How the Early Islamic Conquests Started
A small introduction to the first stages of the expansion of Islam
In the first centuries since its inception, Islam was able to conquer and dominate a vast amount of territory. Its rapid spread was mainly due to the fact that its main antagonistic forces were weakened by wars amongst themselves, as well as civil unrest while Islam maintained a united front. The Sassanid Persian Empire and the Byzantine Roman Empire had been not only constantly at war with each other for the previous four centuries, with short periods of peace, as well as been fighting other foreign invaders. That continuous state of war affected not only the resources of both empires as well as their subjects’ lives. In contrast, the Islamic army was united behind a unifying faith, a common language and culture and a developing Islamic/Arabian identity.
Important Variables
The early Islamic conquests are associated with a diverse number of variables. Historians point to various factors as being relevant to Islam’s massive success in such a short span of time. Some historians like Michael Maas highlight Muhammad’s intelligent harnessing…
