Whittow ? Making Of Byzantium Essay, Research Paper
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THE DESERT ? not sufficient resources to support
creation of a start ? state-less society ? members of tribe hierarchical head
was a sheikh ? power to coerce lesser tribesmen very limited ? impact such a
fragmentary society could make on well-organised fertile states of the fertile
crescent ?
Possible ? religious leader, economics of oases ?
powerful confederations have been created ? inherent logic desert undermines
authority – no sufficient pasture to support large groups bought together ?
small groups each competing for scarce resources.? Camels ? mobile and difficult to discipline ? desert not enough
surplus to which would enable higher authority ? external source of wealth to
reward followers ? create a military force bound by its leader by non-tribal
ties 0 conquering part of fertile crescent for oneself ? or persuading one of
settled states to accept Arab state as a client to be subsidied or granted
territory ? not surprising that many Arab states have not originated in the
desert, but on margins of fertile crescent ? only assts world of desert had to
achieve unity and wealth was its military ability. ?
Bedouin needed settled world but not vice versa.? Some times ignore the Bedouin and at other
times demanded attention FALL OF THE OLD ORDER ?
Time to re-establish complicated structure of
administrative and personal ties which bound the provinces to the capital. ?
Defeat Persia vindication of the Christian Empire ?
require time to recover from strains of war and set about realising the
opportunities of the post war world.