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The Yemeni Poet Al-Zubayri 93
advantage of the economic opportunity afforded by the exploita­
tion of oil wealth, despite the vigorous aid given to agricultural
development by the benevolent British protecting power. During
the last two or three years, emigration to Sa‘udl Arabia from the
Yemen Arab Republic is on a scale that menaces agriculture every­
where.5
The Imams drew their revenues mostly from the tithes (‘ushur)
on crops and the customs duties 0mukus), the latter regarded by
strictly orthodox 'ulama*as breaking Islamic law—so it was essential
to collect the full revenue from agriculture. By contrast today only
a small part of the revenue of the Republic consists of the tithes on
crops, and so the Government can afford to let the zakat, as it is
called, be used in part for purely local projects. Under the Imams
many Yemenis lived at subsistence level but the country was
independant—today it is economically dependant on other Arab
states, mainly Sa‘udl Arabia, and therefore politically dependant
also, with a fantastically high proportion of its menfolk working
outside the country—but living standards in general have vastly
improved.
It must be obvious that the Yemen lacked the capital to embark
on major development projects like the San‘a’-Hodeidah road,
quite apart from possessing none of the technical skills required.
Nevertheless from my own experience I can say that the Imams did
pay some attention to building roads and to agricultural develop­
ment, even if the latter was only for their personal advantage. Of
course their modest efforts cannot compare with the major projects
of today mainly financed by gifts of foreign capital.
Zubayri however belongs to the era of the Imams and is
concerned with attacking the existing political situation while
economics mean little to him. Today already he appears as belong­
ing to a far by-gone-age.

Biography
Of Zubayri’s career, on which I intend to publish an account, a few
relevant details are necessary. Appointed a government official
about 1937, in the district (qada0 of al-Qa‘amirah with its capital
Mawiyah about 50 km. east of Ta‘izz, near the Aden Protectorate
frontier, he was so disquieted by the unjust practices of officials
that he left and went to Egypt in 1357/1938-9, accompanying
Sayyid ‘Abdullah b. ‘All al-Wazir with whom his father had been a
close friend. ‘Abdullah al-Wazir had looked after Zubayri when
his father died. In Cairo he attached himself to Dar al-‘Ulum as an
auditor (tilmidh mustami*) and in the same role he also attended