Christian Egypt

Rocano

Banned
I know its probaly been done before but

Coptic Christianity remains number one faith in Egypt. Christian Egypt erupts as independent Christian Kingdom
 
Well, for one thing, without Egypt, the Caliphate would be significantly weaker, not to mention blocked off from going further westward unless they manage to conquer Egypt, as conquering Constantinople is out of the question at that time.
 
To really keep Eygpt Christian, You have to go back to-- 313AD -- Begining of Donatist schism.
the Donatists were concentrated across north Africa, Then you have to figure a way to allow then to coexsist with the Orthodox
 
I think this problem could be caused by having the Byzantines horribly lose the Sassanids due to the war early in the 7th Century. The Sassanids were indeed overextended, but they've got time to consolidate their gains before the Arabs come knocking on their door and probably drive them back into Arabia. The Sassanids probably wouldn't oppress the Copts because they don't buy into the Chalcedonian theology of Constantinople and Rome. This would also permit the Syriac Orthodox Church to dominate the Antioch and Jerusalem. Not only would Egypt remain Christian, but so would Syria and Palestine.
 
To really keep Eygpt Christian, You have to go back to-- 313AD -- Begining of Donatist schism.
the Donatists were concentrated across north Africa, Then you have to figure a way to allow then to coexsist with the Orthodox

Donatists? Hunh? The Copts were Monophysite, not Donatist.
 
....and Byzantium never stops suppressing the Copts. (remember that Egypt was part of Byzantium until the Muslims liberated it)

Calling the Muslim conquest of Egypt a liberation is a bit of a stretch - it was really just a change of foreign rulers.

And even though Muslim rule was initially more tolerant than Byzantine rule had been during that period (IIRC the supression of Copts under Byzantine rule has never been as bad as during the period right before the Persian and Muslim conquests), the Copts would eventually face varying degrees of persecution under Muslim rule as well.

I know its probaly been done before but

Coptic Christianity remains number one faith in Egypt. Christian Egypt erupts as independent Christian Kingdom

What happens next will depend on how and when Coptic Egypt becomes independant.

There are several ways to let this happen, but IMO the best way to let this happen, will be to let Heraclius stay in Constantinople or attack the Persian armies in Anatolia, instead of going for the barely defended territories in Persian Mesopotamia.

Then let Heraclius succeed in defeating the Persians in Asia Minor, so that Byzantium retains Asia Minor and the Western Caucasus, but fails to regain most of Syria, the Holy Land, and Egypt.

With Egypt and Syria, and after a long war againes the Byzantines, the Sassanid Empire has quite overextended itself, and as Khusrau II wasn't a very good administrator, it isn't too hard to make the Sassanid Empire collapse at this point.

Just let Khusrau remain in charge for a few years longer, and then make sure that after his death, a succession struggle breaks out. (which shouldn't be too hard - Khusrau has imprisoned his eldest son Kavadh, and Khusrau had various other enemies as well)

This succession struggle then greatly undermines the strenght and stability of the Sassanid Empire, resulting in opportunistic raids from the Khazars, Western Turks, and Arabs (in order to prevent the Muslim conquest of Egypt in this scenario, the rise of Islam or at least the unification of Arabia by the Muslims should be prevented, though), which then weakens the Sassanid Empire even further.

And at that point, all you need is either a Persian general who moves into Egypt and declares himself independant, or a Coptic rebellion that results in the Persians losing what little authority they had left in Egypt, and the subsequent establishment of a Coptic state in Egypt.
 
Guys

Wasn't there a situation, about a century or so after the Arab conquest when one of the Nubian states briefly occupied much of southern Egypt, possibly assisting a rebellion if I remember rightly? Change something, say a more skilled Nubian leadership, more divided or diverted Caliphate or something to spark more unrest in Egypt and you might end up with a strongly Coptic state with a clear identity, making it very resistant to either Byzantium or Muslim influences. Aided by its natural borders and a bit of luck and you could see a powerful state emerge.

Steve
 
Guys

Wasn't there a situation, about a century or so after the Arab conquest when one of the Nubian states briefly occupied much of southern Egypt, possibly assisting a rebellion if I remember rightly?

This is correct;

Link

The united kingdom under King Cyriacus was powerful enough to invade Egypt in the year A.D. 745 in defense of the Patriarch of Alexandria, who had been imprisoned. The Nubian army reached Cairo where an official called the eparch, presumably the eparch of Nobatia, was sent to treat with Abd el Melek ibn Musa, the governor of Egypt, who agreed to the release of the Patriarch.

Change something, say a more skilled Nubian leadership, more divided or diverted Caliphate or something to spark more unrest in Egypt and you might end up with a strongly Coptic state with a clear identity, making it very resistant to either Byzantium or Muslim influences. Aided by its natural borders and a bit of luck and you could see a powerful state emerge.

Steve

This could very well work - Egypt has a lot of natural resources, and it is situated on the trade route between the Eastern Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.

If the Caliphate would lose Egypt during this early stage, then it would be greatly weakened, which in its turn reduces its chances of regaining Egypt.

And interestingly, the revolt againest the Umayyads that eventually led to the Abbasid takeover got started in about 745 - if the Nubians really put their mind to conquering Egypt during this Period, they could very well succeed.

And if they succeed in repelling the Abbasid attemtps to retake Egypt, then you've got an independant, Coptic Christian Egypt.
 
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