Реферат: Islamic Conquests Up To 700 Ad

often the case in this period the external pressures of the 7th

century intensified existing internal problems.? It would be wrong however to underplay Arab strengths.? The unity of purpose and organizational

power of the Islamic state was remarkable.?

In less than 40 years Muhammad and his successors under the umbrella of

Islam had created a centralised Arabian state capable of defeating both

powers.? The strength of Islam in

creating the state and in providing the ideological underpinning for centralisation

and expansion was extremely significant.?

It is for these reasons that I believe that Arab strengths were more

important than Roman and Persian weaknesses.?

Yes, the position of the great powers was perilous, but the phenomenal

rise of the Islamic state was needed to fully exploit both powers? weaknesses. In the two decades after the

Byzantine occupation of Ctesiphon in 629 the newly formed Islamic state had

destroyed the Sasaninan Empire whilst severely damaged the Byzantine

Empire.? These gains were by no means

temporary.? Indeed our period sees the

strengthening and expansion of these gains into northern Africa and the

Mediterranean Islands. Yet, before Muhammad?s extraordinary rise to power there

had been no Islamic state at all.? In a

little over a decade Muhammad and his followers had converted a raft of

separate and nomadic tribes into a state capable of defeating both the region?s

great powers.? This conquest was as

unexpected as it was remarkable.? I will

attempt to highlight both the Arabian strengths and the Byzantine and Persian

weaknesses before examining their relative importance. The Arabs strength was primarily

based on their unity.? Whilst nomadic

warriors were mobile and effective, they had previously lacked the unity of

purpose and unity of action to pose a serious threat to either of the great

powers.? These nomadic tribes were more