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The Age of the Caliphs: History of the Muslim World
A concise history of the Muslim countries. It begins with Rome and Persia and the pre-Islamic Bedouins and ends with the fall of Baghdad to the Mongols (1258), and in the West with the fall of Granada to the Christians (1492). The author seeks to unravel the many motivations and influences that went into the making of Islamic history and to expound and evaluate them. He frequently reminds the reader of economic and cultural developments taking place at the same time as, and often in intimate connection with, the more overtly political events. In her introduction, Jane Hathaway shows the connection between the history of Islamic civilization and world history.
178 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 1995
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About the author
Bertold Spuler
59 books1 followerBertold Spuler was a German orientalist and author.
He was an expert in the history of the Mongols.
He was an expert in the history of the Mongols.
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February 21, 2015
Spuler was writing in the 1950s, so there is some notable bias. He does conceal some of his thoughts with his professed appreciation of some of the political, cultural, economic, and even spiritual talents of select caliphs. However, his overall argument of Islam is that of negativity.
Spuler writes clearly and briefly. I think he is too brief. This book, and presumably, the next two volumes, are more like an encyclopedia arranged in chronological order than a narrative overview of the history of Islam. His emphasis is on the political aspects of Islam rather than spirituality. An introduction to the reprint does discuss some of the problems with using Spuler. A few of his facts are incorrect. A few of his dates are incorrect. He does sidestep theology leaving a vacuum in his short works.
The book begins with an unflattering portrayal of Muhammad. Students with a cursory knowledge of Islamic history know that he was from a well-to-do family (or tribe) who married a wealthy widow and engaged in business with Jewish merchants. Muhammad regarded himself as the next prophet in a line including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Christ. At this point, Spuler veers away from theology and towards politics. Without much information (if there is any available), he describes the rupture between Muhammad and the Jewish faith as something like a childish tantrum when shown how his teachings contradicted established dogma. From that point forward, Muhammad could claim anything he said or wanted was divine revelation.
Spuler does not elaborate much further than this when discussing the many different sects of Islam that sprang up. Nearly every comment and observation was in terms of socio-political terms and explanations. Luck also played a substantial role in the Islamic conquests. Byzantium and the Sassanids had exhausted themselves from decades of continual warfare. Less known, is that their allied buffer states in the desert - the ones supposed to deflect Arabic incursions - were also exhausted and collapsed along with them.
The political aspects should be viewed from the Arab-centrism of the conquerors. They were few in number; but the conquered were many. In the old Byzantine and Roman (Spain) territories they allowed noninterference with religion in lieu of a tax. The conquerors were also unaccustomed to governing such huge populations that by replacing the established Byzantine bureaucracy, they left a severely withered state apparatus that allowed for considerable flexibility. After the conquest, the former Byzantine provinces enjoyed considerable peace and prosperity under the new rulers. In the East, the old Sassanids were Zoroastrians and not 'Peoples of the Book,' However, the Arabs allowed the elites to convert and retain their status. This process led to a more effective and rapid conversion to Islam than the tax system.
After describing the first four Caliphs, Spuler spends less and less time discussing each Caliph. Tribal loyalties, rather than theology, split Islam leading to the murder of Ali. Attempts to intertwine Islam and Zoroastrianism appeared to lead to considerable socio-political problems and revolts. Zoroastrianism was gradually replaced with a new Persian-centered identity that remains to this day.
Overall, his writing style is easy to admire and understand. The revolts and dynastic squabbles become repetitive and confusing one after another. It is perhaps easier for Westerners to understand Islam in terms of socio-political considerations than theological. However, theology probably had a greater role in the civil wars than Spuler acknowledges.
Spuler writes clearly and briefly. I think he is too brief. This book, and presumably, the next two volumes, are more like an encyclopedia arranged in chronological order than a narrative overview of the history of Islam. His emphasis is on the political aspects of Islam rather than spirituality. An introduction to the reprint does discuss some of the problems with using Spuler. A few of his facts are incorrect. A few of his dates are incorrect. He does sidestep theology leaving a vacuum in his short works.
The book begins with an unflattering portrayal of Muhammad. Students with a cursory knowledge of Islamic history know that he was from a well-to-do family (or tribe) who married a wealthy widow and engaged in business with Jewish merchants. Muhammad regarded himself as the next prophet in a line including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Christ. At this point, Spuler veers away from theology and towards politics. Without much information (if there is any available), he describes the rupture between Muhammad and the Jewish faith as something like a childish tantrum when shown how his teachings contradicted established dogma. From that point forward, Muhammad could claim anything he said or wanted was divine revelation.
Spuler does not elaborate much further than this when discussing the many different sects of Islam that sprang up. Nearly every comment and observation was in terms of socio-political terms and explanations. Luck also played a substantial role in the Islamic conquests. Byzantium and the Sassanids had exhausted themselves from decades of continual warfare. Less known, is that their allied buffer states in the desert - the ones supposed to deflect Arabic incursions - were also exhausted and collapsed along with them.
The political aspects should be viewed from the Arab-centrism of the conquerors. They were few in number; but the conquered were many. In the old Byzantine and Roman (Spain) territories they allowed noninterference with religion in lieu of a tax. The conquerors were also unaccustomed to governing such huge populations that by replacing the established Byzantine bureaucracy, they left a severely withered state apparatus that allowed for considerable flexibility. After the conquest, the former Byzantine provinces enjoyed considerable peace and prosperity under the new rulers. In the East, the old Sassanids were Zoroastrians and not 'Peoples of the Book,' However, the Arabs allowed the elites to convert and retain their status. This process led to a more effective and rapid conversion to Islam than the tax system.
After describing the first four Caliphs, Spuler spends less and less time discussing each Caliph. Tribal loyalties, rather than theology, split Islam leading to the murder of Ali. Attempts to intertwine Islam and Zoroastrianism appeared to lead to considerable socio-political problems and revolts. Zoroastrianism was gradually replaced with a new Persian-centered identity that remains to this day.
Overall, his writing style is easy to admire and understand. The revolts and dynastic squabbles become repetitive and confusing one after another. It is perhaps easier for Westerners to understand Islam in terms of socio-political considerations than theological. However, theology probably had a greater role in the civil wars than Spuler acknowledges.
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