Causes Of Islamic Conquest Essay, Research Paper
Early Islamic conquests saw fragmented tribal
society unified and led by a ruling elite committed to settlement and
Islam. Arab migrations to Fertile Crescent explained
result of policy towards tribesmen.?
Recruited and settled in garrison towns ? easier to control them
and instruments of expansion and control.?
Incentives strong ? wealth of army pay, respect Little evidence migration to settle on rich new
lands ? emigrant tribesmen preferred to remain clustered in garrison towns
or in quarters of established towns. Overpopulation? Umar had difficulty recruiting for
3rd civil war and would surplus population survived in marginal
environment?? Tenuous at best does
not explain sudden burst of energy. Collapse of Arabian luxury trade ? affects Quraysh
and Thaqif and to send tribesmen forward to recapture this implies
political integration with control.?
Migration state policy and implemented by the state ? served
economic interests of the ruling elites.?
?The sooner one settles, the sooner one receives a stipend?. Difficult to assess strategic or tactical prowess
as almost nothing known.? Musims
had no technological advantage and were inferior in terms of cavalry. Conquests made easier by exhaustion of Byzantine
and Sasanian Empire due to prolonged warfare, confusion that reigned in
Sasanian ruling house, disruption caused by recent enemy occupation of
Syria and Iraq, destruction wrought by immense floods in Southern Iraq,
disaffection for religious and other reasons, convenience of inner lines
of communication that Muslims enjoyed Single most important ? remarkable degree to which
a new a new Islamic state with an expansionist policy could harness for
its purposes rugged warriors of Arabia. Rise of state made it possible to weld into a
effective fighting force tribesmen whose energies had previously been
consumed by petty quarrels among themselves and whose political horizons
limited to own tribe and own affairs. Success conquests first and foremost product of
organizational breakthrough of proportions unparalleled in Arabian world. How could have succeeded without rise of a state
capable of integrate Arabia?s fragmented society and draw on it to attain
well-defined political and military objectives.? Not too rash to suggest migh
and Sasanian troubles. Muslims succeeded because able to organize
effective conquest movement ? impact new religion of Islam which provided
ideological underpinnings for remarkable breakthrough in social
organisations ? truly an Islamic movement ? Islam set of beliefs preached
by Muhammad ? social and political ramifications sparked whole integration
process and hence ultimate cause of conquests? success. Question is why did they pursue expansionist
aims?? Religious reasons ? the
elite saw expansion as divine order or way forward ? clearly felt by
contemporaries to be profound effect ? look at social and political
changes.? Islam provides
ideological sanction for personal expansion aim.? Either God?s will or ideologically comfort for persona
desire. Much of elite ? Quraysh and Thawif and many Medinese
expand political boundaries to secure the trans-Arabian commerce ? or
recapture routes that had moved north. Ample evidence suggesting elite still interested in
trade ? Quraysh with long-standing links Syria may well have wanted to go
there ? financial advantages acquisition of properties, ability of state
to levy taxes, booty in wealth and slaves ? example ?Utba b. Abi Sufyan
Umar?s tax agent over Kinana tribe wanted to use money for trade. Expansion in order to preserve hard-won position at
top of the political hierarchy.? Policy of encouraging tribesmen to emigrate – upon
which continual dominance based itself dependent on conquest of new
domains in which emigrant tribesmen could be lodged ? early strategy then
to get Syria or Iraq or part of state?s drive to consolidate power over
all Arab tribes including those on Syrian desert and fringes of Iraq.? Process generated direct cashes with
Byzantine and Sasanian Empires ? led ultimately to conquest of Syria and
Iraq? – does not necessarily imply
conquest of Syria and Iraq conscious objective from the start. Absence of primary sources that might illuminate
actual motivations ? objectives will remain guesses – true causes of
Islamic conquests will remain forever beyond grasp of historical analysis GENERAL POINTS ? starting point civilisation
medieval Islam ? beginning of the end of late antique world.? Dramatic change political patterns
prevailing led to geo-political realities turned upside down.???????
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