatory institutions that represent the interface or reflective mirrors of the state's management policy. Some of them also served as treasuries for storing funds. Through the policy directed by the caliphs of the Abbasid dynasty, these divans played a prominent role in guiding the state's agricultural, industrial, commercial, and financial policies. The divans were established according to need, meaning they were not all created at once but rather emerged as a result of the administrative and organizational evolution of society. Their inception was simple, with limited organization and performance, but they became more complex and expanded over time, in line with the tasks assigned to them as state administration grew more intricate. Some divans were characterized by permanence, while others were temporary, ceasing to exist once the need for them disappeared and fading away with the disappearance of the reasons for their establishment. Researching the role of the divans in promoting economic activity during the Abbasid era is considered one of the important topics in Islamic economics. It represents a serious attempt to uncover the theoretical aspects that can, in light of them, enable an understanding of the nature of the legislative rules that assist the state in outlining the main axes of its financial policy. It also aids in diagnosing and understanding the methods of revenue collection, the techniques for gathering taxes, and the ways of spending funds in service of the public interest.