Muslim Diaspora v.1 570-1500

This volume, the first of a series that chronicles the most significant events in the spread of Islam, covers the period from the birth of Muhammad in 570 C.E. to 1500, the beginning of the era which saw the spread of Islam to the Americas. Islam's domination of the region which has come to be known as the Middle East is examined - from the conquests of the Persian and Byzantine empires, to the march across the deserts of North Africa. The subjugation of the Iberian Peninsula, the occupation of Sicily, and the establishment of a Muslim presence in the Balkans are covered. Also documented is the rise of Islam in India, China and Indonesia (the most populous Islamic country in the world). Along with their religion, Muslims carried their culture, goods, and innovations to the far corners of the globe. Their contributions to Western civilization - such as new kinds of agriculture (irrigation, oranges, sugarcane, cotton), manufactured goods (satin, rugs, paper, perfumes), and technology (astrolabe, compass, lanteen sail) - are set out in detail. The book is indexed, with a bibliography and ten appendices.