The City Has Fallen: An Umayyad Timeline

[Merovingian]

From “Amir al-Mu‘minin: History of the Caliphs” by Suleiman al-Dimashqi

The fall of Constantinople was met by great celebration within the Dar al-Islam[1] and with great mourning within the lands of Christendom. The city, built by the Christian Emperor Constantine for whom it was named, had been the beating heart of the Christian world up until that point. The city was renamed Madinat ar-Rum[2] and incorporated into the Umayyad Caliphate. The Muslims’ first attempt at taking Constantinople had been foiled by the Romans’ use of Greek fire[3]. However, in what was believed by Muslims for centuries to be a miracle from God, a during the course of the First Siege, an Arab soldier discovered the secret of the creation of Greek fire, and the Umayyads were able to replicate it during the Second Siege[4].

In the aftermath of the Fall of Constantinople, the Umayyads now had a gateway into Europe. Before the siege and subsequent fall of the Eastern Roman Empire to the Caliphate, Europe had been ruled by many Christian and pagan tribes, mostly of Germanic and Slavic origin. After Constantinople fell, the Umayyads would continue their expansion into much of Southern Europe, turning the Mediterranean into a firmly Umayyad lake.




[1]Literally “House/Abode of Islam”, refers to countries where Islam is the religion of the people and/or government

[2]Arabic for “City of the Romans”

[3]An incendiary weapon used by the Byzantines. Exactly how it worked was a closely guarded secret of the Eastern Roman state, and is now forgotten to history. ITTL, the Umayyads discover how to create and use Greek fire.

[4]The POD

 

[Merovingian]

From “Amir al-Mu’minin: History of the Caliphs” by Suleiman al-Dimashqi

Following Constantinople to the Caliphate, the Umayyads began their expansion further into Europe. The Caliphs set their eyes next on the Italian peninsula. With their use of Greek fire, the Umayyads were easily able to subdue much of Italy, which they named Al-Lunjibardiyyah[1], after a local Germanic tribe. The fall of Al-Lunjibardiyyah was just as devastating for the Christians as was the fall of Ar-Rum, for in the city of Rome(not to be confused with “Rum”) lived the Bishop of Rome, who was among the most influential of Christian clerical leaders in Europe[2]. The Kingdom of the Franks reacted to the fall of Italy by sending an army to retake the peninsula, meeting the Umayyads at . However, the Umayyads’ use of Greek fire was able to hold off the Frankish army. The King of the Franks is recorded to have died, and the Frankish realm was divided between numerous claimants to the throne, whose descendants would in time form their own kingdoms.

The Umayyads would incorporate Al-Lunjinardiyyah into the Caliphate. Marsaliyyah would serve as a key port city for the Umayyads, functioning as a center of trade between the Caliphate and Europe. With the fall of Ar-Rum, Al-Andalus, and Al-Lunjibardiyyah, and the collapse of the Frankish realm, many Christians would take refuge in Al-Habasha[4], which would become the new center of Christendom. Just as Islam spread in Europe, so would Christianity spread in Africa. Al-Habasha would become the center of a Christian Golden Age, and for much of the Middle Ages, Christian Africans would be as advanced if not more so than Muslim Europeans. It was not till many years after the Islamization of Southern Europe that Al-Habasha would begin to decline.



[1]Arabized form of “Langobardi”, the Latin name for the Lombards

[2]The Pope wasn’t nearly as powerful or influential as he would become later into the Middle Ages, but an Islamic conquest of Rome would leave European Christianity a lot more decentralized

[4]Arabic name for Ethiopia

 

[Merovingian]

From “Amir al-Mu‘minin: History of the Caliphs” by Suleiman al-Dimashqi

The reasons for the Abbasid Revolution are many, but predominant among them was the Umayyads’ oppression of non-Arabs. The Persians, who by this point had been mostly converted to Islam, were still oppressed by their Arab Umayyad rulers. Beginning in 129 AH[747 AD], the Abbasid Revolution was centered in Persia, Mesopotamia, and Greater Khorasan[1]. The Abbasids, who descended from Al-Abbas, one of the companions of the prophet, had numerous supporters against the Umayyads. The Abbasids were supported by both Shi’ites and Sunnis in the region. They were supported by non-Arab Muslims who wished to see the end of Umayyad discrimination, and non-Muslim dhimmi[2] who wanted greater freedom to practice their religions.

