he Arab Islamic Armed Conflict with Byzantine Empire in Sardiral Island (85-407 A.H/704-1016 A.D

Abstract

This study tackles the relationship of Arab Islamic state with the Byzantine empire in the island of Sardinah which passed through several stages. After liberating the lands occupied by the Byzantium, Muslim Arabs began to fight in the sea. They fought at first in the eastern islands then moved to the western ones. Sardinah was one of these island. It was the scene of the armed conflict between the two states due to its important strategic position and its adjacency to the Peninsula of Ebyria (Andalus).Sardinah was one of the four biggest islands of the Mediterranean (Cecelia, Cyprus and Akritin).Attempts to conquer this island goes back to the Umayyad era. At that time Byzantine forces began to wage attacks against the Arab Islamic state coasts. They took this island as a base for their attacks. During the Abbaside era, however, Aghalib state began to take care of the Islamic fleet. They began to wage campaigns against Arab islands such as Sardinah. Their motivation behind these campaigns were to consolidate the Arab Islamic sovereignty on the western basin of the Mediterranean, spread Islam in the region and protect the Islamic coasts and fortified border line cities.Fatimy state adopted the same policy followed by the Aghalib state. However, the Islamic fleet remained very strong during the reign of emirate and caliphate in Andalusia. The favour returning to attributing the sovereignty on Andalusia to the ruler of Daniah, Mujahid Al-Amiru; though for a short time.