Tag Archives: Persia

Death of Caliph Umar: What Now? 644

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Ruth

Umar’s sudden death came directly from the breadth of the conquests during his reign. Medina was no longer an isolated town of date farmers who all knew each other; it was an imperial capital with embassies. It had probably outgrown … Continue reading →

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The Battle of Nahavand, 642

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Ruth

The rest of Persia, the territory that makes up the modern nations of Iran, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan, was conquered by two separate military campaigns. The first was a defensive action by the Arab commanders in Iraq, while the second invasion … Continue reading →

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The Amazing Wealth of Persia, 638-40

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Ruth

Persian luxury was famous; even then, they put carpets on the ground that others would have prized as blankets or wall coverings. In the negotiations before the Battle of Qadisiyah, Arabs had taken pains to ruin any carpets they were … Continue reading →

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Conquering the Tigris, 636-7

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Ruth

The Arab general Khalid had moved quickly up the Euphrates River in 634, but he left his gains there and went to Syria. Now, with Damascus and Jerusalem securely held by Muslims and the remaining armies tackling the tougher port … Continue reading →

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Persia in 632

Posted on April 4, 2021 by Ruth

Rome vs. Persia: In the 610s, Persia was racking up victories, and in the 620s, Constantinople began reversing them. By 630, under pressure of war expenses, both empires had meddled in the other side’s revolutions, supporting either a rebel or … Continue reading →

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Challenge to the Roman Empire

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Ruth

During these same years when Mecca and Medina had a truce, then Mecca surrendered and the idols were smashed, a larger imperial story was playing out to the north. In the end, the battles and personal ups and downs came … Continue reading →

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Letters of Foreign Policy

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Ruth

Medina under Muhammad had become a nascent Islamic city-state, with growing outside territories and alliances around coastal and central Arabia. But Muhammad felt that he had been given a vision of an even larger Islamic state that included Egypt, Syria, … Continue reading →

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The Outside World in Muhammad’s Time

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Ruth

The nearest neighbors to Muhammad’s Arabia (circa 600) were Abyssinia (modern Somalia and Ethiopia), “Rome,” and the Sasanian Empire of Persia. I put “Rome” in quotes because at that time, it included Egypt, some of North Africa, Palestine/Syria, Anatolia (modern … Continue reading →

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Arabian Monotheism before Islam

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Ruth

During the Roman occupation of Palestine, Jews began moving to other parts of the Empire and its edges. Rome didn’t rule Arabia proper, but its province of Arabia Petraea included the legendary town of Petra and its trade routes. After … Continue reading →

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