Arabia

In the Arabian peninsula, the second/eighth century independent and semi-independent polities appeared, and regions underwent cycles of unification and fragmentation. This chapter is divided into four sections: the Hijaz, the Yemen, Oman, and Central and Eastern Arabia. In the first section, an outline of the Hijazi history in the first/seventh and second/eighth centuries is provided; attention is also drawn to the rebellions and disorders in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Next, the chapter focuses on the history of Yemen from the first/seventh to the end of the second/eighth century. Non-sectarian dynasties, religious activity, and sectarian states in Yemen are also discussed here. Oman from the first/seventh to the third/ninth century, and from the third/ninth to the fifth/eleventh century is the focus of the third section of the chapter. The final section deals with Central and Eastern Arabia from the first/seventh to the third/ninth century.