Changes

===The Historical Circumstances===In 636 CE, there were the followers of two major universal religions, which were Christianity and Zoroastrianism, were at war with each otehr. These faiths were supported by the two major superpowers of the Middle East, which were the Byzanitine and Sasanian Empires. Both these powers seemed invincible and held much great wealth. However, by the early 7th century CE, major wars across the Middle East devastated much of the region and led to both these empires to deplete their resources.<ref>For more on background to this period, see: Cutler, Anthony. 2009. <i>Image Making in Byzantium, Sasanian Persia, and the Early Muslim World.</i> Variorum Collected Studies Series. Farnham, Surrey, England ; Burlington, VT: Ashgate/Variorum.</ref>

In 636, Caliph Umar had re-invaded Iraq, after a previous Muslim army was defeated and removed from the region. The Sasanian and Arab armies met at the village of Qadisiyyah, southwest of the modern city of Hilla in Iraq, which is near ancient Babylon. The battle was mostly fought by a relatively inexperienced Arab army; however, much of the Persian army was also inexperienced, as many of their best troops had died or were depleted from previous engagements. This made the two sides relatively even and after the first day of the battle it did not seem that either of them could break each other's defenses. A key turning point was Arab reinforcements that strengthened the Islamic army, who were much more professional soldiers and well trained, and that arrived at the battle of Qadisiyyah on the second day. These numbered about 5000 and proved to be the difference in allowing the Arabs to breakthrough the Persian main line, not only bolstering the Arab army but also giving them more confidence, causing them to routed defeat and forcing force the main Persian force to retreat. By the fourth day of the battle, the outcome was clear and the Sasnian army fled to the north, although many were killed as they attempted to flee.<ref>For more on the battle, see: <Madelung, Wilferd. 1998. <i>The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate.</i> Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

The With the main Persian army shattered, key outcome came now became evident after the battle. First, a large the Arab army plundered an extraordinary amount of booty was captured loot from the Sasanian army. This helped finance later battles and the Muslim army to further 's march north. The next Second, with no major defeat for army left to face, the Sasanians Arab army was at their capital now able to march to Ctesiphon, where their the great Sasanian capital was captured after . After a two month siege, the capital fell and the Arabs, for the first time, had conquered a major metropolis that was a truly global city. Ctesiphon had major trade connection that spanned almost the extent of the Old World. The loss of the city also led to the full conquest of Mesopotamia and Khuzestan, which were the most important provinces in the Sasanian Empire. In 650, a new phase of invasions was then ready, leading to the conquest of Persia and defeat of the Sasanian Empire.<ref>For more on the conquest of the Middle East by the Arab armies and invasion and conquest of Iran, see: Savant, Sarah Bowen. 2013. <i>The New Muslims of Post-Conquest Iran: Tradition, Memory and Conversion.</i> Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

===Implications of the Battle===[[File:Greekfire-madridskylitzes1.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Figure 2. The Arabs were able to expand after the battle and fight the Byzantines, ultimately being checked at the gates of Constantinople.]]Typically, the fall of one empire, in this case the Sasanian, and rise of another, the Islamic Empire, which became the Umayyad and later Abbasid Empire, as well as spawning other states, would not be that different from other succession of empires that was typical in the 1st millennium CE. However, the battle at Qadisiyyah and subsequent conquests it enabled allowed many social changes to occur that proved to spread to many regions.

TypicallyFirst, the fall of one empirethe Sasanians, in this case which became inevitable after the Sasanianbattle, weakened support of the Zoroastrian religion and rise many adherents eventually converted to Islam after the fall of the Sasanian empire (Figure 1). In effect, it allowed one religion to be mostly replaced by another. Although this process occurred over a long period, the Islamic Empireevents at Qadisiyyah accelerated this process.<ref>For more on the replacement of the Zoroastrian faith in many places, see: Rose, which became Jenny. 2011. <i>Zoroastrianism: An Introduction.</i> Introductions to Religion. London: I. B. Tauris.</ref> Second, the defeat of the Persians paved the way for major Arab migrations to Iraq and more fertile regions of the Umayyad Middle East. Although Arabs were present before in many towns and later Abbasid Empirecities in the Middle East, this now meant the Arabic language started becoming more prominent as well as spawning other states, would not be that migrants came to different from other succession regions. With the use of empires that was typical Arabic in Islam, it cemented the 1st millennium CE. However, spread of this new common language to be widespread across not only the battle at Qadisiyyah Middle East but it soon spread to Iran and subsequent conquests it enabled allowed many social changes west to occur North Africa.<ref>For more on the migrations that proved to spread to many regionsfollowed the conquest of Iraq, see: Sharqāwī, Muḥammad. 2010. <i>The Ecology of Arabic: A Study of Arabicization.</i> Leiden; Boston: Brill, pg. 166.</ref>

SecondThird, the defeat battle gave the Islamic armies a lot of the Persians paved the way for major Arab migrations confidence and experience. This led to Iraq and much more fertile regions of rapid gains in the Middle Eastand North Africa against the Byzantines. Although While the Arabs were present before in many towns and cities in never defeated the Byzantines, they solidified their hold on the Middle East. Between 646 and 732, this now meant the Arabic language started becoming Arab armies had almost been unstoppable in open battlefields, although sieges of great cities, such as Constantinople, gave them more prominent as migrants came to different regionsdifficulty (Figure 2). With the use of Arabic in Islam<ref>For more on Arab and Islamic conquests and defeats after Qadisiyyah, see: Hoyland, it cemented Robert G. 2015. <i>In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the spread Creation of this new common language to be widespread across not an Islamic Empire.</i> Ancient Warfare and Civilization. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.</ref> The Arab was only the Middle East but it soon spread to Iran and west to North Africastalled by Charles Martel's victory in 732.

