Mohammed & Charlemagne Revisited, The History of A Controversy (2012)
Author: Emmet Scott.
Warning: For mature readers only.
Discretion advised.
The conventional wisdom about the antiquity and the medieval eras of Europe is the Roman empire collapsed upon his own weight, Europe went into the Dark Ages only to be shown the light by the Muslim liberators. When culture and science were being developed in the Muslim land, Europeans were barbaric and were in the dark about philosophy and technology.
Emmet Scott (see here), the controversial writer who argued against such a straightforward timeline to the evolution of civilisation in Europe, here uses the findings of Belgian Historian Henri Pirenne together with the results of archaeological discoveries to argue a different narration of European history and the terrible course that it took because of ruthless riders from Arab land.
During the 1920s Belgian historian Henri Pirenne came to an astonishing conclusion: the ancient classical civilization, which Rome had established throughout Europe and the Mediterranean world, was not destroyed by the Barbarians who invaded the western provinces in the fifth century, it was destroyed by the Arabs, whose conquest of the Middle East and North Africa terminated Roman civilization in those regions and cut off Europe from any further trading and cultural contact with the East. According to Pirenne, it was only in the mid-seventh century that the characteristic features of classical life disappeared from Europe, after which time the continent began to develop its own distinctive and somewhat primitive medieval culture. The author compares arguments proffered both by Pirenne and his nemesis Hodges & Whitehouse to draw his conclusions.
The barbarians often referred to as being the reason for the Roman decline were the nomadic Germanic tribes of Franks, Goths and Vandals. It is true that many archaeological data suggest cessation of finds of innovation between the 7th and 10th century in some regions of Europe and around the Mediterranean. In other areas of the continent, in Britain, Ireland, Gaul and even Spain and Italy, Greco-Roman civilisation and institutions continued unabashed.
The ‘Dark Age’ in Europe was not really an era of the ignoramus. By the 4th century, the vastness of the Roman Empire had its toll. It started a steady decline. This was compounded by frequent attacks from the Germanic tribes on its Western front and from the Persians and Huns from the East. Successive wars, destruction and rebuilding, was the norm. By the 7th century, the vibrant trade along shipping lines in the Mediterranean took a dip. The Arab invaders had then controlled the high seas. Piracy was rife, and slave reared its ugly head. Pirates including Vikings were hellbent on trading white slaves. That caused people to fear away from cities to the countryside. People indulged in agricultural activities.
Disruption of the supply of luxury items from Syria and Egypt as a result of the loss of trading lines is evident from archaeological discoveries. African Red Slip wares, markers of affluence, were Gould to be scarce in that era. Dwindling of supply of papyrus from Egypt, in the long term affected the educational level of the people. Literacy soon became within the confines of the church. People still lived modest lives.
One puzzling discovery in archaeological finds in Europe is the dearth of finds of artefacts circa 7th to 10th centuries. Was there a malady of Nature at that time or was there a fictional creation of history to appease certain geopolitical situations? The history of this region was written at a time when pressures were there to put forward a particular narrative to portray the Islamic Empires as the liberators of a Dark Era.
476 AD is the year the Roman Empire was said to have crumpled as the Ostrogoths took over Italy. In actuality, the civilisation continued in the form of the Byzantine Empire. The Germanic invaders actually kept with the wisdom they saw. There were partial recoveries from the barbaric invasions. The conquerors followed the cultures of the conquered.
Many industries still prospered during this time. Glass manufacturing continued. Metallurgical sectors improved. Clockmaking with spring mechanism is another example.
In Britannia, the Anglo-Saxons destroyed the Roman civilisation there and transplanted their Germanic language there. In Ireland and Scotland, Christianity took roots and translations of knowledge were done.
Mid 7th century London even saw extractions of wine bottles, bronze ware, jewellery and beautiful metalworks.
The Visigoths in Spain, after the ruins of their attack, improved the Roman buildings. Even silk was sourced from China during their rule. Their sovereignty was marred with a massive crop failure probably by a locust attack. This economic recession must have angered the traders, mostly Jews, as a version says, who decided to ally with the invading Arab army with their conquest.
