EUROPE UNDER MUSLIM RULE - Part IV
Dr. Mohsin Farooqi takes a look at the history of Muslim rule in Europe
to remind the Muslim Ummah of its glorious past
Rome
In 846 a fleet form the African coast sailed up to Tiber and the Muslim warriors actually entered Rome. The invaders were driven back. But three years later another attack was launched by Aghlabid monarch Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم -1, who sent a fleet form Sardinia. The ships cast anchor 16 miles from Rome and prepared to land troops. By the efforts of Pope Leo IV an alliance of maritime countries was hastily formed to counter the threatened attack and defenders aided by a great storm were able to route the Muslim fleet at the battle of Ostia. In 813 Muslims attacked Civi Vecchia in the neighbourhood of Rome.
WESTERN COAST OF ITALY
The district of Genoa and Pisa were subject of constant attack form Sardinia particularly during the reign of Al-Mujahid.
NORTHERN ITALY
In 906 Muslims crossed French border at Mont Cenis made themselves masters of Novalese Abbey in Suse on the Piedmontese frontier. In 911 Muslims were masters of all the lines of communications between France and Italy. They made frequent descents into the plains of Piedmont and Montferrat. In 935 some adventurers from Africa attacked Montferrat, massacred the males and made it the centre of their numerous expeditions as well as place of refuge from the enemy. In the later period Italian coasts were the constant target of Muslim ravages.
Muslims conquered Piedmont, Montferrat and Liguria. They were so much powerful that local prince Adalbert and Pope John XI had to request the Muslims of Fraxinet for help against Otto, the German Emperor. St. Mayenl was captured by Muslims in 972. The Amirate of Fraxinet remained for about 70 years.
Al-Mujahid became the master of Denia and Balearic Islands and became terror to the Inhabitants of Corsica, Sardinia, Pisa and Genoa.
Turks about 1456 crossed the frontier of Italy and ravaged the region of Friuli in North East Italy. Venice was subservient to Muslims long ago.
In 1481, Otranto in South Italy was captured through a naval attack. It remained under Muslims for a short period. In 1606 the country around Gradisca in North East Italy was conquered by Turks.
The incursions into Italy by sea continued until 1832.
MALTA
Malta fell to Muslim attacks even before 652 A.D. The hold on Malta was stronger than on Sicily and Muslim influence was more firmly established as the Maltese language is a dialect of Arabic. The island was lost to Islam in 1090. Turks led a naval attack on Malta in1565. It was attacked again in the same year but Turks could not conquer it although they were masters of Mediterranean Sea. It remained under Muslims for 438 years.
Mediterranean Sea and European Coasts
In 1538, the Turkish Navy defeated the combined naval force of Spain, Venice (Italy) and Pope, a number of times. This made them master of Mediterranean Sea. Muslims from North Africa ravaged the coasts of Spain, Italy and France and even occasionally of England and Ireland devastating the cities and villages and carrying away booty and captives. The city of Bristol in England used to be the main target. The coasts of Portugal at Madeira was roamed by Algerians even upto 1670.
MONACO
It is a tiny independent state on French Riviera having an area of 368 acres and population of 25,000. It is nine miles east of Nice a town on Southern coast of France.
The small principality was under Amirate of Fraxinet during 889-975. In the later period it was attacked by Muslims several times.
POLAND
Poland was under Muslim Rule when Golden Horde conquered Cracow and Rzeszow. It is probable that they controlled the area for about two centuries, 1272-1453. In 1672, Turkey attacked Poland and the city of Kaminiec, the capital of Podolia was captured. In 1673 and 1675 Turks were defeated but in 1676 Poles under Soblieski and Russians were defeated and the enlarged province of Podolia was added to the Turkish Empire.
An army of Tatars from Crimea overran Poland in 1688 and defeated a Polish army at Sereth now in Ukraine. In 1689 combined armies of Poland and Russia were defeated. In 1698, Podolia was freed form Turkish Rule. But in 1792, the River Dniester was the boundary line which shows that some Polish territory remained under Muslims. But the matter needs further Investigation. The period comes to 120 years.
