After the early Arab conquests in the seventh century drove the Byzantine Empire out of the Levant and Egypt and drove the massive Sasanian Empire out of existence altogether, the Arabs under the Rashidun and then Umayyad caliphs continued to expand their frontiers. By the early eighth century they’d added vast new territories to their … Continue reading Today (?) in Central Asian history: the Battle of Talas (751)
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Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Bakhamra (763)
The various Shiʿa movements that have sprung up over the centuries trace their origins, of course, to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son in-law of Muhammad. But apart from that common origin there have been a number of disagreements within the broad Shiʿa community over which line of descent from Ali was legitimate. These divergences … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Bakhamra (763)
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 