PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

THE first edition of this book having been out of print for several years and frequent inquiries having been made for copies, this new edition has been prepared and an effort has been made to revise the work in the light of the fresh materials that have accumulated during the last sixteen years; but I can make no claim to have made myself acquainted with the whole of the vast literature on the subject, in upwards of ten different languages, which has been published during this interval. The growing interest in Islam and the various branches of study connected with it, may be estimated from the fact that since 1906 five periodicals have made their appearance devoted to investigations cognate to the subject-matter of the present work, viz. Revue du Monde Musulman, publiée par La Mission Scientifique du Maroc (Paris, 1906- ); Der Islam, Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kultur des islamischen Orients (Strassburg, 1910- ); The Moslem World, a quarterly review of current events, literature, and thought among Mohammedans, and the progress of Christian Missions in Moslem lands (London, 1911- ); Mir Islama (St. Petersburg, 1912-); and Die Welt des Islams, Zeitschrift der deutschen Gesellschaft für Islamkunde (Berlin, 1913- ). The Christian missionary societies are also now devoting increased attention to the subject of Muslim missionary activity and accordingly it takes up a proportionately larger place in their publications than before.

This second edition would have been completed several years ago but for the illiberal policy which closes the Reading Room of the British Museum at 7 o'clock and has thus made it practically inaccessible to me except on Saturdays.1 I therefore desire to express my grateful thanks to those friends who have facilitated my labours by the loan of books from the Libraries of the University of Leiden and the University of Utrecht (through the kind offices of

1 The student of the literature of Science or of the Fine Arts finds the libraries at South Kensington open till 10 o'clock on three evenings every week, but the one library in this country that aims at any completeness is available only to such students as are at leisure during the day-time.

Professor Wensinck), and the Ecole des Langues Orientales Vivantes, Paris;-to Mr. J. A. Oldham, editor of The International Review of Missions, I am indebted for the loan of volumes of the Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift, a set of which I have been unable to find in London; my thanks are specially due to Dr. F. W. Thomas, who has allowed me to study for lengthy periods (along with other books from the India Office Library) the monumental Annali dell' Islam by Leone Caetani, Principe di Teano,-a work of inestimable value for the early history of Islam, but unfortunately placed out of the reach of the average scholar by reason of its great cost.

I am also much indebted for several valuable indications to those scholars who reviewed the book when it first appeared, above all, to Professor Goldziher, whose sympathetic interest in this work has encouraged me to continue it.

London, 1913.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

A missionary_religion defined. Islam a missionary religion; its
extent. The Qur'an enjoins preaching and persuasion, and
forbids violence and force in the conversion of unbelievers.
The present work a history of missions, not of persecutions

CHAPTER II.

STUDY OF THE LIFE OF MUḤAMMAD CONSIDERED AS A

PREACHER OF ISLAM.

Muḥammad the type of the Muslim missionary. Account of his
early efforts at propagating Islam, and of the conversions made
in Mecca before the Hijrah. Persecution of the converts, and
migration to Medina. Condition of the Muslims in Medina :
beginning of the national life of Islam. Islam offered (a) to the
Arabs, (b) to the whole world. Islam declared in the Qur'an to
be a universal religion,-as being the primitive faith delivered
to Abraham. Muhammad as the founder of a political organisa-
tion. The spread of Islam and the efforts made to convert the
Arabs after the Hijrah. The ideals of Islam and those of
Pre-Islamic Arabia contrasted

CHAPTER III.

PAGE

II

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM AMONG THE CHRISTIAN NATIONS OF

WESTERN ASIA.

The Arab conquests and expansion of the Arab race after the death

of Muḥammad. Conversion of Christian Bedouins. Causes of

the early successes of the Muslims. Toleration extended to

those who remained Christian.-The settled population of the

towns: failure of Heraclius's attempt to reconcile the contend-

ing Christian sects. The Arab conquest of Syria and Palestine :

their toleration: the Ordinance of 'Umar : jizyah paid in return

for protection and in lieu of military service. Condition of

the Christians under Muslim rule: they occupy high posts,

build new churches: revival in the Nestorian Church. Causes

of their conversion to Islam: revolt against Byzantine ecclesi-

asticism influence of rationalistic thought: imposing character

of Muslim civilisation. Persecutions suffered by the Christians.

Proselytising efforts. Details of conversion to Islam.-Account

of conversions from among the Crusaders.-The Armenian

and Georgian Churches

45

CHAPTER IV.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM AMONG THE CHRISTIAN NATIONS OF

AFRICA.