Another glaring example that Europe was not going through the Dark Ages was the presence of many thinkers who evaluated and treatise thoughts. Boethius, a philosopher ahead of his time, was a bridge between Roman civilisation and the Middle Age. His vision was to translate Aristotelean and Platonic thoughts from Greek to Latin. John Scotus Eriugena, a Neo-Platonic thinker, was bold in his quest of the unknown.
Benediction monks made sure the work of the Greeks never went anywhere. It thrived in churches amongst theologians. Scrolls on philosophy, astronomy, medicine, printing and others were guarded in monasteries. The Benedictions helped to invent plough, crop rotation techniques and horse collars to utilise animals in farming. Steel production in Ireland, Britain and Gaul was seen. Another technical innovation was windmill building and paper manufacture.
The Byzantium Empire continued its existence with the merger of Christianity and Hellenism. The author throws in the idea that maybe there is no such a thing as the Golden Age of Islam. No excavations in the three said centuries point to that effect. What he means is apparent is that the unprecedented level of violence in Europe is only seen after the jihadi wars propagated by the religiously motivated Arab horsemen. Even though Christians had issues with Jews before the Islamic invasion, the level of anti-Semitism escalated tremendously afterwards.
Many of the so-called Islamic scholars are not Arabs. They come from areas ruled by other empires previously, like Persia and Central Asia. Persia, by virtue of its position adjacent to Silk Trade Route and access to the Eastern wisdom of India and China, was a hub for modernity. These were hijacked by Arabs and re-branded as theirs - Arabic numerals were Hindu; alcohol was first distilled during the Sassanid era.
Why Charlemagne is mentioned in the title? Charlemagne is one of the earlier monarchs of Europe who initiated the idea of giving power to the Churches. As revenue was dwindling as trade took a dive after the Mediterranean Sea was turned into a 'Mussulman Lake', the axis of power was pushed northerly, and the kings were poor. As the Church still commanded power in those hard times, ensuing rulers decided to put the fear of God into people just as the invading Arabs who fought a holy war.
Who knows what direction our world would have led to if there was no Arab invasion? Would our world appear different than it is today? These are all just mere speculations.
Author: Emmet Scott.
Warning: For mature readers only. Discretion advised.
The conventional wisdom about the antiquity and the medieval eras of Europe is the Roman empire collapsed upon his own weight, Europe went into the Dark Ages only to be shown the light by the Muslim liberators. When culture and science were being developed in the Muslim land, Europeans were barbaric and were in the dark about philosophy and technology.
Emmet Scott (see here), the controversial writer who argued against such a straightforward timeline to the evolution of civilisation in Europe, here uses the findings of Belgian Historian Henri Pirenne together with the results of archaeological discoveries to argue a different narration of European history and the terrible course that it took because of ruthless riders from Arab land.
During the 1920s Belgian historian Henri Pirenne came to an astonishing conclusion: the ancient classical civilization, which Rome had established throughout Europe and the Mediterranean world, was not destroyed by the Barbarians who invaded the western provinces in the fifth century, it was destroyed by the Arabs, whose conquest of the Middle East and North Africa terminated Roman civilization in those regions and cut off Europe from any further trading and cultural contact with the East. According to Pirenne, it was only in the mid-seventh century that the characteristic features of classical life disappeared from Europe, after which time the continent began to develop its own distinctive and somewhat primitive medieval culture. The author compares arguments proffered both by Pirenne and his nemesis Hodges & Whitehouse to draw his conclusions.
The barbarians often referred to as being the reason for the Roman decline were the nomadic Germanic tribes of Franks, Goths and Vandals. It is true that many archaeological data suggest cessation of finds of innovation between the 7th and 10th century in some regions of Europe and around the Mediterranean. In other areas of the continent, in Britain, Ireland, Gaul and even Spain and Italy, Greco-Roman civilisation and institutions continued unabashed.
 |
| Byzantine Emblem |
The ‘Dark Age’ in Europe was not really an era of the ignoramus. By the 4th century, the vastness of the Roman Empire had its toll. It started a steady decline. This was compounded by frequent attacks from the Germanic tribes on its Western front and from the Persians and Huns from the East. Successive wars, destruction and rebuilding, was the norm. By the 7th century, the vibrant trade along shipping lines in the Mediterranean took a dip. The Arab invaders had then controlled the high seas. Piracy was rife, and slave reared its ugly head. Pirates including Vikings were hellbent on trading white slaves. That caused people to fear away from cities to the countryside. People indulged in agricultural activities.
