The Arab Conquest and the High Caliphate
I. Introduction
Rise of the Arab Empire
II. The Evolution of the Early Caliphate
A. The First Succession Crisis1. Abu Bakr (r. 632-634)
2. Umar (634-644)
III. Conquest of the Byzantine Middle East
A. Syria1. Yarmuk (636)
2. Jerusalem (637)
B. Egypt
IV. Destruction of the Persian Empire
A. Qadisiyah (637)
B. Persia Defeated (651)
V. Why Successful?
A. Jihad?
B. Mobility
C. Exhausted Enemies
D. Religious Discontent and Muslim Tolerance
VI. Succession Crises
A. The First Fitnah1. Uthman (r. 644-656)
2. Muhammed Ali (r. 656-661)– Battle of the Camel (656)
– Battle of Siffin (657)
3. Mu'awiyah (r. 661-680)
4. Yazid (r. 680-683)
VII. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750)
A. The Solidification of Umayyad Power1. The Second Fitnah
2. Abd al-Malik (r. 685-705)b. Rationalized Administration
a. Dome of the Rock Mosque
VII. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750)
B. New Conquests1. North Africa and Spain
2. Central Asia, China, and India
3. The Byzantine Empire
VII. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750)
C. Tax Reform and the Growth of Islam1. Pact of Umar
D. Demise of the Umayyad Dynasty
VIII. The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258)
A. Founding1. Baghdad
B. The Arab Empire's Golden Age: Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)
The Arab Conquests
Greek Fire
IX. Conclusion
• Continuity
• Change