What would Muslim colonialization of the Americas look like?

yourworstnightmare

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Depend on which Muslim or where they arrive, really.

As well as how said Muslim country work, i.e. Have they experimented with plantations? Do they have access to slave large slave markets (African kingdoms)? Are they centralized? Do they have a strong army? Are they traders? Have they a surplus population (settlers), or are there many young men with no opportunities at home (adventurers) etc.
 
How would the relationship with the Native Americans develope ?

It depends on how they religiously decide the status of the Natives. Areas conquered by Arab Muslims tended to become Arab Muslim afterwards, so it's likely we'd see a similar conquering, conversion, and genocide as OTL.
 

Delvestius

Banned
In any case I would say there would be greater numbers of natives still today, but syncretic beliefs and traditions would be on a much more private level, if at all. Islam would hammer than right out of them. Perhaps this means pure Islamic states in some areas, with pockets of indigenous resistance? Not to mention, most scenarios in which Islamic states colonizes the new world mean that colonization would occur earlier, and they would have less technology to conquer large swaths of territory and peoples.

I'v always thought the most likely candidate was a Muslim Spain, couldn't really imagine any other viable candidate. Middle Eastern states were literally on top of the trade routes, colonization only happened when people were looking to circumvent Ottoman trade.
 
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Delvestius

Banned
It depends on how they religiously decide the status of the Natives. Areas conquered by Arab Muslims tended to become Arab Muslim afterwards, so it's likely we'd see a similar conquering, conversion, and genocide as OTL.

Genocides? So how is it that central Asia is still all Turks and Persians, Morocco is still half Berber and Coptic remained the official language in Egypt until the fourteenth century? There were very few genocides on the Arabs' parts, but some of the highest degrees of assimilation in the entire world. I doubt however they would assimilate the new world, in fact they would probably trade with the natives for slaves while at the same time eagerly proselytizing.
 
As yourworstnightmare, said...Which muslim country? It's basically a convenient label on several different entities.
Just for comparison, look at the diversity of European colonisations in America to have an idea how it would work for Arabo-Islamic colonisation.

That said, and in a realistic way (meaning we can rule whatever remains of Al-Andalus safely), the best candidate is Morroco if you manage to keep Castille and Portugal out of the coast, or during Saadi dynasty in the late XVIth century (especially under Ahmad al-Mansur)

- Plantation economy and slavery are going to exist as well. On this regard, Spanish kingdoms and western Arabo-Islamic entities were really close (giving that Castille inherited Arabo-Andalusian economy on this regard, that's hardly surprising).

- Giving the blunt racism on Black slaves, I doubt Morroceans would see natives any better than them. If something, without the necessity to ally with them, they could do as bad or even worse than Spaniards.
Forced conversion, native slavery (between associated use with black slaves, up to "Slaves coast" as in eastern Africa) are to be expected.

You'd have several differences though.
- Maintain of native entities when converted, rather than blunt conquest. Think of an equivalent of Morroco's policy on Western Africa
- Likely maintain of tribal politics on New World, a more divided socially and politically speaking.
- More maritime minded colonists than in Morocco (you always had a reluctance when it come to seafare in Morroco), maybe with the colony serving as regional "metropole" rather than a distinct rule from North Africa.
 
See the TL in my signature, "Minarets of Atlantis" :eek: (shameless self-promoting, but relevant!)
 
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