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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2012

Milka Levy-Rubin
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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Summary

The seventh century in the East was a time of major turbulence and upheavals which culminated in the Muslim conquest and dominion over what had been Sasanian Iran as well as over a significant part of the Byzantine empire. When the Muslims gained their first major victories over the Byzantine forces in the fourth decade of the seventh century CE, and when in the next few decades they overtook large parts of the ancient Near East, they were but a small minority among a large and heterogeneous population, made up of various ancient peoples, ethnicities, cultures, and religions. The encounter between the new, and not yet fully formed, Muslim religion and society and these ancient societies and cultures was a momentous event for both the conquerors and the conquered, as is well attested by the contemporary sources that have survived. It raised hopes of freedom and change in some of the conquered peoples, including the Jews, the Samaritans, and the Monophysites, and generated great fear and awe in others.

While the immediate effects of the conquest seem to have been mild, according to the accepted views nowadays, and allowed life in the conquered territories to take its course, its long-lasting effects were far-reaching.

Type
Chapter
Information
Non-Muslims in the Early Islamic Empire
From Surrender to Coexistence
, pp. 1 - 7
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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  • Introduction
  • Milka Levy-Rubin, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Book: Non-Muslims in the Early Islamic Empire
  • Online publication: 05 January 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511977435.002
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  • Introduction
  • Milka Levy-Rubin, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Book: Non-Muslims in the Early Islamic Empire
  • Online publication: 05 January 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511977435.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Milka Levy-Rubin, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Book: Non-Muslims in the Early Islamic Empire
  • Online publication: 05 January 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511977435.002
Available formats
×