One of the most detailed and authoritative books on the earliest years of the Islamic Caliphate, focusing mostly on the period from the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad to the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates.
Review:
“…a really trustworthy and scholarly book, which will not be displaced by Syed Ameer Ali’s recently published “Short History.” The Syed’s book covers wider ground, and is necessarily briefer in certain periods. Sir William Muir sticks closely to his title-subject, the Caliphate itself, and does not allow himself to diverge to the history of the numerous Mahommedan dynasties which gradually sapped the Caliph’s power. His work is not a history of the Saracen Empire, but a history of the Caliphate, and principally of the early Caliphate. When we find that he gives three hundred pages to the first four Caliphs and first forty years of the Hegira, one hundred and thirty pages to the next ninety years (the great period of the Omayyads), and only one hundred and sixty pages to the five hundred years of the ‘Abbasid rule, it is obvious that the latter portion of his history is considerably sacrificed to the more dramatic interest of the beginnings of Saracen empire. For the first century of Moslem rule, however, it forms (with the same author’s “Annals of the Early Caliphate “) the best and most readable authority we possess, and no historical library can dispense with it.”
– from a review in The Spectator, 24 JUNE 1899, Page 12
Contents:
PREFACE
CHAPTER I
11 A.H.—Death of Mohammad—Election of Abu Bekr—’Omar, ‘Ali, Abu ‘Obeida
CHAPTER II
Expedition of Usama to Syrian border
CHAPTER III
Attack of Bedawin on Medina; repelled by Abu Bekr
CHAPTER IV
Return of Usama—Bedawin chastised—Expeditions organized against apostate tribes
CHAPTER V
Khalid’s Arabian campaign—Toleiha—Battle of Al-Buzakha—’Oyeina—Malik ibn Nuweira—Al-Yemama—Museilima—Garden of Death
CHAPTER VI
Apostasy crushed—Al-Bahrein, ‘Oman, The Hijaz, Ibn Ma’dikerib, Al-Ash’ath—Freebooter burned to death
CHAPTER VII
Review—Reclaimed tribes at first sullen—Enthusiasm kindled by Syrian and Chaldaean campaigns—Arabs become aristocracy of the world—Arab slaves set free
CHAPTER VIII
12 A.H.—Al-Muthanna’s campaign in Al-‘Irak—Joined by Khalid—Battle of Chains—River of Blood—Al-Hira capitulates—’Ain at-Tamr—Duma stormed—Al-Firad—Khalid’s incognito pilgrimage
CHAPTER IX
12-13 A.H.—Syrian campaign—Battle of Ajnadain— Capitulation of Fihl
CHAPTER X
Al-‘Irak—Battle of Babylon—Al-Muthanna’s appeal for reinforcements
CHAPTER XI
13 A.H.—Abu Bekr’s death—’Omar nominated by him Caliph
CHAPTER XII
13-14 A.H.—’Omar’s accession—Reinforcements for Al-‘Irak—Rustem—Battle of the Bridge—Abu ‘Obeid’s defeat—Battle of Al-Buweib—Death of Al-Muthanna
CHAPTER XIII
14 A.H.—Syria—Fall of Damascus
CHAPTER XIV
Al-‘Irak—Fresh levies—Sa’d—Yezdejird—Rustem’s advance—Battle of Al-Kadisiya—Discomfiture of Persian army
CHAPTER XV
15-16 A.H.—Al-Hira reoccupied—Fall of Al-Medain
CHAPTER XVI
16 A.H.—Battle of Jalula—’Omar forbids advance—Al-Kufa and Al-Basra—Land settlement of Al-‘Irak
CHAPTER XVII
15 A.H.—Northern Syria, Hims, Antioch—Heraclius retires—Battle of the Yarmuk
CHAPTER XVIII
Jerusalem submits to ‘Omar—His visit—Ordinance of ‘Omar
CHAPTER XIX
17 A.H.—Northern Syria and Mesopotamia—Attack by Greeks and Bedawin—Beni ‘Iyad and Taghub—Fall of Caesarea—Khalid’s trial and deposition
CHAPTER XX
14-15 A.H.—Jews and Christians expelled from Arabia—Register of Arab tribes—Civil and military administration—Kor’an “collected”
