| Formatted contents note |
PART I. GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST : 2. The Fertile Crescent : The Tigris-Euphrates Valley - The Jordan Valley - Climate of the Fertile Crescent - 3. The Nile Valley : The River Nile - Geography of Egypt - The Egyptian System of Irrigation - 4. The Arabian Peninsula : The Coastline of Arabia - Hijaz, Najd, and the Eastern Shores - Agriculture and Trade Routes in Arabia -- PART II. SEMITIC BACKGROUNDS OF THE ARAB WORLD : 5. Arabia ; Home of the Semites : Semitic Migrations ; the Early Semites - Nature's Challenge and Man's Response - Beginning of Civilization - 6. The Semites in Mesopotamia : Babylonian Supremacy - Assyrian Supremacy - 7. The Semites in Egypt : The Predynastic Period - The Old Kingdom, 2700-2200 B.C. - The Middle Kingdom, 2050-1800 B.C. - The New Kingdom, 1550-1165 B.C. - The Late Dynastic Period, 1165-525 B.c. - 8. The Semites in Canaan : A Late Start - The Canaanite Nations - Other Canaanites -- PART III. PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA : 9. Historical Backgrounds : The Kingdoms of South Arabia - The Semitic Intermediate Period - North Arabia - 10. Religious Backgrounds : Early Religions - Pagan Idols and Beliefs - 11. Socio-Economic Backgrounds : Trade in Arabia - The Nomadic Way of Life - The Tribal System of Government - 12. Three Roles of Leadership : Arab Intertribal Wars - Answer to the Arabs' Needs -- PART IV. THE ISLAMIC RELIGION : 13. Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam : Muhammad the Man - Muhammad the Prophet - 14. Islamic Beliefs and Devotional Duties : Islamic Beliefs - Devotional Duties - Interpersonal Relations - Other Muslim Beliefs - 15. The Quran : The Quran as Scripture - Revelation of the Quran - Recording of the Quran - The Quran as a Book - Doctrine of Abrogation - The Quran in Everyday Life - 16. The Traditions : Origin of the Traditions - Authenticity of the Traditions - Use of the Traditions -- PART V. BEGINNING OF THE ISLAMIC STATE : 17. Migration to Madina : First Contacts with the Arabs of Madina - Deciston to Emigrate - The Prophet's Emigration - Muhammad's Immediate Problems - 18. Between Makka and Madina : Beginning of Hostilities - Victory for the Muslims - Other Important Events - 19. Caphure of Makka : A Truce Agreement - Capture of Makka - Muhammad's Last Year - 20. The Islamic State : The Constitution of Madina - Expulsion of the Jews from Arabia - Muslims and Christians in Arabia - Muhammad and the Non-Arab World -- PART VI. THE ORTHODOX CALIPHATE, 632-661 : 21. Abu Bakr, 632-634 : Selection of Abu Bakr - False Prophets - Beginning of Expansion - 22. Umar, 634-644 : Conquest of Syria - Conquest of Persia - Conquest of Egypt - Umar's Reign - 23. Uthman, 644-656 : The Household of Islam - Uthman's Administration - Uthman's Assassination - 24. Ali, 656-661 : Civil War - Resort to Arbitration - Islamic Sects - Cessation of Hostilities -- PART VII. THE UMAYYAD DYNASTY, 661-750 : 25. Umayya Versus Hashim : Muawiya I, 661-680 - Yazid I, 680-683 - Muawiya II, 683 - Marwan I, 683-685 - 26. Abd al-Malik, 685-705 : Problems Facing Abd al-Malik Mukhtar's Rebellion in Iraq - Conquest of Iraq - The Second Bombardment of Makka - Abd al-Malik as Caliph - 27. Walid I, 705-715 : On the Road to Expansion - Conquest of Transoxiana - Conquest of North Africa - Conquest of Spain - 28. Decline of the Umayyad Regime : Sulayman, 715-717 - Umar II, 717-720 - Yazid II, 720-724 - Hisham, 724-743 - 29. Fall of the Umayyad Dynasty : The Last Umayyad Caliphs - End of the Umayyad Dynasty - Reasons for the Umayyad Collapse -- PART VIII. THE EARLY ABBASID PERIOD, 750-861 : 30. Abbasids Versus Umayyads : Beginning of the Abbasid Movement - Beginning of the Abbasid Regime - End of the Umayyad Regime - Consolidation of the Abbasid Regime - 31. The First Two Abbasid Caliphs : Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, 750-754 - Abu Jafar al- Mansur, 754-775 - Secession of Spain under Abd al-Rahman the Umayyad - 32. The Abbasid Golden Age : Al-Mahdi, 775-785 - Al-Hadi, 785-786 - Harun al- Rashid, 786-809 - 33. Fratricidal Conflicts : Al-Amin, 809-813 - Al-Amin Versus al-Mamun - Al-Mamun's Caliphate, 813-833 - 34. The Beginning of Decline : Al-Mutasim, 833-842 - Al-Wathiq, 842-847 - Al-Mutawakkil, 847-861 - Reasons for the Decline of the Abbasid Regime -- PART IX. REGIONAL DYNASTIES DURING THE LATE ABBASID PERIOD, 861-1258 : 35. Forces Controlling the Abbasid Caliphate : The Turkish Mercenaries, 861-946 - The Buwayhids, 946-1055 - The Seljuq Turks, 1055-1180 - The Khwarizm Shahs - 36. Regional Dynasties in Western Asia : The Tahirid Dynasty, 820-872 - The Saffarid Dynasty, 872-910 - The Samanid Dynasty, 910-999 - The Ghaznavid Dynasty, 999-1186 - The Hamdanids of Mosul and Aleppo, 931-1003 - The Atabegs of Mosul, 1127-1182 - 37. The Umayyad Dynasty in Spain, 756-1031 : Beginning of the Umayyads in Spain - Development of the Umayyad Rule in Spain - Decline of the Umayyad Rule in Spain - End of the Umayyad Rule in Spain - 38. Regional Dynasties in North Africa : The Idrisids, 788-922 - The Aghlabids, 800-909 - The Murabits, 1062-1145 - The Muwahhids, 1145-1223 - 7 39. Regional Dynasti in Egypt : The Tulunids, 868-905 - The Ikhshidids, 935-969 - The Fatimids, 969-1171 - The Ayyubids, 1171-1260 -- PART X. THE ARABIC-ISLAMIC SOCIETY : 40. State Administration : The Caliphate - Administration of the Provinces - Other Offices and Public Services - Social Levels and Taxation - 41. Islamic Sects : Beginning of Sectarianism - The Kharijites - The Shiites - The Sunnites - Other Islamic Sects - 42. Islamic Scholarship : Arabic Literature - Islamic Philosophy - Natural Sciences - 43. Tribalism and Society : Islamic Reforms - Survival of Tribalism - Role of Tribalism in Islamic Civilization -- Maps : I. Middle East Proper - II. Syria and Iraq During the Early Islamic Period - III. Persia, Khurasan and Transoxiana During the Early Islamic Period - IV. Spain, North Africa and Egypt During the Early Islamic Period. |