Middle East History

History of the Middle East

2005

Territories of the Middle East form the region , where the earliest civilizations have been developing . In 100 century BC the groups of ancient farmers and hunters lived around the areas from Persian Gulf to the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and Egypt . Soon , these settlements formed the most advanced early human civilizations : the Shumarians , the Assirians , the Babylonians , and later on the Persian Empire of Achaemenids and the Seleucid State

By the first centuries of our era , the majority of the Middle East

territories were taken under control of growing Roman Empire . This resulted in introducing Christianity and foundation of Constantinople (modern Istanbul ) as one of the most principal and developing cities of the region . Constantinople became a capital of powerful Greco-Roman Byzantine Empire , which dominated at the areas from Egypt to Syria and became advanced trade and cultural center of the world . The other parts of the Middle East region included Mesopotamia and Persian Empires

In the 7th century Christian religion of the region was edged out by Islam , which came from Arabian Peninsula and spread around the territories of the Middle East up to Anatolian lands of modern Turkey Therefore , the period of Arab caliphate domination has started . The epoch of Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates can be characterized with occasional economic rises , increase of commercial activity , cultural explosion , and development of big cities , like Cairo , Baghdad , Damascus and Basra

In the 11th century migrating army of the Seljuk Turks invaded territories of Persia , Iraq , Palestine , and managed to win some lands of Anatolian region and Egypt from powerful Byzantine Empire . As a result long lasting Arabian domination ended by establishing of the Seljuks supremacy . This historical period was accompanied by numerous wars and armed conflicts between Islam and Christian societies , and also by short-term invasion of Mongol Armies in the 13th century . A number of Turkish sultans controlled different parts of the region from Egypt to Palestine , and only Arabian lands remained under control of Arabian rulers

By the 15th century Turkish sultans decided to unite their lands and form powerful and aggressive Ottoman Empire . Crowded army of this state started extensive military activities around Anatolian region , expanding both to the South-East and North . Very soon it captured the lands of Iraq and Egypt , and on the North it got advanced up to present territories of Hungary , enforcing Islam upon European nations . But in the 17th century rapid progress in technology and economy allowed Europe to drive out Ottoman powers back to the East

The 18th century brought numerous wars and battles , which resulted in loss of Ottoman control over major areas of the Middle East and establishment of European domination (mostly French and British ) in some territories (by the 19th century . Ottoman Empire grew more and more dependent on European powers . Besides , obvious progress of European nations in political economical and social life caused serious reformations and revolutions in some states of the region

Thus , after the World War I...