Arab Imperialism
Carl Ernst
Reli 180, Intro to Islamic civilization
September 2, 2008
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 Qur’an.
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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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 Muhammad’s
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 Mu`awiya ( 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 ( 632634), 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 women’s roles
Social rules of women in Arabia
Debated verses from Qur’an 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
Qur’an inscriptions the earliest dated
version of the text; mostly about Qur’anic
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 alMafjar (742-3, near Jericho)
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Painting behind the throne:
the 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
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