History of the Arab Invasions: The Conquest of the Lands: A New Translation of al-Balādhurī’s Futūḥ al-Buldān

Ahmad bin Yahuya al-Baladhuri's History of the Arab Invasions is perhaps the most important single source for the history of the great Arab conquests of the Middle East in the sixth and early seventh centuries. The author, who died in 892, was a historian working at court of the Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad. He had access to a wide variety of earlier writings on the conquests and has preserved accounts that are not found anywhere else. But the book is much more than a series of accounts of battles. Baladhuri was very interested in the origins of the Islamic state and its institutions. His work contains a wealth of information about government, land-holding and economic developments. It is, in short, a key text for anyone interested in the formation of the Islamic world. In this new modern translation, fully annotated with a scholarly apparatus and commentary on the places, events and individuals mentioned, a key source on the Arab conquests is made available in English. It will be essential reading for scholars and students of Islamic Studies and Middle East history. Cover Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Contents Maps Acknowledgements Introduction1 The date of the book The author and his purposes The themes of the book The structure of the book Al-Balādhurī’s use of his sources Al-Balādhurī’s use of poetry Wit and humour in the Futūḥ Historical reliability Conventions Commentaries and notes Part One Conquests in the Arabian Peninsula 1 The conquest of Medina Key Readings 2 Conquests in the Ḥijaz The property of the Banu’l-Nadị̄r 3 The property of the Banū Qurayzạ 4 Khaybar Key reading 5 Fadak 6 The case of Wādi’l-Qurā and Taymā’ 7 Mecca 8 The wells of Mecca 9 The case of the floods of Mecca 10 Al-Tạ̄’if 11 Tabāla and Jurash1 12 Tabūk, Ayla, Udhruh, ̣ Maqnā and al-Jarbā’ 13 Dūmat al-Jandal1 14 The peace agreement (sụlh)̣ with Najrān 15 Yemen 16 Oman Key reading 17 Al-Bahṛayn 18 Al-Yamāma 19 Information about the ridda of the Arabs in the caliphate of Abū Bakr al-Sịdḍīq, may God be pleased with him. Key reading 20 The apostasy of Banū Walīʿa and al-Ash ʿath b. Qays b. Ma ʿdī Karib b. Mu ʿā wiya al-Kindī Key reading 21 The affair of al-Aswad al-ʿAnsī and those who apostatized with him in Yemen Part Two The conquests of the armies of Syria 22 The conquests of Syria 23 The expedition of Khālid b. al-Walīd to Syria and his conquests on the way 24 The conquest of Busṛā 25 The day of Ajnādīn also known as Ajnādayn 26 The Battle of Fihḷ in Jordan 27 The case of Jordan 28 The Battle of Marj al- Sụffar 29 The conquest of Damascus and its territory 30 The case of Ḥoms ̣ 31 The Battle of al-Yarmūk 32 The case of Palestine 33 The case of the Jund of Qinnasrīn and the cities which are called the ʿAwāsịm 34 The case of Cyprus Key reading 35 The case of the Samaritans (al-Sāmira) 36 The matter of the Jarājima 37 The frontier districts of Syria Key reading 38 The conquests of al-Jazīra Key reading 39 The case of the Christians of the Banū Taghlib b. Wā’il 40 The frontier regions of al-Jazīra Key reading Malatỵa 41 The translation of the Roman diwan 42 The conquests of Armenia Key reading Part Three Egypt and the West 43 The conquest of Egypt and the Maghreb Key reading 44 The conquest of Alexandria Key reading 45 The conquest of Barqa and Zuwayla Key reading 46 The conquest of Tripoli 47 The conquest of Ifrīqīya Key reading 48 The conquest of Tangier 49 The conquest of al-Andalus Key reading 50 The conquest of some islands in the sea 51 The peace treaty with Nubia 52 The case of the papyrus rolls (Qarāt·īs)1 Part Four Central Iraq and the armies of Kufa 53 The conquests of the Sawād The caliphate of Abū Bakr al-S·iddīq, may God be pleased with him Key Reading 54 The conquest of the Sawād in the caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khat·t·āb 55 The Battle of Quss al-Nāt·īf which is the Battle of the Bridge 56 The Battle of Mihrān which is the Battle of al-Nukhayla 57 The Battle of al-Qādisīya 58 The conquest of al-Madā’in 59 The Battle of Jalūlā’ 60 The account of the foundation (Tams·īr) of Kūfa Key reading 61 The case of Wāsit· of Iraq 62 The case of the Marshes (al-Bat·ā’ih·) 63 The case of Madīnat al-Salām 64 The translation of the Persian diwan 65 The conquests of the mountain regions (al-Jibāl): H·ulwān 66 The conquest of Nihāwand 67 Al-Dīnawar, Māsabadhān and Mihrajānqadhaq 68 Conquest of Hamadhān 69 Qumm, Qāshān and Isfahān 70 The death of Yazdgard b. Shahriyār b. Kisrā Abrawīz b. Hurmuz b. Anūshirwān 71 The conquest of Rayy and Qūmis Key reading 72 The conquest of Qazwīn and Zanjān 73 The conquest of Azerbayjan 74 The conquest of Mosul Key reading 75 Shahrazūr, S·āmaghān and Dārābādh 76 Conquests of Jurjān (Persian Gurgān) and T·abaristān and their dependencies (Nawāhīhā) Key Reading Part Five Southern Iraq and the armies of Basṛa 77 The conquests of Kuwar al-Dijla/Districts of the Tigris 78 The foundation (Tamsị̄r) of Basṛa Key reading 79 Canals and qatị̄ʿas of Basṛa 80 The matter of the Asāwira and the Zutṭ Key reading 81 The districts ( kuwar) of al-Ahwāz Key reading 82 The provinces (kuwar) of Fārs and Kirmān Key reading 83 As for Kirmān 84 The conquest of Sijistān and Kābul Key reading 85 Khurasan1 Key reading 86 Khurasan2 87 The conquests of Sind Key reading Part Six Five concluding essays 88 About the laws (ahḳām) of the kharāj lands 89 A discussion of ʿatạ̄’ in the caliphate of ʿUmar b. al-Khatṭạ̄b, may God be pleased with him 90 The case of the seal 91 The coinage 92 The case of writing Glossary of administrative and military terms Notes Select bibliography Index Plates "Ahmad bin Yahuya al-Baladhuri's History of the Arab Invasions is perhaps the most important single source for the history of the great Arab conquests of the Middle East in the sixth and early seventh centuries. The author, who died in 892, was a historian working at court of the Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad. He had access to a wide variety of earlier writings on the conquests and has preserved accounts that are not found anywhere else. But the book is much more than a series of accounts of battles. Baladhuri was very interested in the origins of the Islamic state and its institutions. His work contains a wealth of information about government, land-holding and economic developments. It is, in short, a key text for anyone interested in the formation of the Islamic world. In this new modern translation, fully annotated with a scholarly apparatus and commentary on the places, events and individuals mentioned, a key source on the Arab conquests is made available in English. It will be essential reading for scholars and students of Islamic Studies and Middle East history."-- Provided by publisher