Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests [Paperback]

This book examines how the Byzantine Empire came to lose so much of its territory to Islamic conquerors in the seventh century.The Byzantine empire lost many of its most valuable provinces to Islamic conquerors in the seventh century, including Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Armenia. This study investigates the eve of the conquests, as well as how the Byzantine government eventually came to rationalize its disasters.The Byzantine empire lost many of its most valuable provinces to Islamic conquerors in the seventh century, including Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Armenia. This study investigates the eve of the conquests, as well as how the Byzantine government eventually came to rationalize its disasters.This is a study of how and why the Byzantine empire lost many of its most valuable provinces to Islamic conquerors in the seventh century, provinces that included Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Armenia. It investigates conditions on the eve of those conquests, mistakes in Byzantine policy toward the Muslims, the course of the military campaigns, and the problem of local official and civilian collaboration with the Muslims. It also seeks to explain how after some terrible losses the Byzantine government achieved some intellectual rationalization of its disasters and began the complex process of transforming and adapting its fiscal and military institutions and political controls in order to prevent further disintegration.Preface; 1. The problem of Byzantium and the early Islamic conquests; 2. The Byzantine Empire in an era of accelerating change; 3. Difficulties in devising defences for Syria; 4. The first Muslim penetrations of Byzantine territory; 5. Early tests in southern Palestine; 6. Problems of cohesion: the battle of Jabiya-Yarmuk reconsidered; 7. The brief struggle to save northern Syria and Byzantine Mesopotamia; 8. Byzantium, Armenia, Armenians, and early Islamic conquests; 9. Controversy and confidence in the seventh-century crisis; 10. Elements ol3Ñ