Under the Caliphs As-Saffah and Al-Mansur, as well as the Persian general Abu Muslim, the Abbasid Caliphate came to rule an area stretching from Egypt in the west to Transoxiana in the east. The Abbasids established their capital in the city of Baghdad, where the old Sassanid capital of Ctesiphon had once been. Abd al-Rahman I, a member of the Umayyad dynasty in Damascus, established his own Caliphate based out of Constantinople[3]. The Caliphate of Constantinople would establish its’ rule over Antaloia, the Balkans, and the Italian peninsula. Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri, the governor of Al-Andalus, declared the new Fihrid Emirate[4].

In North Africa, between the Fihrid and Abbasid domains, a charismatic Berber leader who went by the name of Ali ibn Muhammad al-Bijāyi, rallied the Kabyle Berbers under his leadership, founding the Kharijite Caliphate of Guenzet. The Caliphs of Guenzet were elected by the Caliphate’s religious leaders based on how devout they were, in accordance with Kharijite beliefs. Since choosing one person out of the entire population to be the new Caliph would be inefficient, it became custom that only the most learned of Islamic law would be considered eligible candidates. It was also custom that a candidate would never vote for themselves, as a sign of humility. Despite its pseudo-Democratic government, the Caliphate of Gueznet was highly oppressive to both non-Muslims and non-Kharijite Muslims.

The Umayyad Caliphs of Constantinople would convert to the Mu’tazilite sect of Islam, who had a rationalistic interpretation of the Qur’an. The Fihrids were originally Sunni, but trade with the Caliphate of Constantinople would introduce Mu’tazila Islam, which would in time grow more dominant. The Abbasids were Sunni, and used their Sunnism to contrast them with the Mu’tazilite Caliphs of Constantinople and the Kharijite Caliphs of Guenzet. The divide between the Sunnis, Mu’tazilites, Kharijites, and later the Shi’ites who would rebel against the Sunni Abbasids would be a permanent split.




[1]A historical region on the Iranian Plateau between Western and Central Asia

[2]Non-Muslims within historical Islamic states who were considered “people of the book”(originally meaning Christians, Jews, and Mandaeans, but also variously applied to Zoroastrians, Samaritans, and even Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains) . Dhimmi were considered protected and allowed to practice their religion in exchange for paying a special tax called “jizya.”

[3]IOTL, Abd al-Rahman established the Emirate(later Caliphate) of Córdoba. ITTL, Constantinople proved more appealing than Al-Andalus when both were available.

[4]The Fihrids were an influential dynasty in Iberia and North Africa with a penchant for acting independently of the Caliph in Damascus. IOTL, they were deposed by the aforementioned Abd al-Rahman. ITTL, with Abd al-Rahman going for Constantinople instead of Spain, they stay in power.

 

[Merovingian]

From “In the Shadow of Rome: The Rise of Europe” by Karl Von Alfenburg

From the point that both religions existed, it was inevitable that the Christian and Islamic worlds would come into conflict. Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, Rome, and all the other great cities of Christendom had fallen to the Muslims. However, the relationship between the two religions was not always hostile, and there were numerous examples of alliances and even friendships between Christian and Muslim rulers. A particularly notable example is that of Charlemagne with the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid. The two bonded over their shared hatred of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham II of Constantinople. They also sent each other several diplomatic gifts, such as Harun sending Charlemagne an elephant[1].

Despite their alliance with the Abbasids, relations between the Franks and the Umayyads of Constantinople could not have been worse. In particular, Charlemagne desired to reconquer the Italian peninsula for Christendom, a goal shared by future Holy Roman Emperors. Charlemagne conquered a significant area along the Adriatic coast, which would be used as a springboard for future Emperors to expand into Italy, with varying degrees of success[2].

