In just over a hundred years--from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750--the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far afield as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time. How this collection of Arabian tribes was able to engulf so many empires, states, and armies in such a short period of time is a question that has perplexed historians for centuries. Most recent popular accounts have been based almost solely on the early Muslim sources, which were composed centuries later for the purpose of demonstrating that God had chosen the Arabs as his vehicle for spreading Islam throughout the world. In this ground-breaking new history, distinguished Middle East expert Robert G. Hoyland assimilates not only the rich biographical and geographical information of the early Muslim sources but also the many non-Arabic sources, contemporaneous or near-contemporaneous with the conquests. The story of the conquests traditionally begins with the revelation of Islam to Muhammad. In God's Path, however, begins with a broad picture of the Late Antique world prior to the Prophet's arrival, a world dominated by the two superpowers of Byzantium and Sasanian Persia, "the two eyes of the world." In between these empires, in western (Saudi) Arabia, emerged a distinct Arab identity, which helped weld its members into a formidable fighting force. The Arabs are the principal actors in this drama yet, as Hoyland shows, the peoples along the edges of Byzantium and Persia--the Khazars, Bulgars, Avars, and Turks--also played important roles in the remaking of the old world order. The new faith propagated by Muhammad and his successors made it possible for many of the conquered peoples to join the Arabs in creating the first Islamic Empire. Well-paced and accessible, In God's Path presents a pioneering new narrative of one the great transformational periods in all of history.

In God's Path

A popular history of the Arab invasions that carved out an empire from Spain to China Today's Arab world was created at breathtaking speed. Whereas the Roman Empire took over 200 years to reach its fullest extent, the Arab armies overran the whole Middle East, North Africa and Spain within a generation. They annihilated the thousand-year-old Persian Empire and reduced the Byzantine Empire to little more than a city-state based around Constantinople. Within a hundred years of the Prophet's death, Muslim armies destroyed the Visigoth kingdom of Spain, and crossed the Pyrenees to occupy southern France. This is the first popular English language account of this astonishing remaking of the political and religious map of the world. Hugh Kennedy's sweeping narrative reveals how the Arab armies conquered almost everything in their path. One of the few academic historians with a genuine talent for story telling, he offers a compelling mix of larger-than-life characters, battles, treachery and the clash of civilizations.

The Great Arab Conquests

During much of the twelfth century the Crusaders dominated the military scene in the Levant. The unification of Egypt and Syria by Saladin gradually changed the balance of power, which slowly begun to tilt in favour of the Muslims. This book examines the development and role of Muslim fortresses in the Levant at the time of the Crusaders and the Mongol invasion, situating the study within a broad historical, political and military context. Exploring the unification of Egypt with a large part of Syria and its effect on the balance of power in the region, Raphael gives a historical overview of the resulting military strategies and construction of fortresses. A detailed architectural analysis is based on a survey of four Ayyubid and eight Mamluk fortresses situated in what are today the modern states of Jordan, Israel, Southern Turkey and Egypt (the Sinai Peninsula). The author then explores the connection between strongholds or military architecture, and the development of siege warfare and technology, and examines the influence of architecture and methods of rule on the concept of defence and the development of fortifications. Drawing upon excavation reports, field surveys and contemporary Arabic sources, the book provides the Arabic architectural terminology and touches on the difficulties of reading the sources. Detailed maps of the fortresses in the region, the Mongol invasion routs, plans of sites and photographs assist the reader throughout the book, providing an important addition to existing literature in the areas of Medieval Archaeology, Medieval military history and Middle Eastern studies.

Muslim Fortresses in the Levant

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 91. Chapters: Islamic conquest of Afghanistan, Rashidun Caliphate, Khalid ibn al-Walid, Spread of Islam, Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent, Muslim conquest of Egypt, History of Islam in southern Italy, Muslim conquests, Military campaigns under Caliph Uthman, Emirate of Sicily, Umayyad conquest of North Africa, Military conquests of Umar's era, Futuh, Siege of Alexandria, Umayyad conquest of Hispania, Battle of Bosra, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Timur's invasions of Georgia, Emirate of Bari, Sabuktigin, Battle of Iron Bridge, Siege of Marash, Battle of Hazir, Battle of Marj-al-Rahit, Siege of Aleppo, Anbasa ibn Suhaym Al-Kalbi, Peter of Farfa, Battle of Fahl, Asad ibn al-Furat. Excerpt: The Rashidun Caliphate (Arabic: ), comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia in the east. It was the largest empire in history up until that time. It is also known as the Patriarchal Caliphate. Expansion of Rashidun Caliphate.After Muhammad's death in 632, the Medinan Ansar debated which of them should succeed the Prophet in running the affairs of the Muslims while the Muhammad's household was busy in his burial. Umar (a Quraysh) and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah pledged their loyalty to Abu Bakr, with the Ansar and the Quraish soon following suit. Abu Bakr thus became the first Khalifa Rasul Allah (Successor of the Messenger of God), and embarked on campaigns to propagate Islam. First, though, he would have to subdue the Arabian tribes which had gone back on their oaths of allegiance to Islam and the Islamic community. As a Khalifa or Caliph he was not a monarch and never claimed such a title nor did his three...

