General No Islam Timeline Thread

I meant no disrespect dost, I just thought it was a big assertion! I will take your word for it that you are well informed in the faith. May I ask, are you Sunni?


Haha, you could say that. Type into your search bar "Islamic Fiqh discussion" that is and was my major thread on the site and the thread for questions on Islam.
 
Yes, this is correct. We are only independent Islamic nation with shi'e majority along with Iraq. North Azerbaijan are most irreligion, but culturally also shi'i.

You are student of Sunni and Shi'e (and Ibadi, Sufi?) or just Sunni?


I am well versed in the historic traditions of Islam, regardless of sect and Ulema.
 
Apparently the son of the last Lakhmid King (Prince Al-Mundhir) attempted to revive the Kingdom during the OTL Ridda Wars and occupied Bahrain for roughly a year in 633. Without the rise of Islam and the last vestiges of Sassanid power nonetheless slipping, could we see the previously conquered Nestorian Arab Kingdom make a comeback?
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Nu'man_III_ibn_al-Mundhir

Also there appears to have been an Albanian Apostolic Church that thrived and existed before the advent of Islam. How very fascinating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Caucasian_Albania
 
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Apparently the son of the last Lakhmid King (Prince Al-Mundhir) attempted to revive the Kingdom during the OTL Ridda Wars and occupied Bahrain for roughly a year in 633. Without the rise of Islam and the last vestiges of Sassanid power nonetheless slipping, could we see the previously conquered Nestorian Arab Kingdom make a comeback?
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Nu'man_III_ibn_al-Mundhir

Huh, I'd never heard of that. If you do go down that road, it will be interesting to see if you can find additional information on this son.

Bahrain at the time had a Nestorian population, by all accounts, but there were also significant pagan elements and the region definitely was under Sassanian control. (Which is probably why he was defeated so quickly)

However, the Sassanians, not long after the destruction of the Banu Lakhm began to suffer raids into their territory from other tribes. While it would be many years still before the Islamic invasion, these early raids foreshadowed how dangerous the lack of a strong buffer state was. A clever Sassanian ruler might find a new Arab buffer... perhaps that could be a start?
 
Huh, I'd never heard of that. If you do go down that road, it will be interesting to see if you can find additional information on this son.

Bahrain at the time had a Nestorian population, by all accounts, but there were also significant pagan elements and the region definitely was under Sassanian control. (Which is probably why he was defeated so quickly)

However, the Sassanians, not long after the destruction of the Banu Lakhm began to suffer raids into their territory from other tribes. While it would be many years still before the Islamic invasion, these early raids foreshadowed how dangerous the lack of a strong buffer state was. A clever Sassanian ruler might find a new Arab buffer... perhaps that could be a start?
Of course, if the Sassanids aren't replaced by a new dynasty within the century. Which seems rather slim given that extremely costly war. But yes, I should see if there's more information.
 
Persia in such situation is going to have other issues than Arabia for at least one decade or two : without Islamic takeover of Yemen, you could still have a nominal Persian authority over the squabbling statelets that replaced Hymarite Kingdom, for exemple, but the fiscal counter-shock and political issues are going to put Arabic policies in the background.

Not that raids from Nefud aren't going to take place, of course, but Lakhmids demise answered a political need or at least pervied as such by Sassanians (after all, they did were seemingly going to a geopolitical heel-face turn) : they were seen as a soft belly and if they are to be replaced, I'd rather see either a Persian sub-kingdom taking their place or the region being divided into two provinces or, sub-kingdoms (one centered on Persian gulf, the other on borders with Romania).

There's a possibility seeing a new Arabic dynasty on the region, maybe a tribe as Banu Hanifa. As for a Lakhmid revival, I think it's unlikely, even if the theories about the survival of al-Nu'man are genuine : he would have managed creating its own demesne during Ridda Wars, at a point where Islamic power was undergoing a life-or-death crisis, but even a vaniquished Sassanid Persia (with the possibility of dynastical replacement) would be able to prevent simply loosing hold there : it's too close from its cores to me.
 
