Whittow Making Of Byzantium Essay Research

Paper ? 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.