World history; World history -- Juvenile literature
Omar was succeeded by Ali, the husband of Mohammed's daughter, Fatima,
but a quarrel broke out upon a point of Moslem doctrine and Ali was
murdered. After his death, the caliphate was made hereditary and the
leaders of the faithful who had begun their career as the spiritual head
of a religious sect became the rulers of a vast empire. They built a
new city on the shores of the Euphrates, near the ruins of Babylon and
called it Bagdad, and organising the Arab horsemen into regiments of
cavalry, they set forth to bring the happiness of their Moslem faith to
all unbelievers. In the year 700 A.D. a Mohammedan general by the name
of Tarik crossed the old gates of Hercules and reached the high rock on
the European side which he called the Gibel-al-tarik, the Hill of Tarik
or Gibraltar.
Eleven years later in the battle of Xeres de la Frontera, he defeated
the king of the Visigoths and then the Moslem army moved northward
and following the route of Hannibal, they crossed the passes of the
Pyrenees. They defeated the Duke of Aquitania, who tried to halt them
near Bordeaux, and marched upon Paris. But in the year 732 (one hundred
years after the death of the prophet,) they were beaten in a battle
between Tours and Poitiers. On that day, Charles Martel (Charles with
the Hammer) the Frankish chieftain, saved Europe from a Mohammedan
con-quest. He drove the Moslems out of France, but they maintained
themselves in Spain where Abd-ar-Rahman founded the Caliphate of
Cordova, which became the greatest centre of science and art of
mediaeval Europe.
This Moorish kingdom, so-called because the people came from Mauretania
in Morocco, lasted seven centuries. It was only after the capture of
Granada, the last Moslem stronghold, in the year 1492, that Columbus
received the royal grant which allowed him to go upon a voyage of
discovery. The Mohammedans soon regained their strength in the new
conquests which they made in Asia and Africa and to-day there are as
many followers of Mohammed as there are of Christ.
CHARLEMAGNE
HOW CHARLEMAGNE, THE KING OF THE FRANKS, CAME TO BEAR THE TITLE OF
EMPEROR AND TRIED TO REVIVE THE OLD IDEAL OF WORLD-EMPIRE
THE battle of Poitiers had saved Europe from the Mohammedans. But the
enemy within--the hopeless disorder which had followed the disappearance
of the Roman police officer--that enemy remained. It is true that the
new converts of the Christian faith in Northern Europe felt a deep
respect for the mighty Bishop of Rome. But that poor bishop did not feel
any too safe when he looked toward the distant mountains. Heaven knew
what fresh hordes of barbarians were ready to cross the Alps and begin a
new attack on Rome. It was necessary--very necessary--for the spiritual
head of the world to find an ally with a strong sword and a powerful
fist who was willing to defend His Holiness in case of danger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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