The Milch-Camel Exchange: Amr's and Ibn Abi Sarh's Kharaj

اللقاح وأولادها: خراج عمرو وعبد الله بن سعد

c. 25 AH

In al-Baladhuri on Yazid ibn Abi Habib's report: Amr ibn al-As (may God be pleased with him) gathered Egypt's kharaj and jizya at two thousand thousand, while Abdallah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh gathered it at four thousand thousand — whereupon Uthman said to Amr 'the milch-camels of Egypt have milked fuller since you', and Amr answered 'that is because you have starved their calves'. And Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) would record his governors' wealth when appointing them, then share with them whatever grew beyond it, sometimes taking it from them outright — so he wrote to Amr ibn al-As that goods, slaves, vessels and beasts had flourished for him beyond what he held when given Egypt.

Depth

At a glance

Era: The Rashidun Caliphate
Region: Egypt & Nile
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Overview

Al-Baladhuri relates from Yazid ibn Abi Habib that Amr ibn al-As collected the land tax and poll tax of Egypt, two million, and that Abd Allah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh collected four million. ¹

The proverb

Uthman said to Amr that the milch camels of Egypt had yielded their milk since he left. Amr answered that this was because they had starved their young. ¹

Umar's policy

Al-Baladhuri says that Umar ibn al-Khattab used to write down the wealth of his governors when he appointed them, and then share with them what had grown, and sometimes take it from them. He wrote to Amr that goods, slaves, vessels and animals had come to light which were not there when he took over Egypt. ²

The event took place in Fustat, dated about 25 AH in the caliphate of Uthman.

Connections

Explore the connections

Occurred at: Al-Fustat
Had participant: Amr ibn al-As· Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh· Uthman ibn Affan

People and things also explored

Amr's Dismissal and Ibn Abi Sarh's Sole Charge of Egypt· Quraysh· Conquest of Egypt and Alexandria· The First Raid on Ifriqiya and the Killing of Its Patrikios· The forged letter attributed to Uthman· Uthman consults the Companions on the campaign to Ifriqiya· Dar al-Anmat· the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As

Sources

Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition) , p.303
Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition) , p.307

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The Milch-Camel Exchange: Amr's and Ibn Abi Sarh's Kharaj”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/kharaj-milking-egypt/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Amr's Dismissal and Ibn Abi Sarh's Sole Charge of Egypt

In al-Baladhuri: when Amr set his mawla Wardan over Alexandria and returned to al-Fustat, his dismissal came shortly after — Uthman appointing Abdallah ibn Sa'd, his milk-brother, in year 25; or, some say, Abdallah already held Egypt's kharaj and a quarrel ran between him and Amr, so on his complaint Uthman dismissed Amr, joined both offices to Abdallah, and wrote telling him Alexandria had been opened once by force and had twice revolted — ordering a ribat that never leaves it, provisions dealt out to them, and rotation every six months; in a third account, when the Romans descended on Alexandria Egypt's people begged Uthman to keep Amr until the fighting ended, for his war-knowledge and dread in the enemy's souls — he did till they were routed — then Uthman wished to put Amr over the war and Abdallah over the kharaj, which Amr refused saying 'I am like one holding the cow's horns while the amir milks her', so Uthman gave Ibn Sa'd Egypt. And the Abyssinians of al-Bayma kept fighting seven years after Egypt's conquest, uncatchable, never stirring from the waters amid the thickets.