How Islam Spread and Flourished in Asian Countries: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Factors and Consequences of the Islamic Expansion

The widening of Islam among Arabs gradually extended, crossing the boundary of Arabs, initially to West Asia and Middle Asia and slowly in Africa, East Asia, and a larger part of Europe. Firstly, Rashidun Caliphate, subsequently the Umayyads and the Abbasids marched towards Asia to vast areas of Africa holding the flag of Islam. Just at that time, due to geographical, political, and socio-economic factors and the whole for surviving in the struggle for life, a gypsy race spreading, who was known as the Turks. They were adept in tactics of war.

Besides, they were the fittest to struggle to survive in any environment. It has evidence also. Worldwide aggressive expedition of the Mongols still trembled human being, who was resisted by the Turks. Basically, they included themselves as slaves under different rulers and were eventually included in the army. Only the Turk was capable enough to resist the Mongols who were experts at swooping on enemies rapidly, who were known as Mamluk or slaves in history. For this, the Mongols couldn’t even stand against the Mamluk army of Anatolia and Africa.

During the Abbasid regime, many more Islamic empires emerged. Some of those Islamic empires emerged from the Abbasids, and some emerged from other empires. Such as the Gaznavid empire. Ghor empire conquered by the Gazanvid converted to Islam from Buddhism and subsequently, they subdued a vast area of Asia including South Asia holding the flag of Islam. Basically, those vast areas of South Asia include present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc., which were ruled by the Turk Mamluk, the Afgan particularly the Pashtun, and the people of the Timor dynasty. Subsequently, they mixed with the Indians and produced the species of Indo-Turk, Indo-Afghan, etc. They also emerged as ruler communities such as Khilzi or Sher Shah Suri, etc.

With the evolution of time, a number of strong Muslim empires emerged in Middle Asia. Among those, the Seljuk Empire, and the Khawarizmian Empire are important. At the beginning of 1200 CE, Ghengish Khan started moving from Mongolia towards Middle Asia, people became perplexed to wrongly guess them as Yazuz-Mazuz initially by observing their number, destructive capacity, and dynamism. Getting out of such obsession, many days passed. And within such a period of time, Genghis Khan drastically conquered the Khawarizm empire with his Mongol force. It is hard to say about the fate of the world. In 1227 CE, Genghis Khan, at the age of merely 65, breathed his last to leave the loving world. Otherwise what would be the situation of the world - it is difficult to predict. However, after his death, his ancestors, i.e. Ogedei Khan, Mongke Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulagu Khan, and their famous army commanders i.e., Baizu Nayan, Subutai, and others conducted the most destructive expedition in, the world yet to forget those.

Alongside the vandalistic attack conducted by the Mongols, Hulagu Khan, chief of Ilkhanate conducted the ruinous attack in Baghdad in 1258 CE, which is still remembered with grief and shock. Similarly, the clans of Chagatai Khan of Chagatai Khanate, Batu Khan of Golden Horde, and Aarik Boke, brother of Hulagu Khan were very destructive. Batu Khan created panic even in Europe. Whatever may be, despite the death of Kublai Khan in 1294 CE, the combined Mongol empire survived up to 1335 CE. Later, the Mongols were slowly restructured within the Yuan dynasty of China created by the Mongols. On the other hand, most people of Ilkhanate, Chagatia Khanate, two parts of the Golden Horde: White Horde and Blue Horde of the middle part of Asia converted to Islam. Khawarizm Empire and Selzuk Empire went under the Ottoman Empire subsequently. Besides, the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi and the founding of the subsequent Mughal empire opened a new era in history.

Fatimid caliphate and the Ayubids were founded in Egypt of Africa and later Mamluk dynasty created a golden history. Great warrior Saif Uddin Qutuz, Rukon Uddin Bibarse, in a battle at Ain Jalut, shattered the dream of the Mongols to conquer the entire world. The most important issue to note is that the Turks moved from East to West of Asia, once the Mongols drove them away, who received the correct way of leading life under a peaceful code of conduct of Islam.

In this brief discussion, who were inevitably important: the Byzantines and the Crusaders. the Byzantine Empire was the greatest and strongest empire of the then world. The Greco–Roman empire emerged in Rome before the birth of Christ. Though the Greco–Roman empire was abolished by the Normans during the fifth to the sixth century, its Eastern part i.e. Asian part survived for more than 1000 years. In 1453 CE, as Ottoman Sultan Mohammad Al Fatih conquered Constantinople, their last post was abolished.

