The Byzantine Empire's relation with Muslims in the 10th century AD

Abstract

The main phenomenon in the byzantine-Islamic relations from the second half of the 9th century A.D and for two centuries of time was the overbalance of Byzantine scale steadily in the arena of military operations, while the scale of Muslims was swinging between success and failure. At this same time discipline and safety prevailed in the Byzantine Empire. Then, the Abbasside succession which was predominating the Islamic state began to suffer from disintegration and internal turbulences that then led to its division politically into several states which in turn paved the way for Byzantines to seize what they seized of Islam countries. This can best evidenced by what Ibn Al-Atheer said that "the king of Romans entered Levant and no one stopped or fought him", then, he refers in another place saying "Nicephorus made his objective the Islam countries and seizing them and actually he was able to do what he wanted while Muslim governors were busy with each other. So, he seized the countries making his objective pillaging and fleecing countries, and accordingly weakening them so as to be able to own them. Then, he raided the islands and Levant and captivated and ravished what can't be counted".