Where could I find some good sources on Classical India for around this time? (The Empire of Harsha, the rise of Chalukyas and Pallavas, general stuff, etc)
 
Ancient History of India can be a bit of a pain in the ass when it comes to first studies, because Ancient Indians had a different conception of historicity than we're used to, among other things a greater deal on poetic* and religious history.
It makes somewhat hard to really precise geopolitical situations, critically giving that various Classical and late Classical empires and kingdoms expanded on smaller dynasties and kingdoms that remained in place, changed dominations or raised themselves to hegemonic power.

I heard good things about Early India, From the Origins to A.D. 1300, by Thapar Romila, but I didn't read it myself.

*As the Harshacharita
 
How long would it take for butterflies to reach China anyways? The 660s at earliest given westward expansion and Sassanid survival?
 
Hard to say : roughly, I'd expect the T'ang/Umayyad confrontation to be a good marker, time-wise and geography-wise.
Sassanians would be too busy getting their shit together for some decades, and never really went that deep at this point towards India and Central Asia if I understand it correctly (the remaining of Hephtalites didn't provided that much threat).

Meaning, around the early VIIIth century and in Central Asia at first, when Ferghana (for exemple) entered into the Caliphal sphere of influence, leading to a first conflict with China.

Butterflies will be importants tough, would it be only regarding T'ang policy in the Tarim basin and on Turkic peoples of the region : it's possible that unopposed by Arabs, the Göktürk khaganate may be more powerful face to T'ang as well.

Worth some study, but giving it's not among the immediate consequences of the PoD, I'd tend to focus more on the 630's-750's period at first. (Even if arguably, it should be mentioned in the latter parts of this period), while a focus on China and an alternate An Lushan rebellion may be treated in a second act.
 
I recently thought of an outline for the Justinian-Byzantine POV, and I was wondering if I could get volunteers to write this if I am unable to?


Spring 565 CE - Blachernae Palace, Constantinople - The Eastern Roman Empire

Justinian, an aging, slowly dying husk of an Emperor who once was said to have never slept, reflects on his reign.

His uncle's ascension to the throne, his meeting/romance of Theodora, his own ascension;

The codification of his (famous) laws, the Nika Riots and handling, the great campaigns of Belisarius in Africa and Italy;

The construction of the Hagia Sophia and other cultural achievements;

The great Plague of Justinian, it's damage to christendom and to his personal life (including Theodora);

His increasing frustration and paranoia, as well as zeal towards the Orthodox Church he had wished to reform;

Finishing with him briefly wondering if he had picked the right heir after all (or something).

After that part, a detailed summary of the reigns, events and changes surrounding the next three Emperors, Justin II, Tiberius II and Maurice, right up to his usurpation that sparked the beginning of the great Persian war...


What do you think?
 
Yes, this is correct. We are only independent Islamic nation with shi'e majority along with Iraq. North Azerbaijan are most irreligion, but culturally also shi'i.

You are student of Sunni and Shi'e (and Ibadi, Sufi?) or just Sunni?

Doesn't Bahrain have a Shi'ite majority? Or would you not count that as 'independent'?

Grouchio, classical Indian history, especially in the period between the Guptas and the Islamic invasion, is extremely difficult to research due to a lot of problems involving as historiography, as LSCatilina pointed out. We only really know of Harsha's empire due to the recollections of Chinese pilgrim, and the Guptas were only rediscovered as a major empire due to the efforts of the British. However there are a few things that can be stated:

The first united Bengali kingdom under the Buddhist Raja Shashanka emerged.

The Cholas of South India were an interregnum and decline, and would not rise again until the 9th century. In their dark age, they were dominated by an empire known as the Kalabhras, who were anti-Brahman and have been speculated to have been Jain.

There was also the Hindu-Buddhist Rai dynasty in modern day Sindh, who were a major part of the Indian ocean trade.

Also, peculiarly there was the Karkota empire established in Kashmir in this period, who apparently conquered much of northern India at this time period, however there are few sources and information about them, so they are basically a blank slate for you to play with them as you wish.
 
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