ThirdFinally, the battle gave Arab armies benefited from the technical know how and infrastructure built by the Islamic armies a lot of confidence Sasanians in and experiencearound Iraq. This led allowed them to much more rapid gains build using new technical capabilities they acquired and developed using Persian and Classical science. Furthermore, scholars who were based in Persia, who had come from many parts of the Middle East ancient World, including Greece and North Africa against the ByzantinesIndia, although they were never ultimately defeated employed by the Arabs. The success even carried on This allowed not only the great Golden Age of Arab science and philosophy to be possible, and thus develop indigenous new discoveries, but it also allowed much of the lost knowledge in Europe, where they were only finally defeated after the collapse of Rome, to be copied by the Arabs. This knowledge was then transferred back to Europe in France by Charles Martel the Medieval period, eventually helping to influence the Enlightenment that allowed a new period of discovery to emerge in 732Europe. Between 646 <ref>For more on how Arabs incorporated Persian and Classical science and 732knowledge, the Arab armies had almost been unstoppable in open battlefieldssee: Al-Khalili, although sieges Jim. 2010. <i>Pathfinders: The Golden Age of great cities, such as Constantinople, gave them more difficultyArabic Science.</i> London: Allen Lane.</ref>

One of the great results of ===Alternative Possibilities===If the battle was resulted differently, where the Arab Muslim armies could have been routed, then one possibility would be that Islam and the Islamic Empire would have found it harder to expand outside of Arabia. If the Sasanians were now able to hold to their power then it would have been difficult for another major rival power to emerge in a position to benefit from the technical and infrastructure built by Middle East. In effect, the Sasanians in had to be defeated for the region of Iraq. This allowed them Islamic Empire to build using new technical capabilities they acquired expand and developed using Persian sciencefor Islam to spread. FurthermoreIn religion, scholars who were based this would have likely meant that Zoroastrianism, rather than an obscure religion today, could have remained relatively prominent and may have even expanded to other regions, perhaps even rivaling Christianity in Persiaplaces. Many of the tenants, good versus evil, who had come from many parts resurrection of the ancient Worlddead, and judgment day were present in this religion, including Greece which could have made it attractive for some populations. The Arab language would have been far more obscure as well, while Persian and IndiaGreek, now were employed spoken by the ArabsByzantines, could have become more common languages across the Middle East. This allowed Cities such as Baghdad would have likely not only been founded, while the great Gold Age city of Arab science and philosophy to be possibleCtesiphon, which was likely the largest city in the 7th century CE during the battle for Qadisiyyah, but it also allowed much would have remained as the cosmopolitan center of the lost knowledge Sasanian Empire. It is hard to know if Jacobite Christianity, and Eastern Christianity in Europegeneral, after including the collapse various Orthodox faiths, would have thrived in the Middle East if the outcome of RomeQadisiyyah would have been different, to be copied by as the conflict between the Byzantines and Sasanians would have likely remained.<ref>For more on the significance of the conquest of Islam and fall of the ArabsSasanians, see: Crawford, Peter. This knowledge was then transferred back to Europe in 2014. <i>The War of the Medieval periodThree Gods: Romans, eventually leading up to Persians, and the Enlightenment that allowed a new period Rise of discovery to emerge in EuropeIslam.</i> First North American edition. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing.</ref>

==Alternative Possibilities=Conclusion===If the battle resulted differently, where the Muslim armies Battles are often decisive moments in history that prove one direction or path in history could have been routed, then one possibility would be that Islam and undertaken based on the Islamic Empire would have found it harder to expand outside of Arabiaoutcome. If This was the Sasanians were able to hold to their power then it would have been difficult for another major rival power to emerge in case at the Middle East. In effectBattle of Qadisiyyah, where the Sasanians had Islamic army was able to be defeated for not only triumph but the results of the Islamic Empire battle allowed them to expand surge into what is today Iraq and for Islam to spread. In religion, this would have likely meant gain a new confidence and finance their campaigns that Zoroastrianism, rather than an obscure religion today, could have remained relatively prominent and may have even expanded to helped propel their other regions, perhaps even rivaling Christianity in places. Many of the tenants, good versus evil, resurrection of the dead, and judgment day were present in this religion, which could have made it attractive for some populationsexpansions. The Arab language results probably would have been far more obscure as well, while Persian and Greek, spoken very different if the battle was lost by the ByzantinesArab army, could as the Sasanian Empire would have become more common languages across been in better position to then dominate the Middle East. Cities such as Baghdad would have likely not been founded, while the city of Ctesiphon, which was likely Religion and language changes are the largest city in the 7th century CE during most visible outcomes from the battle for Qadisiyyah's significant results. However, would have remained as the cosmopolitan center of results also influenced how the Sasanian Empire. It is hard to know if Jacobite ChristianityArabs eventually created contacts with Europe, where important Classical works and Eastern Christianity in generalphilosophy was transferred back to Europe, including the various Orthodox faiths, would have thrived new developments in the Middle East if the outcome of Qadisiyyah would have been differentPersian and Arab sciences and philosophy, as that helped to launch the conflict between the Byzantines and Sasanians would have likely remainedEnlightenment centuries later.

==Conclusion=References===<references/>