Book contents
- The Cambridge History of War
- The Cambridge History of War
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Maps
- Notes on contributors
- Introduction to volume II
- Part I Foundations, c.600–1000 ce
- 1 The early Islamic empire and the introduction of military slavery
- 2 The Western European kingdoms, 600–1000
- 3 The Scandinavian world
- 4 Byzantium to the twelfth century
- 5 The Slavs, Avars, and Hungarians
- 6 The Turks and the other peoples of the Eurasian steppes to 1175
- 7 China: the Tang, 600–900
- 8 Japan to 1200
- Part II Interactions, c.1000–1300 ce
- Part III Nations and Formations, c.1300–1500 ce
- Part IV Comparisons: Cross-Cultural Analysis
- Select bibliography
- Index
1 - The early Islamic empire and the introduction of military slavery
from Part I - Foundations, c.600–1000 ce
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 September 2020
- The Cambridge History of War
- The Cambridge History of War
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Maps
- Notes on contributors
- Introduction to volume II
- Part I Foundations, c.600–1000 ce
- 1 The early Islamic empire and the introduction of military slavery
- 2 The Western European kingdoms, 600–1000
- 3 The Scandinavian world
- 4 Byzantium to the twelfth century
- 5 The Slavs, Avars, and Hungarians
- 6 The Turks and the other peoples of the Eurasian steppes to 1175
- 7 China: the Tang, 600–900
- 8 Japan to 1200
- Part II Interactions, c.1000–1300 ce
- Part III Nations and Formations, c.1300–1500 ce
- Part IV Comparisons: Cross-Cultural Analysis
- Select bibliography
- Index
Summary
The inhabitants of seventh-century Arabia mobilized for warfare in a manner new to that region of the Near East: the effort fell, albeit gradually, under central authority.1 Arabia had long been a highly variegated cultural zone, encompassing the Syrian Desert, southern Mesopotamia, and the Arabian Peninsula. Acting in tandem, largely nomadic tribal forces accepted the leadership of sedentary townsmen, the great number of whom belonged to the Quraysh, an influential tribe of two towns of the Hejaz region, Mecca and Medina. If Yemen and south Arabia had long known the rule of kings, and, hence, more formal military organization, only now did the central and northern stretches of the Peninsula and southern Syria experience what can thereby be considered as early state formation. The effort was driven by an equally untested set of ethical and spiritual teachings. A charismatic figure, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdallāh (570–632), preached a strict monotheism; these teachings served as the seedbed of what would soon be known as Islam.
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- The Cambridge History of War , pp. 17 - 49Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020
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