Condition of the Byzantine Empire - Essay Example

Article Analysis The formation of Christendom and The Early Islamic Conquests Question Condition of the Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire was weak and busy grappling with eminent cracks within its ranks, following endless wars to reclaim vast communities to its control from the West. At the core of the regime, there were challenges of inconsistent policy and lack of formidable resources to stave off external attack. The discontent between the non-observant and non-orthodox factions in the regime seemed to be a common and enduring experience in the society. Government officials in Constantinople disregarded the entire leadership mandated to administer different parts of the Eastern Mediterranean such as Severan Syria, Mesopotamia, and Egypt in North Africa. The renewed struggles to win over Ravenna, for instance, failed to deter the setting up of foreign-controlled regions at the heart of Italy. The subsequent occupation of the southern regions such as in the Po valley, and in the Balkans, is clear signs of the weakness of the imperial regime. Additionally, although reinforcements ordered by the leaders were successful at first, the operation witnessed an unprecedented number of settlers who streamed into the Danube in an effort to look for rich agricultural land, Byzantine fighters began to weaken. Military failures were compounded by the lack of resources to support the operations. As a result the regime decided to reduce salary of the personnel. Despite the earlier wins against the Persians, the regime had to grapple with defiance within the military ranks. The emperors’ commanders were facing disobedience from the fighters. During the Islamic era of the Six Century, Christianity struggled to assume prominence, and eventually managed to command a strong following in these rather Islamic regions of the East Mediterranean region and North Africa. The massive number of Christian followers effectively surmounted the influence of the regimes. Attempts by the regimes to put in place an orthodox of their liking generally failed because the society observed the differences in religious teachings, and conformed to their individual beliefs. The Antioch’s refusal to conform to the ecclesiastical influences fronted by Constantinople can also be attributed to the failure of the state actors to manipulate the Church1. Fate of Christianity within the empire Anastasios of Antioch, who was a close ally of Pope Gregory, made vigorous attempts to redeem the image of the society and revitalize government control in the wake social divisions by advocating the theory of Monoenergism. The leader thought that upon such reasoning, the society would be united under the government. However, his attempts yielded modest outcomes, as only a few people could respond to his nudging. The theory was later be revised to imply that the society needed to work together in order to appear superior. Several correspondences between various sect leaders, especially those who advocated the existence of Gods made small gains if any. Adherence to fundamental wordings taught by local ministers generated religious divisions within the society. Respected church leaders like John the Faster could not achieve any significant breakthroughs. Factions based on doctrinal theories seemed to be too internalized in the people of the society to warrant any changes. The widely held belief of an entire Christian religion whose interests were safeguarded by a regime that also had a soft spot for the secular aspects of the society became increasingly unlikely toward the final years of the sixth century. The earthly society, especially the weakness of New Romes theories was underscored by the regal governments inaction to crack down on non-Roman influences on the kingdom. Question # 2 For many decades, the state’s attempt to consolidate power weakened and strengthened the tribal groups within the society. Muhammad made sure this process of realigning the society would be extended throughout the early stages of the Muslim conquests. Under his rule, each tribe formed part of the government, and was led by an agent, chosen by the ruling elite. The agents were empowered under the system as they played the role of an eye for the government at the local level, thus were mandated to collect taxes from the tribes on behalf of the central government. The governors’ mandate weakened the tribal ties by limiting cross-tribal activities, which had previously promoted unity and the enactment of economic policies that benefited the locals. Under the revenue collection programs, tax levied on camels was imposed by the central government on pastoral communities. The groups were traditionally the most difficult to control, due to their constant movements. In light of their mobile lifestyle, the government would deploy some agents to the water points to lay in waiting for a particular nomadic community to tax them thereupon. This practice targeted at the nomadic community proved unfair and thus weakened the relationship between nomadic tribes and the rest of the society. Tribes occupying the Arabian Peninsula, which were forced to adhere to the new taxation laws in the subsequent years of the occupation of the Fertile Crescent, bore the brunt of the regulations. The communities were forced to set aside whatever little earnings they got, for the government. The revenue collection policy resulted in more poverty among the local communities, even as the leaders of the tribes became more deeply engrossed in economic activities within their administrative units at the expense of social unity across the society2. On the other hand, the organization of the society into small administrative units made it possible to govern the whole country with relative ease. Each of the tribes became motivated to work harder in an effort to raise more income for their livelihood and also the central government. Through people like Abi Sufyan who was Umars governor for the Kinana tribe, the society witnessed the development of an effective system of governance that proved very important in the later years of civilization. The system enhanced a new sense of responsibility within the tribes. The ruling elites viewed the Bedouin tribes as part of the government: a pale shadow of their former self. Previously the communities were virtually independent political entities. The new system integrated them into the larger structure of a government, which taxed, administered and took them as conscripts in different capacities at will to advance the goals of the government. And in an attempt to advance more government grip on the various tribes through state institutions, the era of Islamic conquest also witnessed substantial transformation of the political organization of the state. These developments led to the creation of three fairly distinct political formations: at the top of the helm, were the select few, followed by some loyalist tribesmen who were faithful to the state, and finally a hapless population of subjugated communities who comprised the society’s lower-end. Donner put forward the argument based on the need to expand the reach of the Islam as one of the possible causes of the Islamic conquests. This is because the religion was facing a stiff competition from Christianity, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean and North African regions, hence the need to merge different Arabian states into one bigger and tightly-knit society under Islam. Muhammad believed that without conquests, the religion would diminish, or at least lose some of its key doctrines, under the probable spread of Christianity in segregated communities. Secondly, the weakness of the Byzantine Empire prompted the ruling elite to devise ways to enhance its bargaining power on social and economic quarters. Bibliography Donner, Fred. “The Early Islamic Conquests.” Princeton University Press. 1981. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/donner.asp Herrin, Judith. “The Formation of Christendom.” Princeton University Press. 1987. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/herrin.asp Read More