The Arab Conquest and the High Caliphate

I. Introduction

Rise of the Arab Empire

II. The Evolution of the Early Caliphate

A. The First Succession Crisis1. Abu Bakr (r. 632-634)

2. Umar (634-644)

III. Conquest of the Byzantine Middle East

A. Syria1. Yarmuk (636)

2. Jerusalem (637)

B. Egypt

IV. Destruction of the Persian Empire

A. Qadisiyah (637)

B. Persia Defeated (651)

V. Why Successful?

A. Jihad?

B. Mobility

C. Exhausted Enemies

D. Religious Discontent and Muslim Tolerance

VI. Succession Crises

A. The First Fitnah1. Uthman (r. 644-656)

2. Muhammed Ali (r. 656-661)– Battle of the Camel (656)

– Battle of Siffin (657)

3. Mu'awiyah (r. 661-680)

4. Yazid (r. 680-683)

VII. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750)

A. The Solidification of Umayyad Power1. The Second Fitnah

2. Abd al-Malik (r. 685-705)b. Rationalized Administration

a. Dome of the Rock Mosque

VII. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750)

B. New Conquests1. North Africa and Spain

2. Central Asia, China, and India

3. The Byzantine Empire

VII. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750)

C. Tax Reform and the Growth of Islam1. Pact of Umar

D. Demise of the Umayyad Dynasty

VIII. The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258)

A. Founding1. Baghdad

B. The Arab Empire's Golden Age: Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)

The Arab Conquests

Greek Fire

IX. Conclusion

• Continuity

• Change