The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate A. D. 661-750 - Hardcover

Hawting, G. R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0809313243 ISBN 13: 9780809313242

Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press, 1986

Synopsis

The Umayyad period was a crucial one for the de­velopment of Islam and Islamic culture. At the be­ginning of the ninety years of Umayyad rule over the Middle East, the region had only recently been conquered by the Arabs, and there is little un­ambiguous evidence about the development of Islam at that time. By the time the dynasty was over­thrown, the Arabic languages and culture had made substantial progress among the many non-Arab conquered peoples, many of the religious and social features that we recognize as distinctly Islamic had begun to crystallize, and large numbers of the sub­ject peoples had entered Islam.

 

Hawting provides an introductory survey of the period of the Umayyad dynasty. The historical evi­dence is often susceptible to widely differing in­terpretations. While the author is not mainly con­cerned here with analysis of the sources, he does provide some discussion of them and the problems associated with using them. He discusses the con­tinuing debate about the place of the Umayyads in Arab and Islamic history, a debate that continues to produce heated argument.

About this title

About the Author:

G. R. Hawting is a Lecturer in the History of the Near and Middle East at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

Review:

'Provides the best account now available in English' - Journal of the American Oriental Society

'Anyone faced with the somewhat daunting task of teaching Umayyad history to undergraduates will greet Hawting's achievement with relief, gratitude and admiration.' - Journal of Semitic Studies

About this edition

• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Publication date: 1986
• ISBN 10: 0809313243
• ISBN 13: 9780809313242
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160