Muslims first appeared in the early seventh century as members of a persecuted religious movement in a sun-baked town in Arabia. Within a century; their descendants were ruling a vast territory that extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River valley in modern Pakistan. This region became the arena for a new cultural experiment in which Muslim scholars and creative artists synthesized and reworked the legacy of Rome; Greece; Iran; and India into a new civilization. A History of the Muslim World to 1405 traces the development of this civilization from the career of the Prophet Muhammad to the death of the Mongol emperor Timur Lang. Coverage includes the unification of the Dar a1-Islam (the territory ruled by Muslims); the fragmentation into various religious and political groups including the Shi'ite and Sunni; and the series of catastrophes in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that threatened to destroy the civilization. Features: Balanced coverage of the Muslim world encompassing the region from the Iberian Peninsula to South Asia. Detailed accounts of all cultures including major Shi'ite groups and the Sunni community. Primary sources. Numerous maps and photographs featuring a special four-color art insert. Glossary; charts; and timelines.
#2108376 in Books 2002-08-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x .70 x 7.50l; 1.50 #File Name: 0130808334419 pages
Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Primary Sources is an interesting/refreshing approach to historyBy M. FyeIt is nice to see history through the eyes of the people who lived it. I prefer the personal touch of primary sources to traditionally dry textbook accounts.I don't think it is a book designed to teach history by itself; but should be used in conjunction with lectures/discussions with the professor (as Perry Rogers PhD does in his classes).Rogers is an historian; not a politician. The beauty of Rogers' approach is that he allows his readers MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS by giving us competing ideas from many points of view.[I used Randall W Smith's review to help me in my review; some direct quotes]