The Crusaders obviously appeared before that i.e. between 1092 to 1096, they conducted the battle of Crusade or religious war for the first time. Subsequently, the battle of the Crusade continued for about 200 years; some historians opined it continued up to 1271 or 1291. The religious conflict incurred a huge loss for both the Muslim and Christian communities. The Muslims, under the guidance of Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi, were successful in conquering Jerusalem in 1095 CE i.e. lost 92 years ago. However, before Salahuddin, Imad Uddin Jengi and Nur Uddin Jengi greatly contributed to a battle against the Crusaders. Both Imad Uddin Jengi and Nur Uddin Jengi were the Mamluk army commanders of the Selzuk. Those two great heroes of the Jengid empire will live forever in history. Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi conducted the fine tune of the dreams. Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi founded the Ayubid empire which extended from Egypt of Africa to Levant of the West Asia. Subsequently, due to the inefficiency of their rulers, said states were captured by Selzuk and secondly the Mongols. However, the great Ottoman Empire leisurely re-occupied those states.

Whatever is called the evolution of Islamic history or any other interaction of Asian history, it will remain unfulfilled unless Timor Long is mentioned. The most destructive military ruler who destroyed one part to part of Asia and the Islamic empire or the Mongols or China couldn’t save itself from the clutch of Timor Long.

One issue has been skipped to mention here. Asia was as spread/extended and its capacity of receiving is commendable. So if we deeply observe, we will find, that the most diverse area in the history of human beings is undoubtedly Asia. Europe, Africa, and America couldn’t attain mentionable racial diversity, while Asia has been enriched by companions of different races and species. Alongside credibility in literature, culture, life lifestyle, a unique fixation of religions took place in Asia, that claims to draw attention in a real sense. Of the Crusaders who came from Europe, when they returned back, not all of them returned back to Europe. Some of them stayed here. Some of them accepted Islam as a religious faith. If we look back, the division between the Eastern Church and the Western Church, also largely affected the Christian community. The subsequent appearance of the Protestants also shaked more. Alongside, the Orthodox remained since the past. Apart from them, there were the Nestorians and the Evangelists, lesser in number.

All these have been mentioned with the view that all of such Christian communities, large or small in size, their missionary activities didn’t omit even a single part or island of the earth. So it will be found if we attentively observe, that the Christian population is majority in seven eastern provinces of India, known as Seven sisters. Some provinces are inhabited by more than 90% Christian. Africa can be mentioned here. Except for Maghreb countries, more Sub-Saharan countries and western and southern countries of Africa are populated by more Christians. Countries of the Pacific were not skipped. The Muslims are in a backward position in this issue.

Though they rule a vast area of the world, the Muslims have failed in missionary activities. However, with what humanitarian greatness they learned, they were supposed to be the pioneers of the mission of serving humanity.

The Muslims were in a backward position in another domain. Sailors like Ferdinand Magellan, James Cook, and Columbus voyaged to the oceans to find out new territories, and islands and discovered America, one of the enriched parts of the globe. America is still considered the best superpower in the world. While, the Muslim rulers were intoxicated with vengeance, quarrels, and leading luxurious lifestyles. Now they are paying compensation at an expensive cost.

While the Renaissance took place in Europe, or while they attained top most position in modernism through industrial movement, Islamic empires then were embedded with palace conspiracy. As such Turk under the Ottoman Empire, the largest monarchy in the world, turned out to be a weak state of Europe. Alas, what is the fate? If pace can’t be forwarded with time, backwardness is a must. While the Muslims realized their backwardness, they lost many more areas of Asia, Africa, and Europe.

This fleet was used by the Muslims during their military operation in their golden days, when they set up tents in any place, that would be 30 miles in length and five miles (if less) in width. It is unfortunate and true that, many powerful Islamic states couldn’t establish qualitative educational institutions within its territory. So if we talk about famous varsities, we hear about Al Azhar University of Egypt. However, distinguished Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard University, and some other varsities belong to Western non-Muslim countries. It has been repeatedly proved in the world that, nothing is powerful than education in the world.

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