From “Amir al-Mu‘minin: History of the Caliphs” by Suleiman al-Dimashqi

Abd al-Rahman I was succeeded as Caliph of Constantinople by Hisham I, was was in turn succeeded by Hisham II. It was Hisham II who would adopt Mu’tazilism as the state religion of the Caliphate. Hisham was, by all accounts, a very devout Mu’tazilite who persecuted all non-Mu’tazilite Muslims. Following the death of Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasids would come to be ruled by Caliph al-Amin, while the Caliphate of Constantinople was ruled by Abd al-Rahman II. In 197 AH(813 AD), al-Amin’s half-brother al-Ma’mun, a Mu’tazilite, waged an unsuccessful rebellion against his brother. In the aftermath of al-Ma’mun’s defeat, the Abbasids embraced staunch Sunni orthodoxy and cracked down on the Mu’tazilites. The Caliphate of Constantinople, on the other hand, would soon face its own internal troubles.



[1]IOTL, Charlemagne and Harun al-Rashid bonded over their shared hatred of Irene of Athens instead of Hisham II. Also, the thing about the elephant is OTL.

[2]The place that Rome holds in the western psyche is simply too great for TTL’s medieval Europeans not to try reconquista: spaghetti edition. Whether or not they’ll succeed is a different matter

 

[Merovingian]

From “Amir al-Mu‘minin: History of the Caliphs” by Suleiman al-Dimashqi

In 273 AH[886 AD], Abd al-Rahman II was succeeded as Caliph of Constantinople by Caliph Al-Hakam I. Al-Hakam was known to have neglected his duties and lived a hedonistic life. He reigned for six years before his choice of lifestyle finally caught up with him and he was succeeded by his son, also named Al-Hakam. Al-Hakam II intended to fix the problems his father had caused by centralizing the Caliphate around the institution of the monarchy.

Unfortunately for Al-Hakam, it was the saqaliba[1] who had emerged as the dominant faction within the Caliphate during his father’s reign, and saw his centralization programs as a threat to their influence. During the third year of his reign, Al-Hakam and his family were deposed and killed by the Saqaliba. The leader of the coup took the name “Abdullah”, or “servant of God”, and would rule the new Saqaliba Emirate in stead of the old Caliphs. The Saqaliba justified their coup by saying that the ruling Umayyad dynasty had lost favor with God. Had they been preferred by God to serve as Caliph, or theoretical ruler of all Muslims, than He logically would not have allowed them to be overthrown(so said the Saqliba). In the aftermath of the Saqabila’s overthrow of the Umayyads, the parts of the Italian peninsula under Umayyad rule collapsed into squabbling taifas. The Saqaliba realm itself, on the other hand, was just now beginning to make itself known.




[1]The saqaliba were a Slavic slaves(including slave soldiers, or ghilman) in the Umayyad Caliphate and other early Islamic states. They can be compared to the mamlukes and janissaries of later periods.

 

[Merovingian]

From “In the Shadow of Rome: The Rise of Europe” by Karl Von Alfenburg

While the Western Slavs Christianized, the Southern and Eastern Slavs were less receptive. There were two great Slavic states in Eastern Europe; the Bulgars and the Rus’. The Bulgars were originally Turkic before assimiliating into the Slavic majority they ruled and were(as the name would suggest) the ancestors of present-day Bulgarians. They converted to Islam under the influence of both the Umayyad Caliphate(including the Caliphate of Constantinople) and the Saqabila Emirate. The Bulgars would spread their faith throughout Southeastern Europe[1].

The Rus’ inhabited the far-eastern corner of Europe. The Rus’ were originally a chaotic mess of squabbling tribes before being unified by the originally Scandinavian Rurikid dynasty. The Rus’ traded frequently with the Saqabila Emirate and its successors, and although they occasionally warred with each other, they developed an otherwise close relationship. Despite this, the Rus’ never officially adopted Islam or any other religion. Rather, the ruling Rurikids practiced a syncretic mix of Norse and Slavic polytheism with some Islamic influence[2].

While the Rus’ never officially any religion, Islam began to seep in through the aforementioned trade. A prominent Muslim community began to develop around the city of Kyiv. In 978 AD, Prince Yaropolk I of Kyiv converted to Islam, adopting the name “Ibrahim Yaropolk.” Yaropolk’s brother, the pagan Prince Vladimir of Novgorod, unsuccessfully attempted to depose him. Yaropolk’s descendants would henceforth hold the title “Emir of Kyiv”, while Vladimir’s would continue to rule the Rus’ from Novgorod. Vladimir’s son, Saint Yaroslav the Great[3], would convert the Rus’ to Christianity shortly before his marriage to Ingegerd Olofsdotter, daughter of King Olof Skötkonung of Sweden. The Saqabila Emirate itself would soon begin to decline as it entered a period of conflict with emerging rivals.




