Lexington Books
Pages: 284
Trim: 6¼ x 9½
978-1-66692-927-0 • Hardback • December 2023 • $110.00 • (£85.00)
978-1-66692-928-7 • eBook • December 2023 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
Hüseyin Gökalp lectures at Selçuk University.
List of Tables and Figures
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One: Iraq Before the Conquest
Chapter Two: Muslim Conquest of Iraq
Chapter Three: Islamization of Iraq
Conclusion
Gökalp presents a well-researched and interesting study of early Muslim activity in Iraq, from early contact to conquest, and includes a discussion of the Islamization of Iraq. For the latter, this includes not only the process of converting segments of society during the period of the Rashidun, the first four caliphs, but the incorporation of groups that did not convert into the societal and cultural milieu of the Islamic empire. This book is strengthened by Gökalp's efforts to consider Iraq prior to the arrival of Islam. This includes reviewing Iraq under Roman/Byzantine and Sassanid rule and discussing the various ethnic and religious groups and the overall geographical elements that shaped Iraq. This approach reminds readers that members of this population were not passive participants but active in the fate of the region regardless of rulers. It also lays the foundation to explain why certain segments reacted to the arrival of Islamic conquests the way they did—positively, negatively, or indifferently. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.
— Choice Reviews