What if, in 987 instead of accepting Byzantine Christianity, St Vladimir the Great converted he Kievan Rus to Islam. How would this affect the course of history. Aside from creating a greater Rift between Russia and the West, how would this affect world politics and international relations? Also, what might a Russian strain of Islam look like?
Islamic Russia and Ukraine
- Thread starter AlexanderNevskii
- Start date
I'm not sure what the advantages to the Rus would be from this sort of move. After Khazar collapse, the Rus world effectively looked south to Constantinople, and was in Byzantine orbit- there were no Islamic powers in the region that could provide anything like as much opportunity as the Byzantines could in the tenth century.
How would Islams restrictive diet for into Russian culture? I don't know all the restrictions but I feel like the domesticated pig has to be a fairly considerable source of protein that far north. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's worth talking about.
I also have a hard time seeing why the Rus aristocracy would accept Islam over Christianity, practically speaking.
I also have a hard time seeing why the Rus aristocracy would accept Islam over Christianity, practically speaking.
I don't see how Islam could be seen as an actual choice. It managed to progress on the other side of Caucasus only by conquest and raids and it was almost ever temporary.
Remember that religion was an important diplomatic tool in the Middle Ages, and if conversion to Christianity made sense as it allowed continuous relations with Byzance, the same couldn't be said with the Caliphates : too far and no short term possibility of political relations.
Remember that religion was an important diplomatic tool in the Middle Ages, and if conversion to Christianity made sense as it allowed continuous relations with Byzance, the same couldn't be said with the Caliphates : too far and no short term possibility of political relations.
The only way I can see this happening is if the Muslims control the Bosporus and maybe Crimea in 987, therefore controlling the trade coming out of the Dnieper.
Remember, the Russian conversion to Christianity was (if I recall correctly) a diplomatic move intended to appease Constantinople. That, and it was pretty much the only monotheistic religion they had a lots of (positive) exposure to. If it is a Muslim establishment controlling Constantinople, I don't see why the same thing wouldn't happen.
But, as per the limits you've set in the OP, with the date of divergence being 987 and not before it, and I cannot see them converting to Islam for whatever reason.
Remember, the Russian conversion to Christianity was (if I recall correctly) a diplomatic move intended to appease Constantinople. That, and it was pretty much the only monotheistic religion they had a lots of (positive) exposure to. If it is a Muslim establishment controlling Constantinople, I don't see why the same thing wouldn't happen.
But, as per the limits you've set in the OP, with the date of divergence being 987 and not before it, and I cannot see them converting to Islam for whatever reason.