MOHAMMED AND HIS SUCCESSORS (570-661 A.D.)

_1ca._ 570 Birth of =Mohammed=, of a noble Koreish family, at Mecca.

2605-610 Years of meditation, during which the principles of Mohammedanism are developed.

3610 Year of the “call,” Mohammed begins to make converts. Opposition to his doctrines increases among the Meccans until

4622 he flees with a body of followers to Medina. The Hegira. Beginning of the Mohammedan era.

5623 The first mosque built. Mohammed becomes a warrior.

6624 First battle for the faith with the Meccans at Bedr. Victory of Mohammed.

7625 Battle of Ohod, and victory of the Meccans.

8627 War of the Fosse. The Koreish make terms with Mohammed.

9628 War against the Jews of Khaibar.

10629 War against the Greek subjects in Arabia.

11630 Mohammed moves against Mecca. He conquers it. War with the Hawazin. Rapid spread of Islam.

12632 Death of Mohammed. He leaves the entire peninsula, with the exception of a few tribes, under one sceptre and one creed. His father-in-law, =Abu Bekr=, is chosen caliph, or representative. An army under Khalid sets out against the Byzantine Empire. Abu Bekr reduces a revolt in Nejd and Yemen, and defends Medina.

13633 Khalid, on the lower Euphrates, is called to Syria.

14634 Khalid captures Bosrah and overruns the Hauran. Death of Abu Bekr. =Omar= succeeds.

15635 Capture of Damascus.

16636 Emesa, Heliopolis, Chalcis, Berœa, and Edessa added to the Mohammedan empire. Battle of the Hieromax (Yermuk). Heraclius abandons Syria to the Moslems.

17637 Battle of Cadesia, or Kadisiya, and victory over the Persians. Omar captures Jerusalem, and follows it up by taking Aleppo and Antioch.

18638 Mesopotamia is conquered by the Mohammedans, also Tarsus and Diar-Bekr.

19639 Invasion of Egypt by Amru.

20641 Battle of Nehavend, and great victory of the Mohammedans over the Persians. Most of the Persian nobility come to terms with the Mohammedans. Yezdegerd the king flees to a remote corner of the realm, where he holds a vestige of power until 651 or 652. Alexandria captured.

21644 Death of Omar, succeeded by =Othman=, a weak ruler, who allows the power to fall into the hands of the Koreish nobility.

22647 Invasion of Africa by Abdallah. Arabian victories, expelling the Romans.

23649 Invasion of Cyprus.

24650 Conquest of Aradus.

25652 Conquest of Armenia.

26654 Conquest of Rhodes.

27655 Defeat of the emperor Constans by the Mohammedans in naval battle off Mt. Phœnix in Lycia.

28656 Murder of Othman by a party in opposition to the growing worldliness of Islam. =Ali=, of the opposition, and son-in-law of Mohammed, succeeds. Battle of the Camel. Ali victorious over his opponents. Moawiyah, governor of Syria, heads the opponents of Ali, and incites them to revenge.

29657 Ali invades northern Syria. Battle of Siffin. The theocratic faction rebels against Ali.

30658 Decision of the umpires, Ali and Moawiyah; the latter wins. Peace made with the Byzantine Empire. Egypt conquered for Moawiyah.

31660 Truce between Ali and Moawiyah, dividing the caliphate into the East and West divisions.

32661 Kharejite conspiracy to murder Ali, Moawiyah, and Amru. The former alone falls. His son =Hassan= succeeds, but abdicates in favour of Moawiyah.