Disruption of the supply of luxury items from Syria and Egypt as a result of the loss of trading lines is evident from archaeological discoveries. African Red Slip wares, markers of affluence, were Gould to be scarce in that era. Dwindling of supply of papyrus from Egypt, in the long term affected the educational level of the people. Literacy soon became within the confines of the church. People still lived modest lives.
One puzzling discovery in archaeological finds in Europe is the dearth of finds of artefacts circa 7th to 10th centuries. Was there a malady of Nature at that time or was there a fictional creation of history to appease certain geopolitical situations? The history of this region was written at a time when pressures were there to put forward a particular narrative to portray the Islamic Empires as the liberators of a Dark Era.
476 AD is the year the Roman Empire was said to have crumpled as the Ostrogoths took over Italy. In actuality, the civilisation continued in the form of the Byzantine Empire. The Germanic invaders actually kept with the wisdom they saw. There were partial recoveries from the barbaric invasions. The conquerors followed the cultures of the conquered.
Many industries still prospered during this time. Glass manufacturing continued. Metallurgical sectors improved. Clockmaking with spring mechanism is another example.
In Britannia, the Anglo-Saxons destroyed the Roman civilisation there and transplanted their Germanic language there. In Ireland and Scotland, Christianity took roots and translations of knowledge were done.
Mid 7th century London even saw extractions of wine bottles, bronze ware, jewellery and beautiful metalworks.
The Visigoths in Spain, after the ruins of their attack, improved the Roman buildings. Even silk was sourced from China during their rule. Their sovereignty was marred with a massive crop failure probably by a locust attack. This economic recession must have angered the traders, mostly Jews, as a version says, who decided to ally with the invading Arab army with their conquest.
Another glaring example that Europe was not going through the Dark Ages was the presence of many thinkers who evaluated and treatise thoughts. Boethius, a philosopher ahead of his time, was a bridge between Roman civilisation and the Middle Age. His vision was to translate Aristotelean and Platonic thoughts from Greek to Latin. John Scotus Eriugena, a Neo-Platonic thinker, was bold in his quest of the unknown.
Benediction monks made sure the work of the Greeks never went anywhere. It thrived in churches amongst theologians. Scrolls on philosophy, astronomy, medicine, printing and others were guarded in monasteries. The Benedictions helped to invent plough, crop rotation techniques and horse collars to utilise animals in farming. Steel production in Ireland, Britain and Gaul was seen. Another technical innovation was windmill building and paper manufacture.
The Byzantium Empire continued its existence with the merger of Christianity and Hellenism. The author throws in the idea that maybe there is no such a thing as the Golden Age of Islam. No excavations in the three said centuries point to that effect. What he means is apparent is that the unprecedented level of violence in Europe is only seen after the jihadi wars propagated by the religiously motivated Arab horsemen. Even though Christians had issues with Jews before the Islamic invasion, the level of anti-Semitism escalated tremendously afterwards.
 |
| Charlemagne
- with him started the unholy alliance with the
Church and senseless killings for conversion
in Europe |
Why Charlemagne is mentioned in the title? Charlemagne is one of the earlier monarchs of Europe who initiated the idea of giving power to the Churches. As revenue was dwindling as trade took a dive after the Mediterranean Sea was turned into a 'Mussulman Lake', the axis of power was pushed northerly, and the kings were poor. As the Church still commanded power in those hard times, ensuing rulers decided to put the fear of God into people just as the invading Arabs who fought a holy war.
Who knows what direction our world would have led to if there was no Arab invasion? Would our world appear different than it is today? These are all just mere speculations.
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