BigBiceps
Kraken
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2019
- Posts
- 31,001
- Reputation
- 71,247
When Islam emerged, the Middle East was a battleground between the Byzantines who were the continuation of the Roman Empire, and Sasanid Empire, who were a civilization who believed in a faith called zoroastrianism. Sasanids and Byzantines were fighting lengthy war from 602-628, and were both exhausted by the time Muhammad, the prophet of muslims begun the raids on Sasanid territories right around 622. Muslims always want to say their early expansion is a proof of God's blessing, but it was actually more like a perfectly timed sucker punch.
After the collapse of Sasanian Empire, the Byzantine Empire also went to a steep decline as a result of the muslim raids and conquests. The muslims gained the valuable trade routes (silk road) and a vast coastline around the mediterranean and following this, they blocked Europe and christians, who were their enemies, from the rest of the world.
Mediterranean, the sea where trade had flourished throughout history, became full with islamic pirates. Any innovation outside Europe, any trade good coming from outside Europe's borders had to travel through muslim lands first and they could and would charge extortionate amounts for things like spices, which became worth their weight in gold. This blockade devastated and isolated Europe this is exactly the reason why this period is referred to as the European 'dark ages'. There is a common misconception that the dark ages were caused by backwardness of Christianity compared to the romans, but actually the real cause is the muslims. Christian monks in fact used to store roman knowledge and act as scholars, but as the current culture of the west is so anti-christian, people believe the christians caused the dark ages by suppressing all innovation, burning books and so on.
This islamic blockade of Europe is one of the many reasons for the crusades, and this is definitely one of the major reasons why Europe became a colonial powerhouse. There was will to find a searoute to India because the muslims controlled the landroute. Little did the explorers know they would end up in the new world, the Americas and eventually this development would turn the scales of power to christendoms favor.
TLDR: Muslims isolated Europe from trade and innovation, slaved european people by the millions, pirated throughout the mediterranean turning it into a no-mans sea, and their golden age was ripped from the backs of europeans. This is why Europe wanted to find a searoute to India to trade without muslim tariffs, but ended up in America and thus Europe became a colonial powerhouse.
After the collapse of Sasanian Empire, the Byzantine Empire also went to a steep decline as a result of the muslim raids and conquests. The muslims gained the valuable trade routes (silk road) and a vast coastline around the mediterranean and following this, they blocked Europe and christians, who were their enemies, from the rest of the world.
Mediterranean, the sea where trade had flourished throughout history, became full with islamic pirates. Any innovation outside Europe, any trade good coming from outside Europe's borders had to travel through muslim lands first and they could and would charge extortionate amounts for things like spices, which became worth their weight in gold. This blockade devastated and isolated Europe this is exactly the reason why this period is referred to as the European 'dark ages'. There is a common misconception that the dark ages were caused by backwardness of Christianity compared to the romans, but actually the real cause is the muslims. Christian monks in fact used to store roman knowledge and act as scholars, but as the current culture of the west is so anti-christian, people believe the christians caused the dark ages by suppressing all innovation, burning books and so on.
This islamic blockade of Europe is one of the many reasons for the crusades, and this is definitely one of the major reasons why Europe became a colonial powerhouse. There was will to find a searoute to India because the muslims controlled the landroute. Little did the explorers know they would end up in the new world, the Americas and eventually this development would turn the scales of power to christendoms favor.
TLDR: Muslims isolated Europe from trade and innovation, slaved european people by the millions, pirated throughout the mediterranean turning it into a no-mans sea, and their golden age was ripped from the backs of europeans. This is why Europe wanted to find a searoute to India to trade without muslim tariffs, but ended up in America and thus Europe became a colonial powerhouse.
