Constantinople August 717-15August 718

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Paul K Davis

Published:

2001

Publisher:

Oxford University PressNew York, NY

Abstract Mohammed the Prophet had a public career of 10 years, 622-632. He died without publicly naming a successor, and his close associate Abu Bakr was elected to succeed him. His time in power was only 2 years. Upon his death, Omar reigned as caliph, or deputy, the religious and political head of lslam. For 10 years, Omar oversaw the spread of lslam into Byzantine territory, Persia, Syria, modern Iraq, and Egypt. It spread farther under the caliphate of Othman (644-656), ultimately reaching the Atlantic shore of North Africa, as well as Armenia and Afghanistan in the east. Othman was assassinated, however, and thereafter Islam split into two major factions: the followers of Mohammed’s nephew Ali became the Shi’ites, and the supporters of the Syrian governor Muawiya started the Sunni faction. Muawiya finally came to exercise control by establishing the Umayyad dynasty, which ruled from Damascus between 661 and 750.

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