[1]”Balkans” is a Turkish word, so it’s unlikely they’d be called that ITTL. Before the Turkish invasions, they were called the “peninsula of Haemus.”

[2]Said “Islamic influence” really just amounts to adopting some iconography because it’s an exotic status symbol

[3]Not OTL’s Yaroslav the Wise

 

[Merovingian]

From Aternativehistory.com

What if the Italian Wars Never Happened?

Abul-Muhammad ibn Abu Ali al-Muharajji bin Fatima-In our timlyen, the italian warrs started when krystiem europeans took back italu from the muslims 😡 In this timeline this never happens. 😀 the muslims use italy 2 taak ovr Europe and establysh the united saliphates of arabia with Muhamma pboyh as caliph😀 but jesus doesnt like what happened in christeanty so he invayds the united calipgates😡😡🤬 lucklyi, the unyted Caliphayts 😀win and jesu flees to vesprua[1]😡 This maaks mu Hamd phbu angry so he invents nucelar bomb and invayds vesperiaa 😀😀😁 and estblayishes the world peoples caliphate😀 2 b continoud 😀

KingofAndalusia-Well, that was...interesting... Also, “Abdul-Muhammad ibn Abu Ali al-Muharajji bin Fatima” is complete gibberish to a native Arabic speaker, not to mention that Jesus and Muhammad as enemies makes no sense from an Islamic standpoint. That and “World People’s Caliphate.”

Sol Invictus-replying to to KingofAndalusia It seems this guy’s posting from Poland. Probably just some European with issues trying to “discredit“ Islam. Why Alternativehistory.com, though?

Qin Shi Huangdi-Oh, let me Finnish it! Eventually, God gets tired of the World People’s Caliphate and sends the Buddha to get into a cosmic boxing match with Muhammad that gets so out of hand that the Greco-Roman pantheon intervenes... with nuclear weapons😀/s

NewAlbionBear-As Sol Invictus mentioned, this guy’s posting from Poland(why do all the nut jobs come from Poland?), while KingofAndalusia has pointed out some of the, er, inconsistencies in this. He’s clearly an anti-Islamic troll pretending to be a Muslim. Regardless, he is a troll. To Wessex with you! Closing this thread.

From “In the Shadow of Rome: The Rise of Europe” by Karl Von Alfenburg

The Italian wars started during the taifa period, when the Italian peninsula was divided between various warlords. The Holy Roman Empire and Andalusia’s Fihrid Emirate would end up as the dominant powers in Italy. The Italian Wars would last for the majority of the Middle Ages as the Christian and Islamic worlds battles for the fate of the peninsula.

[1]Vesperia, TTL’s name for the Americas

 

[Merovingian]

From “Andalusia: Crossroads of Civilization” by Yusuf Alfures

With the decline of the Umayyads rod Constantinople and their successors, the Saqaliba Emirate, in the east, Andalusia’s Fihrid dynasty would rise to become one of the dominant powers in the Mediterranean. Andalusia would become a predominantly mercantile power, with Andalusian merchants trading on both sides of the Mediterranean. The Fihrids would expand their influence into North Africa, where they would supplant the Kharijite Caliphate of Guenzet and spread Mu’tazilism into the region.

Andalusian merchants also frequently engaged in piracy. Andalusian pirates made traveling the Mediterranean very difficult for anyone who wasn’t an Andalusian merchant or their trade partners. Following the Fihrids de facto economic colonization of North Africa, they took control of al-Maghrib al-Aqṣá[1]. They would use it is a springboard for further exploration along the African coast. Andalusian sailors also discovered and colonized the islands of Qanaria[the Canaries], Fulkia[the Azores], and Kasabia[Madeira]. It came to be speculated by many Andalusians that some greater landmass existed beyond the islands, but for now, that was the realm of those with both way too much imagination and way too much time on their hands. Andalusia had entered its Golden Age, a time of wealth and prosperity. It was from there, that they made the mistake of every civilization; they assumed it would last forever.


