Two Central Patterns In Arab History

The Arab world reached the zenith of its power during the eighth and 9th centuries, the swell wave of conquest which resulted in a unified empire low the central direction of the Prophet's successors, the Umayyad caliphs (660-749) in Damascus. Hitti says that " deep down 100 years after the death of Muhammad his followers were the master of an empire greater than Rome" (1). Yet even at its apogee, the Arab world was ridden with factional strife and schisms. These included the battle over the succession which ultimately led to the assassination in 661 of the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali and the great split between Sunni and Shia Muslims (literally 'followers of Ali') and a great many other schismatic movements. Kennedy says the Arabs' quarrels were mainly over "who should be caliph and what powers was he to have and who should constitute the elite of the Islamic state" (87).

Fragmentation. The Arab imperium was further expanded and control over it consolidated under the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258) in Baghdad. However, Hourani says that "by the tenth century the caliphate was breaking up, and couple caliphates appeared in Egypt [under the Fatimids 989-1171] . . . and in Spain" (5). Long before their Empire was finally destroyed when the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258, Lapidus sa

"Semites have no half-tones in their register of great deal . . . They exclude compromise, and pursue the logic of their ideas to its absurd ends, without seeing incongruity in their opposed conclusions" (Berger 306).

Hitti, Philip K. The Arabs a short history. New York: St. Martin's P, 1968.

conspicuous characteristics or patterns of Arab history were the dynamic tension between the heathen and religious star of the Arab world and its strong centrifugal tendencies to piece and to relapse into intra-Arab rivalry and conflict.

Ironically, as Arab unity disintegrated, Islamic refinement and religion spread and placed deep roots end-to-end the Middle East, North Africa and other areas.

According to Lapidus, at beginning Islam represented a somewhat superficial imposition by a small and greatly outnumbered military and religious elite in the conquered territories (xx). Notwithstanding the breakdown of Arab political unity, Hourani says "the cultural unity of Islam . . . grew deeper . . . and the faith of Islam articu riped itself into systems of belief and institutions" (281). In the central portions of the Arab empire, deliver the goods barbarian tribes fell under the sway of Islam. They generally choose the Islamic religion and used Arabic for the conduct of their governmental, profound and religious affairs. This happened to the Seljuk Turks, the Mongols and the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over well-nigh of the former Arab Empire, Anatolia and much of Eastern Europe after the late 13th century. According to Hourani,

"war against those who threatened the community, whether hostile unbelievers distant it or non-Muslims within it who broke their covenant of protection, was usually regarded as an obligation practically equivalent to one of the Pillars" (152).

Kennedy, Hugh. The Prophet and the senesce of the Caliphates. London: Longmans, 1986.

Hodson, Marshall G. The Venture of Islam Volume I. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1974.

dynastic rise and decline over the centuries.
Order your essay at Orderessay and get a 100% original and high-quality custom paper within the required time frame.