Islamic Conquests

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 102. Chapters: Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Anbasa ibn Suhaym Al-Kalbi, Arab conquest of Armenia, Arab rule in Georgia, Asad ibn al-Furat, Battle of Bosra, Battle of Fahl, Battle of Hazir, Battle of Namaraq, Battle of the Iron Bridge, Emirate of Bari, Emirate of Crete, Emirate of Sicily, Futuh, History of Islam in southern Italy, Islamic conquest of Afghanistan, Khalid ibn al-Walid, Marwan ibn Muhammad's invasion of Georgia, Military campaigns under Caliph Uthman, Military conquests of Umar's era, Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent, Muslim conquest of Egypt, Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, Muslim conquest of Transoxiana, Peter of Farfa, Rashidun Caliphate, Sabuktigin, Siege of Aleppo (637), Siege of Alexandria (641), Siege of Germanicia, Spread of Islam, Timur's invasions of Georgia, Umayyad conquest of Hispania. Excerpt: The Rashidun Caliphate (Arabic: al-khil fat ar-R shid yah), (c. 632-661) is the collective term comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632 (Year 10 A.H. in the Islamic calendar). At its height, the Caliphate controlled a vast empire from the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, to the Caucasus in the north, North Africa from Egypt to present day Tunisia in the west, and the Iranian highlands to Central Asia in the east. Expansion of Rashidun Caliphate.After Muhammad's death in 632, the Medinan Ansar debated which of them should succeed him in running the affairs of the Muslims while Muhammad's household was busy with his burial. Umar (a Quraish) and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah pledged their loyalty to Abu Bakr, with the Ansar and the Quraish soon following suit. Abu Bakr thus became the first Khalifa Rasul Allah (Successor of the Messenger of God), and embarked on campaigns to propagate Islam. First, though, he would have to subdue the Arabian tribes...

Muslim Conquests

Unlike other histories of the early Islamic period, which focus on the political and military aspects of the conquests, this book is about narrative history and the constitution of identity in the changing and dynamic landscape of the early Islamic world.--provided by publisher.

Damascus After the Muslim Conquest

The spread of Islam and the process of Islamisation (meaning both conversion to Islam and the adoption of Muslim culture) is explored in the twenty-four chapters of this volume. Taking a comparative perspective, both the historical trajectory of Islamisation and the methodological problems in its study are addressed, with coverage moving from Africa to China and from the seventh century to the start of the colonial period in 1800. Key questions are addressed. What is meant by Islamisation? How far was the spread of Islam as a religion bound up with the spread of Muslim culture? To what extent are Islamisation and conversion parallel processes? How is Islamisation connected to Arabisation? What role do vernacular Muslim languages play in the promotion of Muslim culture? The broad, comparative perspective allows readers to develop a thorough understanding of the process of Islamisation over eleven centuries of its history.

Islamisation

From a leading expert in Arabic history, an engaging history of the great Islamic expansion that carved out an empire from Spain to Asia

In this contribution to the ongoing debate on the nature and causes of the Islamic conquests in Syria and Iraq during the sixth and seventh centuries, Fred Donner argues for a necessary distinction between the causes of the conquests, the causes of their success, and the causes of the subsequent Arab migrations to the Fertile Crescent. Originally published in 1982. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Early Islamic Conquests

The Muslim conquest of the Levant, also known as the Arab expansion, was a pivotal historical event that took place during the 7th century. Beginning in 634 CE, Islamic forces led by Caliph Abu Bakr and subsequently Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab embarked on a series of military campaigns that ultimately resulted in the Arab-Muslim control of the Levant region, including modern-day Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and parts of Lebanon. This conquest played a crucial role in the spread of Islam and reshaped the political and religious landscape of the Middle East, marking a significant chapter in both Islamic history and the history of the Levant.

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Muslim conquest of the Levant

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