The History of the Umayyad Caliphate and the Future of the Arab Nations
The Umayyad empire was the seventh-largest empire in the history of mankind. How did the culture, scientific advances and conquests of the Arabian civilisation impact the Mediterranean theatre? What does the future hold for the Sunni and Shiite Muslims in these regions today? The Umayyad were a tribe of Arabia which expanded across parts of northwestern India, the Middle East, North Africa and up into Europe, taking the vast majority of the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) and reaching its furthest extent in AD 750. In the early years of the Caliphate, the Umayyad were lead by an experienced political leader, Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan. However, the Caliphate would continue to flourish for over 350 years and successfully established an advanced society which greatly enriched the world’s scientific, linguistic and mathematical understanding. Words such as algebra, algorithm, alkaline and alcohol were contributed to society by Islamic scholars. The Umayyad set the stage for an Arab golden age that spread across three continents and ultimately turned Spain into the most advanced civilisation in Europe.
The Umayyad empire was the seventh-largest empire in the history of mankind. How did the culture, scientific advances and conquests of the Arabian civilisation impact the Mediterranean theatre? What does the future hold for the Sunni and Shiite Muslims in these regions today? The Umayyad were a tribe of Arabia which expanded across parts of northwestern India, the Middle East, North Africa and up into Europe, taking the vast majority of the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) and reaching its furthest extent in AD 750. In the early years of the Caliphate, the Umayyad were lead by an experienced political leader, Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan. However, the Caliphate would continue to flourish for over 350 years and successfully established an advanced society which greatly enriched the world’s scientific, linguistic and mathematical understanding. Words such as algebra, algorithm, alkaline and alcohol were contributed to society by Islamic scholars. The Umayyad set the stage for an Arab golden age that spread across three continents and ultimately turned Spain into the most advanced civilisation in Europe.