Islamic+Empires

= **Islamic Empires** =

====The four rightly guided caliphs made great progress in their quest to spread Islam, the Islamic Empire eventually spread 6,000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River. Muslims fought to defend the religion of Islam willing to risk a lot to extend the word. The Muslim armies were well disciplined and well trained. The persecution suffered by people under the Byzantine or Sassanid rule was also a reason for Muslim success, it welcomed invaders who were willing to accept this new religion. When Abbasids came to power in 762 they moved get capital to a newly created city Baghdad in central Iraq. This new location was on key trade routes and gave caliphs access to new trade routes and gold and valuable information about enemies or rivals. In 1258 rival groups divide muslim land because they failed to complete political control. Independant Muslim states came up and local leaders conquered smaller regions, then the Fatimid caliphate was formed; it began in north Africa and spread across the Red Sea to Western Arabia and Syria.====