CHAPTER XXI
18 A.H.—Famine—Plague—’Omar visits Syria—Mu’awiya—Bilal
CHAPTER XXII
19-20 A.H.—Conquest of Egypt—Alexandria
CHAPTER XXIII
16-20 A.H.—Southern Persia—Sus—Tomb of Daniel—Al-Hormuzan
CHAPTER XXIV
21-22 A.H.—Conquest of Persia—Battle of Nihavend—Flight of Yezdejird
CHAPTER XXV
17-23 A.H.—Domestic events—Court of Ka’ba enlarged—Al-Moghira’s trial—Al-Kufa—Al-Basra—Era of Hijra—Laxity of morals—’Omar’s simple life
CHAPTER XXVI
23 A.H.—Death of ‘Omar—Appointment of Electors
CHAPTER XXVII
23-24 A.H.—’Othman—Murder of Al-Hormuzan
CHAPTER XXVIII
24-35 A.H.—Arabs and Koreish—Hashimites and Umeiyads—Campaigns in East and West—Naval victory
CHAPTER XXIX
30-34 A.H.—Unpopularity of ‘Othman—Discontent at Al-Kufa and Al-Basra—Recension of Kor’an—Abu Dharr—Other causes—Naila
CHAPTER XXX
33-34 A.H.—Growing disaffection—Outbreak at Al-Kufa—’Ali warns ‘Othman
CHAPTER XXXI
34-35 A.H.—Outlook darkens—Conference of Governors—Mu’awiya’s help declined
CHAPTER XXXII
35 A.H.—Conspirators attack Medina—Palace besieged—’Othman slain
CHAPTER XXXIII
35-36 A.H.—Election of ‘Ali—Excitement at Damascus—War proclaimed against Mu’awiya
CHAPTER XXXIV
36 A.H.—’Aisha at Mecca—Joined by Talha and Az-Zubeir—They seize Al-Basra
CHAPTER XXXV
‘Ali’s advance on Al-Basra—Battle of the Camel—Talha and Az-Zubeir killed—’Aisha retires to Medina
CHAPTER XXXVI
Al-Kufa seat of Government—Egypt—Mu’awiya at Damascus threatens regicides
CHAPTER XXXVII
36-37 A.H.—Hostilities between ‘Ali and Mu’awiya—Battle of Siffin—Arbitration—Abu Musa and ‘Amr, Umpires
CHAPTER XXXVIII
37 A.H.—Khawarij rebel against ‘Ali—Yield to him
CHAPTER XXXIX
Decision of Umpires—Mu’awiya Caliph at Damascus
CHAPTER XL
‘Ali marches against Mu’awiya—Recalled by Khariji outbreak—Battle of Nahrawan—Khawarij
CHAPTER XLI
38 A.H.—’Amr takes Egypt for Mu’awiya
CHAPTER XLII
38-40 A.H.—Khariji risings—Ziyad—Treaty between ‘Ali and Mu’awiya
CHAPTER XLIII
40 A.H.—Khariji conspiracy—’Ali assassinated—Mu’awiya escapes
CHAPTER XLIV
40-41 A.H.—Al-Hasan—Abdicated in favour of Mu’awiya—Death of Al-Hasan
CHAPTER XLV
40-60 A.H.—Mu’awiya sole Caliph—Death of ‘Amr and Al-Moghira—Ziyad—Africa; Kairawan—Attack on Constantinople—Mohammad’s pulpit
CHAPTER XLVI
56 A.H.—Yezid declared Heir-apparent—Forms a precedent—Yezid’s Bedawi mother
CHAPTER XLVII
60-61 A.H.—Yezid—Ibn az-Zubeir at Mecca—Al-Hosein marches on Al-Kufa—Tragedy of Kerbala—Death of Al-Hosein—The Moharram
CHAPTER XLIII
61-64 A.H.—’Alid reaction—Ibn az-Zubeir affects Caliphate—Mecca besieged—Death of Yezid
CHAPTER XLIX
64-73 A.H.—Mu’awiya II.—Merwan—’Abd al-Melik—Tribal hostilities—Al-Mukhtar seizes Al-Kufa—Slays “Murderers” of Al-Hosein—Mus’ab beaten—Al-Kufa gained—Al-Hajjaj storms Mecca—Ibn az-Zubeir’s death
CHAPTER L
73-86 A.H.—’Abd al-Melik (continued)—Al-Hajjaj—Azarika—Al-Muhallab—Ibn al-Ash’ath—Wasit—Mint—Ibn Khazim
CHAPTER LI
86-96 A.H.—Al-Welid—’Omar at Medina—Death of Al-Hajjaj—Koteiba—Khorasan—Al-Multan—India—Africa—Spain—Fall of Musa—Glory of Al-Welid
CHAPTER LII
96-99 A.H.—Suleiman—Khorasan—Koteiba’s rebellion—Yezid, son of Al-Muhallab—Attack on Constantinople
CHAPTER LIII
99-101 A.H.—’Omar II.—Fall of Yezid—Efforts at conversion
CHAPTER LIV
101-105 A.H.—Yezid II.—Rebellion of Yezid, son of Al-Muhallab—Narbonne—Hashimite canvass—Collectors of tradition
CHAPTER LV
105-125 A.H.—Hisham—Hashimites; ‘Alids and ‘Abbasids—Al-Kufa—Yusuf—Zeid—Central Asia—India—Armenia—Africa—France—Charles Martel—Just reign
CHAPTER LVI
125-126 A.H.—Al-Welid II.—Yezid III.—Khorasan—Nasr—’Abbasid canvass—Merwan’s advance—Compromise—Death of Yezid III.