The terror of Muslim invaders along the old Danube highway hang over Europe for centuries. There was Turks Tax in order to organize resistance or pacify the invaders with bribes. Poland, Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) and Austria had to fight against them constantly.
ROMANIA
The occupation of the country starts from 1393, When Silistra and Widdin were captured by Bayazid 1, Sultan of Turkey. After the battle of Nicopolis vast country between Drave and Danube was devastated. It remained as a Turkish province upto 1828.
Since 1829, Romania was nominally under Turkey. In 1867 two Danubain principalities united into one state Romania. In 1868 a prince was invested as hereditary ruler of the new State by the Sultan of Turkey. It continued under suzerainty of Turkey, Romania was to be an independent state in 1914. It remained under Muslim Rule for 521 years. It had 68 percent Muslim population. Muslims have a Mufiate at Constanta.
Russia, Ukraine And Belo Russia
Nearly the Whole of European Russia remained under Muslim influence for centuries. The southern areas of Azerbaijan, Daghestan, Georgia and Armenia were conquered by Muslim in 641 A.D., and remained under Arabs, Persians and Turks upto 1878 except for intermittent periods. The main land Russia was under Golden Horde (Tatars) from 1240 to 1552. The Crimean area north and east of Black Sea remained under Tatars (1239-1274) and Ottoman Empire(1475-1792).
The Golden Horde territories included most of European Russia from Urals to the Carpathians. It is difficult to find out how far East and North in to Siberia, the lands of Golden Horde extended, In the South Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Northern shores of Caspian and the frontier with Iran was its approximate border. In other words European or Little Tartary comprising most of Russian governments of Astrakhan, Ekaterinoslav, Cossak provinces and Crimea.
Under the Rule of Berke 1255-66, Batu's brother, the Golden Horde became more autonomous an evolution partially caused by Berke's conversion to Islam. This opened Russia to Muslim influences both cultural and commercial. Though Berke's successors were not Muslims the final conversion of Khan Uzbek (1312-42) confirmed Islamic preponderance with Golden Horde. An other source says that they embraced Islam in 1272 A.D.
Serai Batu was established in 1243, thirty miles below Stalingrad. Serai Berke has beautiful mosque, centrally heated houses and public baths.
Another source says they conquered Moscow and Novgorod. Russian princes had to receive a patent (yarlyk) from the Khan. In the later part of 14th century internecine wars weakened the Golden Horde.
Kazan and Crimea :- After the downfall of Golden Horde, the Tatars form 15th century formed the Khanate of Kazan which was finally subdued and annexed by Russian in 1552. the Crimean Khanate was formed in 1239 A.D. in 1475 South Crimea was conquered by Turks who in 1478 established suzerainty over the crimena Khanate. In 1792 Crimea was annexes to Russia.
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Daghestan
Besides mainland Russia a number of Soviet Rebuplics remained under Muslim rule since 641 A.D. Muslim advanced into Armenia and within a short period, in the territory lying between the Caucasus and the Taurus, the inhabitants eagerly embraced Islam and there the faith made rapid strides. The area included Azerbaijan and Daghestan. It faced difficulties in Armenia. But Muslim hold continued for centuries except during intermittent periods, It remained under Ommayads and Abbasides later on under Persian Empire. In 1393 Armenia came under Turkish control.
In 1568, Turkey sent an army of 25,000 through Black Sea to Azov. They were joined by 30,000 Tatars form Crimea to attack Astrakhan. The scheme was to join Rivers Don and Volga through a canal. The attack was repulsed by Russians. Before 1590, Turkey conquered Kingdom of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Daghestan on the Caspian Sea. They remained part of Turkish empire upto 1878.
