A History of the Muslim World to 1405: The Making of a Civilization

by Vernon O. Egger

Muslims first appeared in the early seventh century as members of a persecuted religious movement in a sun-baked town in Arabia. Within a century, their descendants were ruling a vast territory that extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River valley in modern Pakistan. This region became the arena for a new cultural experiment in which Muslim scholars and creative artists synthesized and reworked the legacy of Rome, Greece, Iran, and India into a new civilization. A History of the Muslim World to 1405 traces the development of this civilization from the career of the Prophet Muhammad to the death of the Mongol emperor Timur Lang. Coverage includes the unification of the Dar a1-Islam (the territory ruled by Muslims), the fragmentation into various religious and political groups including the Shi'ite and Sunni, and the series of catastrophes in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that threatened to destroy the civilization. Features: Balanced coverage of the Muslim world encompassing the region from the Iberian Peninsula to South Asia. Detailed accounts of all cultures including major Shi'ite groups and the Sunni community. Primary sources. Numerous maps and photographs featuring a special four-color art insert. Glossary, charts, and timelines.

Genres: History, Islam, Nonfiction, Middle East, Religion, College

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2003

About the author

- Professor of History at Georgia Southern University (1983)
- B.A., Baylor University, 1970;
- M.A., Ph. D., University of Michigan, 1977, 1983

* Teaching and Research Interests:
- Religious and cultural history of the modern Muslim world
- Imperialism in the Middle East

* Selected Publications:
- A History of the Muslim World: The Making of a Global Community, 1260-Present (Upper Saddle Creek, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007)
- A History of the Muslim World: The Making of a Civilization, to 1405 (Upper Saddle Creek, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004)
- A Fabian in Egypt: Slamah Musa and the Rise of the Professional Classes in Egypt, 1909-1939 (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1986)

Reviews

[fiver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does a great job of covering a lot of ground in a concise manner; unfortunately, it reads like a list.

[Jeff Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent relatively brief history covering a lot. Growing up in Canada, none of this got into my high school curriculum at all so I really recommend reading it if you are not familiar with Islamic history.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

read for school (RS306)

[Hadley Takashi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like it

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the history and development of Islam and Muslim states and empires from the 600s to 1405.

[Mark Kleiboeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every westerner should read this book.

[Haifa Kakayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very enlightening. It strengthened my beliefs while reinforcing my disagreements with opposing views. Definitely a great read!