Arab Imperialism

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Arab Imperialism

• Carl Ernst
• Reli 180, Intro to Islamic civilization
• September 2, 2008

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A note on revisionist historians

• Egger, page 32 Patricia Crone, John Wansborough,
  etc.
• Questions speculating about traditional Muslim
  sources, the geographical location of Islam, and
  the codification of the Quran.
• Debate cannot be dismissed, but documentary
  evidence is lacking for these theories

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Arab Imperialism -- overview

• Conquest of Persian and much of Byzantine Empire
• Two empires exhausted
• Battle over relic of True Cross
• Conquered territories as a cash cow for
  exploitation rather than expansion of Islamic
  society
• Amazingly swift conquests
• Administration of Muslims and non-Muslims

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(No Transcript)
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Arab conquests Arabia and Fertile Crescent

• Factions emerge to contest leadership
• Muslim emigrants to Medina (Muhajirun)
• Muslims in Medina (Ansar)
• Last-minute Muslim converts in Mecca
• Wars of Apostasy (ridda) afte Muhammads death,
  two major transitions
• Subduing rebellious tribes, then all Arab
  communities
• Conquering Arabian Peninsula, then invading
  Byzantine and Persian empires

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Factors aiding the conquest

• Expansion of Arabs geopolitical motives beyond
  securing borders
• Inspiration of religion combined with the promise
  of loot
• Nomadic reliance on raiding settlements,
  channeled outwards as Arabia is unified
• problem of handling new military
  recruits, need for further conquests
  

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Byzantine weakness in Syria

• Large Arab population
• Defensive tactics
• Byzantine troops were two thirds Arab
• Monophysite Christians and Jews disliked
  Byzantine oppression
• Damascus captured 636, becomes
  military and political center of caliphate

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Conquest of Iraq and Egypt

• Arab armies defeat Sasanian forces in North and
  South Iraq by 638
• Amr ibn al-As conquers Egypt, 636-641, welcomed
  by Coptic Christians
• Garrison cities (Kufah, Basrah Fustat Cairo)
  established for Arab armies, keeping them
  separate from the locals

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Iran

• Conquest proceeds despite death of 2nd Caliph,
  Umar (644)
• Fars (Persian heartland) subjugated by 650,
  Khorasan (NE) by 654
• Distractions of civil war after assassination of
  3rd Caliph, Uthman (656), as 4th Caliph, Ali,
  fights Muawiya ( Damascus) up to his murder in
  661

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Other regions (rapid conquests learned about much
after the fact)

• North Africa integration of Berber nomads into
  conquering army
• Spain (711, at the request of Visigoths), Muslims
  welcomed by Jewish population
• 50,000 Arabs sent to colonize Central Asia (Merv,
  671)
• Non-Muslim Syrians and Iranians join army
• Indus valley conquered in 711

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Umayyad administration the caliphate

• Election of Abu Bakr as 1st Caliph ( 632-634),
  tribal form of succession and allegiance oath
• Earliest title khalifat Allah, deputy of God
  (up to Abbasids)theological
• Later changed to khalifat rasul Allah, successor
  of the messenger of God
• Finally Commander of the Faithful, military and
  prayer leader

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Umayyad administration administration of
non-Muslims

• Correction to Egger (47) while chronicles
  suggest violent campaigns, ceramic archaeological
  evidence indicates slower peaceful penetration of
  Arabs (Prof. Jodi Magness)
• Arabs adopt Sasanian policy of recognizing other
  religious groups and leaders, rather than
  Byzantine orthodoxy model
• Tax (jizya) on non-Muslims

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Umayyad administration administration of Muslims

• Controlling armies by settlement in garrison
  towns
• Shift from loot to regular pay for soldiers, land
  revenue
• Non-Arab converts adopted as clients of Arab
  tribes
• Inequality and tension with non-Arab Muslims
• Tax incentive to conversion

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Umayyad administration administration of Muslims
(2)

• Gender and regulation of womens roles
• Social rules of women in Arabia
• Debated verses from Quran on polygamy,
  inheritance, dowry, divorce, modesty
• Debated origins of veiling and seclusion
  Sasanian and Byzantine upper-class women
• Continuation of previous empires tax collectors,
  languages, coins
• Imposition of Arabic as state language,
  construction of Dome of the Rock ( 691)

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Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (691) imperial and
religious
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Dome of the Rock
Interior view
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Dome of the Rock

• Quran inscriptions the earliest dated version of
  the text mostly about Quranic doctrine of Jesus
  as human prophet

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Dome of the Rock
Royal motifs of crown and jewels, suggesting
imperial tribute
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An Umayyad Palace Khirbat al-Mafjar (742-3, near
Jericho)
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Painting behind the thronethe world-emperor
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To side of throne
Salutations from the kings of the world, in Greek
and Arabic
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Paintings in the bath
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Greek zodiac on ceiling dome
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Dissolution of Arab Empire

• Limits of conquest machine
• Garrison cities fail to segregate Arabs from
  locals ethnic and cultural mixing (Arabs learn
  Persian, non-Muslims Arabized)
• Problem of maintaining Arab armies, limits of
  plunder as source of revenue
• Rebellions among Iranians, also Berbers (740)
• Instability, overthrow Umayyads in 750

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Conclusion

• Umayyad Empire based on constant conquests, the
  exploitation of non-Arabs for the benefit of
  Arabs
• Islamic and Arabic identity now spread beyond the
  Arabs through religion and language, tied to
  empire
• Important cultural and administrative continuity
  with previous empires