Islamic ConquestsAnd civil war: the Sunni/Shiite division

Conquest paradox"Early Islamic conquests were not

accompanied by some fanatical desire to convert the world.  The Muslim conquests have to be understood in terms of religious motivation but not in terms of a determination to wipe out Judaism and Christianity." – Paul Freedman

Rapid Islamic expansion not accompanied by mandatory conversions.

Motivation to conquer not equitable to desire to spread religion.

650-750, more on the paradoxInternal division manifestNature of religion not decidedConquest not equal to

conversion

Successor to Mohammed?Seal of the prophetsMilitary, religious, civilAbu Bakr elected CaliphAli, husband of Fatima, disputesRidea/apostasy – rejection of Abu Bakr

◦Will become Shiite Systematic conquest of apostasy turns

to conquest of outsidersMilitary energy turns from internal to

external

Factors for quick conquestRomans and Persians worn outRazzi turn into territorial gainsVikings of the desert? Minority religions: Monophysites

and ZoroastriansJihad, struggle, against other

religions or internecine. Religious motivation but not justification.

ConquestsConquest of Persia, Syria,

Palestine, Egypt under OmarFall of Damascus, 634Invasion of Spain, 711

Administration of Arab ConquestsNo rule on how this works

◦Alexandria surrenders, people allowed to keep things as they were

◦Plunder readily available from the state and church, so populations left alone

◦Taxes assessed double to non-Muslims

◦Land tax◦Imperial bureaucracies maintained,

official languages ◦Daily life maintains basically the

same

ToleranceNo interest in conversion to

Islam, keep higher tax bracketRespect for people of the bookConfidence in Islam itselfUntil 750, no mass conversions to

Islam in conquered territories

Umayyad Dynasty, Shiite Division644, Murder of

OmarAli defeated

again in election, by Uthman

Meccan establishment returns to power to the great chagrin of Ali

Uthman continues conquestsBattle of the Masts, islands fall

ArmeniaDislike for Uthman, monarch

rather than caliphMurder of Uthman, 656

Ali proclaimed CaliphBy the assassins of UthmanUmayyads oppose AliFirst civil war started by the

Umayyad Mu'awiya the governor of Damascus

Gives rise to third party against both groups. Messy civil war

Capital from Medina to Damascus

Mu'awiyaMoves capital to DamascusCosmopolitan move away from

ArabiaTransforms caliphate into

monarchyUmmayad

Shiites emergeMinority emerge against Sunni and

UmayyadsPermanent dissidents

◦Reject caliph, because of dynastic question also because he is monarchical, shiites call it tyranny

◦Egalitarian yet violent opposition emerges

◦Shiites call for imam, a spiritual savior who is inspired.

◦11 imams are all there

12th imamPeriod of occultationIdea he will come and set things

rightShia tends towards Arabian

values, purity, apocalypse, etc discontents

Sunnis towards established authority, more cosmopolitian

Mawali (mawal singular) are non-Arab Muslims and not the Shia preference