Byzantium and the Arabs. The Encounter of Civilizations from Sixth to Mid-Eighth Century / Teresa Wolińska, Paweł Filipczak

This book is an attempt at a reconstruction of complex relations between Byzantium and the Arabs from the sixth to the eighth century. It discusses the religious and political situation in the Middle East on the eve of the Arab conquest, characterises the attitude adopted by the inhabitants of Byzantine provinces toward the Arab invaders, analyses the administrative structures of Byzantium and the Umayyad state, and presents the life of Christian Churches under the Arab rule. Written in a clear, direct style, free of scholarly jargon, this collection of essays is based on both Byzantine and Arab sources, as well as on a wide selection of scholarly literature, originating from both the Western and Middle Eastern cultural circles. The monograph has been prepared by the scholars associated with the Waldemar Ceran Research Centre for History and Culture of the Mediterranean Area and South-Eastern Europe of the University of Łódź (Ceraneum). One might note, with a considerable degree of satisfaction, the initiative of Łódź Byzantinists aimed at increasing the role of Polish historiography in the scholarly world. It has taken up the form of a work in English, devoted to an event of worldwide importance, a clash of the newly emergent Islam with the refined culture of the Roman Mediterranean.

Introduction   1

Part I. Before the Conquest    7

1. Geography and Environmental Conditions of Syro-Palestine. The Region’s Geopolitical Importance in Late Antiquity Paweł Filipczak   7

2. Arabs, (H)agarenes, Ishmaelites, Saracens – a Few Remarks about Naming Teresa Wolińska   22

3. The Arabs before Islam – the Birth of the New Religion Marek M. Dziekan   38

4. The Goddesses of Pre-Islamic Arabia (Al-Lāt, Al-‘Uzzā, Manāt) Zofia Brzozowska   55

5. Irfan Shahîd’s Theme System or John Haldon’s Myth of Themes. A Short Review of the Two Main Ideas of Themes in Syria Paweł Filipczak   83

6. Byzantine Church before the Arab Conquest. Historical-Theological Aspects of Divisions in Churches of the East Sławomir Bralewski   92

7. Difficult Neighbours. Enemies, Partners, Allies Teresa Wolińska   150

Part II. The Conquest   205

1. Byzantium on the Eve of the Arab Expansion. Some Aspects of Government during the Reign of Heraclius I (610–641) Teresa Wolińska   205

2. Arab Expansion on Byzantine Territory (632–718) Błażej Cecota   223

3. The Character of the Invasion. A Discussion of the Causes and Immediate Effects of the Muslim Expansion Teresa Wolińska   270

4. Resistance, Passivity or Collaboration? Christians in Syria and Egypt Facing the Arab Conquest Teresa Wolińska   288

Part III. After the Conquest   315

1. Administration of the Arabic World: from Tribalism to the Umayyad Caliphate Hassan Badawy, Błażej Cecota   315

2. Economic Institutions of Early Islam. The Creation of Bayt al-Māl (……). From Tribal Treasury to the “Ministry of Finance” Hassan Badawy   338

3. Christian Communities in the Territories Conquered by the Arabs (Seventh– Eighth Centuries) Marta Woźniak   356

4. The Byzantines in the Context of the Ḳur’ān Marek M. Dziekan   390

5. The Arabs and Islam in the Eyes of the Byzantines Teresa Wolińska   418

6. A Byzantine Heritage? Outline of Art and Architecture of Early Islam (Seventh– Eighth Centuries) Marta Woźniak   439

Sources – a Brief Overview   463

1. A Short Review of Arab Sources Marek M. Dziekan   463

2. Greek, Syrian and Coptic Sources for the History of Byzantine-Arabic Relations in Sixth–Eighth Century Błażej Cecota, Teresa Wolińska   471

Abbreviations   485

Bibliography   493

Indices   567

Illustrations   593