TimCallahan
Philosopher
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2009
- Messages
- 6,293
When we look back on how history unfolded there are often certain patterns that indicate that things would probably have taken the same course, even had a few details of history been changed. However, there or momentous occasions when simple happenstance changes everything.
One of these latter situations involves the rise of Islam. After the Prophet died, Arabia, which he had unified began to revert to its anarchical state. His followers, however, managed to reunite the Arabs. They then burst forth from the Arabian peninsula and swiftly conquered the Near East, North Africa, most of Asia Minor and Persia. Their armies seemed unstoppable. What gave their military such success?
One factor was that the two powerful empires bordering Arabia, The Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Persian Empire, had been locked in a 20+ year war. Both empires were militarily exhausted. The Byzantines and the Persians had fought many wars before, largely over who would control Armenia, but these had been limited wars, leaving both empires with the resources to defend themselves.
One wonders, had the two empires refrained from the 20+ year, knock-down drag-out if they might have contained Islam in the Arabian peninsula.
One of these latter situations involves the rise of Islam. After the Prophet died, Arabia, which he had unified began to revert to its anarchical state. His followers, however, managed to reunite the Arabs. They then burst forth from the Arabian peninsula and swiftly conquered the Near East, North Africa, most of Asia Minor and Persia. Their armies seemed unstoppable. What gave their military such success?
One factor was that the two powerful empires bordering Arabia, The Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Persian Empire, had been locked in a 20+ year war. Both empires were militarily exhausted. The Byzantines and the Persians had fought many wars before, largely over who would control Armenia, but these had been limited wars, leaving both empires with the resources to defend themselves.
One wonders, had the two empires refrained from the 20+ year, knock-down drag-out if they might have contained Islam in the Arabian peninsula.