Comments on: Review: The Great Arab Conquests http://xrdarabia.org/2008/04/15/review-the-great-arab-conquests/ Informed comment and commentary about Saudi Arabia, reform, and its relations with the US Wed, 23 May 2012 23:26:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: John Burgess http://xrdarabia.org/2008/04/15/review-the-great-arab-conquests/comment-page-1/#comment-12666 John Burgess Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:37:09 +0000 http://xrdarabia.org/?p=4565#comment-12666 I haven't read his other book, unfortunately. The conclusions you cite are his basic ones. I haven’t read his other book, unfortunately.

The conclusions you cite are his basic ones.

]]> By: Jerry http://xrdarabia.org/2008/04/15/review-the-great-arab-conquests/comment-page-1/#comment-12665 Jerry Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:38:25 +0000 http://xrdarabia.org/?p=4565#comment-12665 I read this book a few months ago and I enjoyed it very much. One thing that I liked about Kennedy's writing was that even if he did not fully believe a story of a particular event from that time, he could still see some value in repeating the story if for its value of pointing out prevailing attitudes of the ummah at that time. I also liked how, in his Conclusion, he answered the questions of, "Why were the Arab conquests so swift and far reaching and why did they turn out to be so permanent?" His answers: 1) Severely declined populations due to the mid-6th century bubonic plague outbreak. 2) These Arab conquests came on the heels of a war between the Sasanian and Byzantine Empires, leaving the Mid-East and North Africa still in a state of instability. 3) There were internal conflicts in both the Sasanian and Byzantine Empires at this time. 4) Not only were the Muslim armies motivated by their new faith and promise of war booty, but they were highly mobile and used to living on very little. There also traveled without their families. There are more reasons, but they're not coming back to me right now. I'll have to hunt down the book and re-read the Conclusion. I think I remember something about highly effective Arab leadership on the battlefield, easy terms of surrender for those towns that give up without a fight and Arabs settling in the conquered areas. I have yet to read Kennedy's other book, "When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World." How is that? I read this book a few months ago and I enjoyed it very much. One thing that I liked about Kennedy’s writing was that even if he did not fully believe a story of a particular event from that time, he could still see some value in repeating the story if for its value of pointing out prevailing attitudes of the ummah at that time.

I also liked how, in his Conclusion, he answered the questions of, “Why were the Arab conquests so swift and far reaching and why did they turn out to be so permanent?” His answers:

1) Severely declined populations due to the mid-6th century bubonic plague outbreak.
2) These Arab conquests came on the heels of a war between the Sasanian and Byzantine Empires, leaving the Mid-East and North Africa still in a state of instability.
3) There were internal conflicts in both the Sasanian and Byzantine Empires at this time.
4) Not only were the Muslim armies motivated by their new faith and promise of war booty, but they were highly mobile and used to living on very little. There also traveled without their families.

There are more reasons, but they’re not coming back to me right now. I’ll have to hunt down the book and re-read the Conclusion. I think I remember something about highly effective Arab leadership on the battlefield, easy terms of surrender for those towns that give up without a fight and Arabs settling in the conquered areas.

I have yet to read Kennedy’s other book, “When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World.” How is that?

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