The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661-750 [Paperback]

G. R Hawting (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0415240735 | ISBN-13: 978-0415240734 | Edition: 2

Gerald Hawting's book has long been acknowledged as the standard introductory survey of this complex period in Arab and Islamic history. Now it is once more made available, with the addition of a new introduction by the author which examines recent significant contributions to scholarship in the field. It is certain to be welcomed by students and academics alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Provides the best account now available in English' - Journal of the American Oriental Society

'Anyone faced with the somewhat daunting task of teaching Umayyad history to undergraduates will greet Hawting's achievement with relief, gratitude and admiration.' - Journal of Semitic Studies

About the Author

G. R. Hawting is a Lecturer in the History of the Near and Middle East at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (September 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415240735
• ISBN-13: 978-0415240734
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #700,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Readable introduction, March 14, 2004

By 

Michael C Tinkler - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661-750 (Paperback)

Hawting's history of the Ummayad Caliphate is quite readable -- and straightens out lots of questions I had about the replacement of the Ummayads by the Abbasid dynasty (I had never understood that the jostling went on for so much of the late Ummayad period). Hawting is also helpful on understanding how much Arabisation and Islamisation went hand in hand AND were resisted by the Caliphate for tax-base-preservation reasons (among others).

The book is reasonably transparent to the non-specialist. The glossary is useful and he explains most terms both in the text and in the glossary (though there are a few misfires on that score).

I've given it 4 rather than 5 stars for the non-specialist reader because it's also SHORT! Those of us who want to know about the early Caliphate without reading, say, reading Madelung's 400-pager on the succession to Muhammad are grateful for a 141-page introduction.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an outstanding brief introduction to the Umayyads, January 18, 2009

By 

doc peterson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661-750 (Paperback)

The issue of the succession to Mohammad is one of the seminal events in the history of Islam. That the Umayyads - a clan who previously had actively opposed Mohammad and his teachings and who converted to Islam rather late - would lay claim (and be succesful in their pursuit of) the caliphate was tremendously controversial. In fact, this issue is at the core of the scism between the shi'a and sunni. Because of its importance (both politically and dogmatically), a balanced and nuanced history is difficult to find. Hawting, in a little under 150 pages, does this.

The political, social and economic climate of the 7th century is vividly depicted, and the personalities, inter-tribal rivalries and competing claims to the succession are concisely told. This is an outstanding history written by a seasoned historian. As a previous reviewer has noted, Madelung's history of the Umayyads is much more detailed, and is certainly recommended for those who are seeking a more definitive history of the period in English. For the rest of us, however, Hawting's treatment is the one I recommend.