DBQ: The Early Islamic Conquests

The Islamic Empire expanded quickly by conquering a vast amount of territory and for the development and appreciation of knowledge and science. The Muslims were fair and tolerant to the people they conquered. The commander of the Muslim forces, Abd Al-Aziz, told Theodmir, the king of southern Spain, that, “His followers will not be killed or taken prisoner, nor will they be separated from their women and children. They will not be coerced in matters of religion, their churches will not be burned, nor will sacred objects be taken from his realm, as long as he remains sincere and fulfills these conditions that we have set for him” (Document B, Treaty of Tudmir, 713 CE). By making this treaty, the Spanish people were allowed to be free and practice

Throughout their empire, giving gifts became a regular practice for securing the empire. “There was established a system of stipends or direct salary payments (ata-’) to warriors serving in the Islamic armies.” (Document C, Excerpt from Fred Donner, The Early Islamic Conquests, 1981). People who cooperated with the Muslims, like the Persians, were also given stipends as long as they embraced Islam. By having this trade, it encouraged people to convert because they benefited economically as well as learning the traditions of Islam. However, it wasn’t only money that made Islam spread so quickly, it was also because information spread rapidly since people were so open to learning and discovery. Collectively this openness lead the Muslim people to read and learn from one another. They made many discoveries and created beautiful communities with hospitals and schools to spread their knowledge. The discovery of paper made it possible to create books which allowed the spread these ideas to anyone who could read. In conclusion, the Islamic Empire and the Muslim religion expanded quickly because they were powerful and smart conquerors who used new ideas of education and fairness in the way that they treated people, all of these creations and ideas improved the quality of the