TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Foundations of the Islamic conquest
- Mecca functions from early stages as a market town reliant on trade for economic prosperity – pilgrimage to shrine of Ka’ba reason for importance.
- End of 6th century dominates lucrative West African transit network - Quraysh dominates transit trade in slaves and spices - contacts from Syrian entrepots to Yemen. Social and economic alliances with numerous nomadic groups in the region – enabling safe passage Meccan caravans – virtually every resident of Mecca contributes to trading capital. Clans of Umayya and Makhzum grew particularly wealthy – profit sharing able to translate some of their economic influence into political influence.
- Why? Decline southern Arabian competitors? Shift land routes? Meccan traders into true financiers - organizing men and money to realise their commercial objectives. Class of men with well-developed managerial and organizational skills.
- Muhammad leading young men of Mecca –diplomatic tact, active in caravan trade, self-control aided spread of commercial and political influence. Deliberate and reflective on wealth differences and given to solitary contemplation.
- 610 – Muhammad ends promising merchant and tribesmen future. Visited by Archangel Gabriel and Muhammad sees future as a prophet. But one god and all equal under God – sin to oppress poor and weak. Everyone judged eventually.
- Quraysh not overly happy – heaven and hell? Was condemnation of tribal ancestry? First followers mostly poor social indistinguishable individuals – given protection by father as suffered humiliation of kinship etc. Converted businessmen to Islam from Medina and 622 Muhammad and followers emigrated there.
- Muhammad quickly consolidates power and emerges as dominant political chief of Medina.
- Not like Mansib in normal Harem – Muhammad’s Medina displayed much greater cohesiveness - new ideology and gradual rise of new institutional and organizational arrangements – grew into a new state – much better relations with tribal confederations etc. No problem creating confederation – bigger problem maintaining it.
- Can’t given definitive date but by end of career Muhammad controlled a polity main characteristics of state: high degree centralisation, primacy of law or centralised higher authority in the settlement of disputes, institutions to perform administrative functions. 622 for convenience.
- Appearance Islamic state unparalleled in history of peninsula - integrative power of acting on raw material of Arabian society unleashed expansive military potential of peninsula and generated Islamic conquest – transformed face of ancient world irrevocably Need to understand why integrative power? Ideological and organisational aspects of developing new state.
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