CHAPTER LVII
126-130 A.H.—Ibrahim—Merwan II.—Ibn Mu’awiya—Suleiman Ad-Dahhak—Khawarij—Spain slips from Caliphate
CHAPTER LVIII
64-130 A.H.—The Arab tribal feuds in Khorasan
CHAPTER LIX
130-132 A.H.—Merwan II. (continued)—’Abbasids in Khorasan—Abu Muslim—Nasr’s flight—Al-Kufa taken by ‘Abbasids—Battle of Zab—Merwan’s death
CHAPTER LX
132-656 A.H.—’Abbasid Dynasty—General features
CHAPTER LXI
132-136 A.H.—Abu’l-‘Abbas—Hashimiya—Persecution of Umeiyads—Ibn Hubeira—Abu Muslim’s pilgrimage
CHAPTER LXII
136-158 A.H.—Abu Ja’far al-Mansur—Abu Muslim put to death—Rawendiya—Khorasan, Al-Mehdi—Ibrahim’s rebellion—Bagdad—Umeiyads in Spain—Barmekis—Pilgrimage—Literature
CHAPTER LXIII
158-169 A.H.—Al-Mehdi—Growing laxity—Manichaeans—War with Greece
CHAPTER LXIV
169-193 A.H.—Al-Hadi—Harun ar-Rashid—Nicephorus—Fall of Barmekis—Harun dies at Tus—Glory of his reign
CHAPTER LXV
193-198 A.H.—Al-Amin—Al-Ma’mun—Bagdad besieged—Tahir and Harthama—Death of Al-Amin
CHAPTER LXVI
198-218 A.H.—Al-Ma’mun (continued)—’Alid predilections—Bagdad revolts—’Ali ar-Rida—Ibrahim rival Caliph—Al-Ma’mun at Bagdad—Tahirids—Babek—Heterodoxy—Brilliant reign
CHAPTER LXVII
218-232 A.H.—Al-Mo’tasim—Turkish soldiery—Samarra—Bebek—Amorion—Al-Wathik Heterodoxy—Ahmed the Martyr
CHAPTER LXVIII
232-247 A.H.—Al-Mutawakkil—Return to Orthodoxy—Ordinance against Jews and Christians—Saffarids—Assassination
CHAPTER LXIX
247-256 A.H.—Al-Muntasir—Al-Musta’in—Rebellion—Siege of Bagdad—Al-Mo’tazz—Wasif and Bogha—Ahmed ibn Tulun—Al-Mohtadi—Riot at Bagdad
CHAPTER LXX
256-279 A.H.—Al-Mo’tamid and Al-Muwaffak—Zenj rebellion—Saffarids—Tulunid Dynasty
CHAPTER LXXI
279-295 A.H.—Al-Mo’tadid—Al-Muktafi—Egypt—War with Greeks
CHAPTER LXXII
Ismailians and Carmathians—Fatimid Dynasty—Druses—Assassins
CHAPTER LXXIII
295-329 A.H.—Al-Muktadir—Al-Kahir—Ar-Radi
CHAPTER LXXIV
329-344 A.H.—Al-Muttaki—Hamdan Chiefs—Ikshidids—Al-Mustakfi—Buweihids
CHAPTER LXXV
334-447 A.H.—Buweihid Dynasty—Al-Muti’, At-Tai’, Al-Kadir, and Al-Kaim, Caliphs
CHAPTER LXXVI
447-575 A.H.—Bagdad under Seljuks—Toghril Beg—Al-Muktadi and four following Caliphs—Crusades—Capture of Jerusalem—End of Fatimids
CHAPTER LXXVII
575-640 A.H.—An-Nasir, his Son and Grandson—Khwarizm Shah—Jenghiz Khan
CHAPTER LXXVIII
640-656 A.H.—Al-Musta’sim, last of the Caliphs—Hulagu takes Bagdad—Caliph put to death—End of ‘Abbasid Dynasty
CHAPTER LXXIX
659-926 A.H.—Spurious Caliphate under Memluk Kings of Egypt—Osmanli Conquest
