Revision:End of the Ancient Economy
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- 2nd half 7th century Muslims controlled richest parts of Near East – Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Caspian coastline and Khoasan – economies enhanced by huge trading opps. From bounds of Muslim empire – spread of cultivation of different crops.
- Devastated by continuing Arab invasions and raids by sea and land, cut off from main trade routes of Near East which now focused on Syria, Egypt and Iraq – empire’s economy rapidly fell away from levels of 600.
- Copper coins, although common in Muslim territory, virtually disappear within empire. Red-slip fine wares from North Africa no longer found – long tradition of manufacture and distribution had come to an end.
- General lack of pottery implies disappearance centres of production and d of long-distance trading networks.
- Except Armenia very few churches built in 7th and 8th centuries.
- Not unreasonable to assume urban life come to a complete end, most sites abandoned – people into villages and castles at time of attack.
- Picture utter collapse over drawn – majority of cities probably survived another 200 hundred years – much lower cultural level – very poor but elements of market and monetary economy – continued to collect taxes in gold coin and pay cash salaries to imperial officials.
- Imperial capital never ceased to be a relatively large city – a centre of government and of some commerce. Mango evidence of decay. C early middle ages centre of Roman world – largest and wealthiest cities. More important from 600 onwards as no other major cities – preservation essential to empire’s survival
- Constantinople and Asia Minor suffer centuries after Britain, Gaul and Italy. Roman Empire no longer on right side of economic divide.
- Persia falls by 651 – last Sasanian Shah, Yazdagrid III – economic heartland Iraq divided between religious and ethnic communities – Iranian Zoroastrians a minority – Iranian heartland on the plateau – there shared much more of a cultural identity and protected from Arab attack by formidable obstacle of Zagros mountains – 7th centuries neither cultural unity nor natural defences did much to delay the empire’s final destruction.
- Persian resistance ineffective with loss of Iraq Persians lose wealthiest province and capital Ctesiphon – political centre of the empire. Ctesiphon and Sasanian court privded powerful political and cultural focus – beyond religious alliance – as long as that survived Persian empire could cope with disasters such as death and defeat of shah Perox at hands Hepthalites in 484 – Roman invasion 627 – 8 – comparative ethnic unity of Iranian plateau and mountainous barrier it offers invader from west counted for very little as Arabs hunted down last shahs. Constantinople 1200 k from Damascus.
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