Egypt conquered by the Arabs, who are welcomed by the Copts

as their deliverers from Byzantine rule. Condition of the

Copts under the Muslims. Corruption and negligence of the

clergy lead to conversions to Islam.-Nubia: relations with

Muhammadan powers: gradual decay of the Christian faith.

-Abyssinia: the Arabs on the sea-board: missionary efforts

in the fourteenth century: invasion of Aḥmad Grāñ: con-

versions to Islam: progress of Islam in recent years.—

Northern Africa: extent of Christianity in North Africa in the

seventh century: the Christians are said to have been forcibly

converted: reasons for thinking that this statement is not true:

toleration enjoyed by the Christians: gradual disappearance of

the Christian Church .

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CHAPTER V.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM AMONG THE CHRISTIANS OF SPAIN.

Christianity in Spain before the Muslim conquest: miserable con-

dition of the Jews and the slaves. Early converts to Islam.

Corruption of the clergy. Toleration of the Arabs, and influence

of their civilisation on the Christians, who study Arabic and

adopt Arab dress and manners. Causes of conversion to Islam.

The voluntary martyrs of Cordova. Extent of the conversions 131

CHAPTER VI.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM AMONG THE CHRISTIAN NATIONS IN

EUROPE UNDER THE TURKS.

Relations of the Turks to their Christian subjects during the first

two centuries of their rule: toleration extended to the Greek

Church by Muḥammad II: the benefits of Ottoman rule: its

disadvantages, the tribute-children, the capitation-tax, tyranny

of individuals. Forced conversion rare. Proselytising efforts

made by the Turks. Circumstances that favoured the spread of

Islam: degraded condition of the Greek Church: failure of the

attempt to Protestantise the Greek Church: oppression of the

Greek clergy: moral superiority of the Ottomans: imposing

character of their conquests. Conversion of Christian slaves.-

Islam in Albania, conquest of the country, independent character

of its people, gradual decay of the Christian faith, and its

causes;-in Servia, alliance of the Servians with the Turks,

conversions mainly from among the nobles except in Old

Servia ;-in Montenegro ;-in Bosnia, the Bogomiles, points of

similarity between the Bogomilian heresy and the Muslim creed,

conversion to Islam ;—in Crete, conversion in the ninth century,

oppression of the Venetian rule, conquered by the Turks, con-

versions to Islam

145

CHAPTER VII.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN PERSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA.

Points

Religious condition of Persia at the time of the Arab conquest.

Islam welcomed by many sections of the population.

of similarity between the older faiths and Islam. Toleration.

Conversions to Islam. The Ismā'īlians and their missionary

system. Islam in Central Asia and Afghanistān

CHAPTER VIII.

PAGE

206

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM AMONG THE MONGOLS AND TATARS.

Account of the Mongol conquests. Buddhism, Christianity and

Islam in rivalry for the allegiance of the Mongols. Their

original religion, Shamanism, described. Spread of Buddhism,

of Christianity, and of Islam respectively among the Mongols.

Difficulties that stood in the way of Islam. Cruel treatment of

the Muslims by some Mongol rulers. Early converts to Islam.

Baraka Khan, the first Mongol prince converted. Conversion

of the Ilkhans. Conversion of the Chaghatay Mongols.

History of Islam under the Golden Horde: Uzbek Khān:

failure of attempts to convert the Russians. Spread of Islam

in modern times in the Russian Empire. The conversion

of the Tatars of Siberia

218

CHAPTER IX.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN INDIA.

Distribution of the Muhammadan population. Part taken by the

Muhammadan rulers in the propagation of Islam: conversion

of Rajputs and others.-The work of the Muslim missionaries

in India; traditions of early missionary efforts in South India,

forced conversions under Haydar 'Ali and Tipu Sultan, the

Mappilas-in the Maldive Islands-in the Deccan, early

Arab settlements, labours of individual missionaries:-in Sind,

the rule of the Arabs, their toleration, account of individual

missionaries, conversion of the Khojahs and Bohras :-in

Bengal, the Muhammadan rule in this province, extensive con-

versions of the lower castes, religious revival in recent times.

-Particular account of the labours of Muslim missionaries in

other parts of India. Propagationist movements of modern

times. Circumstances facilitating the progress of Islam: the

oppressiveness of the Hindu caste system, worship of Muslim

saints, etc.-Spread of Islam in Kashmir and Tibet.

CHAPTER X.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN CHINA.

Early notices of Islam in China. Intercourse of the Chinese with

the Arabs. Legendary account of the first introduction of

Islam into China. Muslims under the T'ang dynasty: influence

of the Mongol conquest; Islam under the Ming dynasty.

Relations of the Chinese Muslims to the Chinese Government.

Their efforts to spread their religion .

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294