The Age of the Caliphs: Brown - Muhammad, 622–632. Orange - Rashidun Caliphate, 632–661. Yellow - Umayyad Caliphate, 661–750
In a throwback to the Medieval crusades, today's Western wars of conquest in the Muslim world have essentially been justified on the basis of a 'civilizing mission' to bring freedom and democracy to backwards peoples. Citing it as historical precedent, the revisionists propose that the Medieval era crusades launched against Muslim cities in the Eastern Mediterranean were justified because of the 'invasion and occupation of Medieval Spain' during Europe's Dark Age.
In what is arguably one of history's richest ironies, this complete inversion of what really happened when the Muslims came to Europe around 700 AD has obscured the truth about just who was behaving like a marauding horde and who was doing the civilizing. So this week on Behind the Headlines we're going to take a moment to explore the origins of Western civilization.
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Running Time: 01:38:57
Download: MP3
I show this documentary every year to my students (16-17 y.old): When the Moors ruled Spain (Andalusia).
This in the context of introducing Arabic numerals in Europe. Where before Roman numerals were used. Try to calculate anything using Roman numerals! The invention of the Zero and decimal positions. The Arabs adopted this system from Vedic India.
This new system revolutionized architecture, mathematics and science in general. Cathedral building frenzy! The Spanish universities were model for all later Western European universities: Oxford, Cambridge, Sorbonne, etc.
The Arabs also had very old maps of the world. Copied hundreds of times and these were used by Columbus.