[1]Roughly corresponds with OTL Morocco

 

[Merovingian]

From “Andalusia: Crossroads of Civilization” by Yusuf Alfures

With the rise of Andalusia’s Fihrid dynasty, and the decline of the Saqaliba Emirate, the Mediterranean world became increasingly divided between competing powers. Andalusians pirates would raid Saqaliba ships, and Andalusia’s recent wave of exploration had led to the Fihrids becoming increasingly wealthy. The Christian powers of Europe’s recent incursion into Italy also further destabilized the geopolitical climate of the Mediterranean. It seemed like something would happen with the Fihrids and Saqaliba. The question, it seemed, was what.

The Firhrids’ piracy against the Saqaliba would trigger a military reaction. The war between the Fihrids and the Saqaliba would result in a Fihrid victory, and the further weakening of the Saqaliba’s power. The Saqaliba would fall into internal turmoil, and would be in for even worse problems[1]. The Fihrids, meanwhile, would find themselves the new hegemons of the Mediteranean. Andalusia had entered its Golden Age. The Fihrids assumed this would last forever.

[1]The Turkish invasions are about on schedule

 

[Merovingian]

From “Persia: A Brief History” by Babak Shirazi

The revolution of the Abbasid Caliphate against the Umayyads was built on two pillars; non-Arab Muslims who hated the special privileges given to Arabs under Umayyad rule, and non-Muslims(mainly Zoroastrians in Persia and Christians in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant). The Abbasid Revolution had been led by a Persian Shi’a Muslim who went by the name “Abu Muslim.” However, the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur would have him executed, wary of his popularity. The new Abbasid Caliphate would continue to be dominated by Arabs, although not to the extent of the Umayyads. In response to the execution of Abu Muslim, a radical Zoroastrian[1] sect called the Khurramites, or “those of joyous faith”, would arise. The Khurramites traced their heritage back to the Sassanid-era radical moved Mazdak, who advocated for against the power of the nobility and clergy and for the redistribution of land amongst the lower classes.

The Khurramites movement would find its leader in the form of Babak Khorramdin, who would carve out an independent Khurramites state based around Adharbayjan[2], where he and his descendants[3] would rule. The Khurramites would ultimately be conquered by the then-pagan Oghuz Turks. However, the Khurramite faith would make significant inroads among the Turkic elite[4], and the Yagbu[5] Arslan the Pious would convert to Khurramitism. The Oghuz used their new Khurramites faith to justify wars of expansion against various Islamic kingdoms and states, claiming that they were simply reclaiming Persia from a foreign invader and restoring the country’s natural religion. The Oghuz Yagbus would likewise greatly sponsor the construction of new fire temples and the proselytization of Khurramites Zoroastrianism amongst their subjects.

The Khurramites would come into conflict with the Saqabila Emirate that ruled over modern-day Greece. The Saqabila, recently defeated in a war against the Andalusian Fihrid Emirate, would win a decisive victory against the Oghuz in 453 AH[1071 AD]. The Saqabila would use this as an opportunity to protect Mesopotamia from Oghuz encroachment, turning what was left of the Abbasid Caliphate into a puppet. Despite this, the Oghuz’s rule over Persia would have long-lasting affects around the world.

From “Andalusia: Crossroads of Civilization” by Yusuf Alfures

The conquest of Persia by the Oghuz Turks would lead to conflict between Persia and the Islamic world. This extended to the world of trade, since Persia was a major stop along the Silk Road. The Fihrids, having recently won their war against the Saqabila Emirate, suddenly found their trade monopoly disrupted. The Andalusian people being the natural sailors that they are, began to look westward to find a new trade route. Thus in 473 AH[1080 AD], the Andalusian explorer Ahmed Gharziyah sailed westward from Andalusia, stopping in Qataris before sailing westward again and discovering something far greater than what he set out to find; an entirely new continent for which the Andalusians could expand.



[1]Although Abu Muslim was, as his name would suggest, a Muslim, he was popular with Zoroastrians and other religious minorities

[2]Azerbaijan

[3]IOTL, Babak was betrayed and executed by the Abbasids. ITTL, he is more successful, and established a long-lasting Khurramites state in Azerbaijan.

[4]IOTL, the Oghuz would convert to Islam.

[5]Oghuz khagan