In
two waves of Islamic expansion, the peoples of the Mediterranean regions
and Mesopotamia, who had developed the most prestigious civilizations of
the time, were conquered by jihad-wars. Millions of Christians from
Spain and North Africa, Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Armenia; Latins and Slavs
from southern and central Europe; as well as Jews, were henceforth governed
by the shari'a (Islamic) law. They became dhimmis under the
humiliating "pact" (dhimma), which spared their lives.
In this second major study, the author gives a lucid analysis of the dogma and strategies of jihad, providing a vast panorama of the history of the dhimmis (mainly the Christians) under Islamic rule. It contains a large section of documents illuminating the decline of Eastern Christianity over the centuries. A pioneer in a virgin field of research, for which she coined a new word ("dhimmitude"), Bat Ye'or here analyses this specific social condition that resulted from jihad. Fairleigh
Dickinson University Press/Associated University Presses (1996)
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Contents | Foreword
Jacques Ellul |
Introduction
Bat Ye'or |
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