Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/35

 INFLUENCE OF MAIIOMETANISM. I7 grating probably indicates that the followers of Seljuk wero the most enterprising men of their race. They brought with them from the north the energy of a cold climate, and found the task of conquest by no means difficult. They embraced embrace Moslcmism almost contemporaneously with their Mofeiemisra. emigration southwards, and immediately com- menced a religious war with all the zeal of newly made Moslem converts. I propose in this place to point out what were the influences of the religion of Mahomet upon this and similar barbarous nations who have accepted it. Such an examination is not out of place if we would understand the progress which was made by the Seljukian Turks, and how they inflicted a fatal blow upon the Roman empire in the East. ' The history of the progress of Islam shows that wherever immeiiiate ^ nation which has been given over to idol worship homJtantsra <^i' ^^ ^^J ^^ ^lic lowcr fomis of paganism has beneficial. adopted the simple creed of Mahomet, the immedi- ate eflFect has been to produce a great advance in its national life. Religion usually forms a strong common bond among a people, but no religion has ever succeeded so completely as Moslemism in causing barbarians at once to sink their differ- ences and to unite with fierce enei'gy for the propagation Its early sue- of their faith. The success of Mahomet and his cesses. followcrs had been marvellous, and remains unex- ampled in history. The whole of Arabia had accepted Islam during the lifetime of the prophet. The empire had lost Damascus and great part of Syria in the year after his death in 632. Five 3'ears later the Saracens captured Jerusalem. In 640 they took Alexandria. Persia and Egypt almost im- mediately afterwards fell under their sway. In GGS they made an obstinate attack upon Constantinople itself. Large con- quests had been made in Central Asia. The Christian king- doms of North Africa were rapidly wiped out, and the whole of Spain, with the exception of the northwestern corner, had to accept the yoke of the Moors. It appeared as if Western Europe would have to share the lot of Christian Syria and Africa. The invaders passed the Pyrenees, and the fate of 2