Includes bibliographical references and index.

pt. 1. The Formative Period, 610-950 -- Origins -- Arab imperialism -- The development of sectarianism -- The center cannot hold : three caliphates -- Synthesis and creativity -- pt. 2. Civilization vs. chaos, 950-1260 -- Filling the vacuum of power, 950-1100 -- Barbarians at the gates, 1100-1260 -- The consolidation of traditions -- The Muslim commonwealth -- pt. 3. Mongol hegemony, 1260-1405 -- The great transformation -- Unity and diversity in Islamic traditions -- pt. 4. Muslim ascendancy, 1405-1750. -- The central Muslim lands -- The umma in the west -- Central Asia and Iran -- South Asia -- The Indian Ocean Basin.

A History of the Muslim World to 1750 traces the development of Islamic civilization from the career of the Prophet Muhammad to the mid-eighteenth century. Encompassing a wide range of significant events within the period, its coverage includes the creation of the Dar al-Islam (the territory ruled by Muslims), the fragmentation of society into various religious and political groups including the Shi'ites and Sunnis, the series of catastrophes in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that threatened to destroy the civilization, and the rise of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires. Covering art, architecture, religious institutions, theological beliefs, popular religious practice, political institutions, cuisine, and much more, A History of the Muslim World to 1750 is the perfect introduction for all students of the history of Islamic Civilizations and the Middle East.