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3 - Egypt as a province in the Islamic caliphate, 641–868

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

By
Hugh Kennedy
Edited by
Carl F. Petry
Carl F. Petry
Affiliation:
Northwestern University, Illinois
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Summary

The Muslim conquest of Egypt followed naturally from that of Syria. The sources for the early Muslim conquests are extremely problematical, and it would be wrong to be too categorical about specific details. The Arabic sources are generally agreed that the first attack was launched from southern Palestine at the end of 18/639 or the beginning of 19/640. The leader and inspiration for this expedition was ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās as a member of the powerful Umayyad clan. The force he led was very small, perhaps 3,500–4,000 troops, but as the conquest progressed they were joined by further reinforcements, notably 12,000 led by Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām, a senior companion of the Prophet ‘Amr, however, remained in command.

The invasion force headed southwest along the eastern fringes of the desert to the Byzantine stronghold of Babylon (Old Cairo). Here they besieged the garrison of the fortress, which surrendered after some seven months in Rabī II, 20/Easter 641. Alexandria, not Babylon, was the Byzantine capital and, after securing his position ‘Amr marched through the Delta to attack the city. Divisions among Byzantines and the loss of so much territory seem to have led to a spirit of defeatism among the defenders. At the end of the year 30 (November 641) a treaty was made in which the Byzantines agreed to give up the city by Shawwāl 21/September 642. This meant the end of serious resistance: it was now up to the small army of conquerors to establish a working government over the rich lands they had so swiftly acquired.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of Egypt , pp. 62 - 85
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1998

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