Expansion of the Islamic Empire

622–750 CE

2

Arabia at the Dawn of Islam

• 622 CE• Mohammad led small group of followers in Arabia

• Arabia was home to competing tribes

Major Arabian Tribes at Dawn of Islam

3

Expanse of Islamic Empire • By 750 CE, stretched across the Middle East, North Africa and into Spain• Largest empire ever up to that point• More than twice as large as the Roman Empire

4

Islamic Empire & Roman Empire

Umayyad Caliphate in 750 CE

Roman Empire in 117 CE

How did the Islamic Empire expand?

Central Historical Question

6

Expansion of the Islamic Empire