Golden Horde was the only power which particularly from the East really conquered and occupied Russia. The yoke of Tatar Government remained on the necks of Russians for two hundred and fifty years. It is not only an important chapter of Russian history but also of Poland and Lithunia. It resulted in the population of Turkish tribes on the banks of River Volga and Western Siberia. The scattered population of Tatars is still found in these areas. The most convincing reason of their existence was their faith in Islam. The cultural impact of Tatars upon Russia can be found out in past centuries of Russian history. They are apparent on several aspects of administration, militarism, ways and manners and on the relations of the ruler and the ruled.
UKRAINE
Parts of Ukraine were under Muslim Rule since 1237, under Tatars the Golden Horde and later on under Khanate of Crimea. The whole of northern coast of Black Sea was under Turkey since 1475.
After 300 years of Muslim Rule, a number of battles were fought between Muslims and Russians for the occupation of the area. In 1774 Russia became capable of having two areas on the coast of Black Sea once considered as a Turkish lake. In 1792, after another battle, River Dniester became the boundary between Russia and Turkey. In 1812 River Truth became the boundary but Turkey maintained a part of province of Moldavia.
In 1856 a small part of Bessarbia another province was ceded to Russia but it was taken back and was reannexed with the Turkish Empire. In 1878 a part of Bessarbia was lost to Russia, thus ending Muslim Rule, which remained for about 600 years.
BELO RUSSIA
As the Golden Horde ruled form the Urals to the Carpathian, the area of Belo Russia was definitely under Muslim Rule. The period for which the area remained as such was from 13th century to 15th century a period of 200 years. Some areas of present Belo Russia might have remained under Muslim Rule during the period of Khanate of Kazan or Crimea or even Turkey.
About the Golden Horde the Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم an Chronicles, acknowledged by Western writers, give but the scantiest account. Form 1237, the Tatars crossed Volga, till 1240 Russia and in 1241-1242 Poland, Hungary and Dalmatia (Yougoslavia), in 1242 against Bulgaria an went there in the winter of 1242-43 through Wallachia (Romania) and Moldavia (Ukraine). Their army was never defeated anywhere in Russian or Eastern Europe. Of the lands ravaged in the years 1237-1242 only Russia remained subject to eh Tatars. In 1243, the Gand Pince Jaroslav submitted himself in Batu's Camp and was confirmed by him to the rank of "Senior over all the princes of Russian people". In 1250 the independent Price (King after 1257) Daniel of Glacia had to be confirmed in the same way and do homage to Khan…
According to report, given by Djuzdjani he was said to have secretly adopted Islam…… As regards the story that he was Christian, the document says that "this story may well have arisen through confusion".
A strong minority of Tatars was converted to Islam during Batu Khan's period or even before. The next successor to Batu Khan was Berke who was a Muslim even "before accession to throne, was staunch Muslim so much so that" no swine's flesh was allowed to be eaten in his camp. Berke was instructed in the Quran while youth in Khodjand by a theologian of the town".
The theory that the immediate successor of Berke were not Muslims is also wrong. The document says that, "Berke left no family so that throne passed to Batus grandson Monge-Timur … .. It is difficult to estimate how much he did as a Muslim to further the culture of Islam among his Mongols. ... Not only the Khan himself but several of his brothers said to have adopted Islam, "Moreover the grand daughter of Batu had been given in marriage to Sultan Nasir in 1320. The princess journeyed from Saray to Alexandria, where she arrived in April 1320 occupied nearly six months. During 1242-46, Khoresmian Moslem, Mahmud Yalavach was Advisor, another Muslim, Abdur-Rahman also became regent's Chief Advisor.
The Russian princes were vassal to Tatar rulers. The following words show their actual position. "Oh, more evil than evil itself is the Tatar honour". Comments the Galician chronicler, "Daniel, the great prince, the lord of the Russian land, now kneels and calls himself Khan's slave". A few months later after Daniel's pilgrimage to Saray, Prince Michael of Chernigor went to see Batu. He proved less fortunate than his rival".
http://www.jamatdawa.org/english/art...r_islam_iv.htm