On this day in Islamic history: July
This is a list of events that took place throughout Islamic history in the month of July.
This will be constantly updated when new information arises. Your help in this regard would be most appreciated.
July 6th:
Between the days July 6th to July 8th, 1995 CE (6/7 Safar to 8/9 Safar, 1416 AH), Christian Serbs laid siege to the city of Srebrenica, which was supposed to be 'a safe zone' for Bosnian Muslims fleeing earlier offensives.
Requests were made by the Bosnians for the return of the weaponry they gave up to the so-called UN peacekeepers so as to defend themselves, to which the UN refused.
Tens of thousands of people who were effectively refugees - with fuel running low and without access to any food, water or weapons for self-defense - were shelled by an army.
Even the lightly armed Dutch forces who were present, ended up handing around 350 Bosnian men who were hiding in their base over to the Serbs, knowing full well what their outcome would be.
The city was eventually overrun resulting in the rape and genocide of thousands of Bosnian Muslims, making this Europe's worst massacre since World War 2.
July 15:
On this day (15 July, 1099 CE {16/17 Sha’ban, 492 AH}), the Crusaders conquered the city of Jerusalem from the Fatimid Shias, and tens of thousands of Muslims, Jews, and even Orthodox Christians were massacred by the invaders, now commonly known as the First Crusade.
This invasion has come to be known to be one of the most brutal, savage and barbaric displays in history, with figures about the amount dead ranging from 40,000 to 70,000.
It was said that blood flowed through the streets of Jerusalem and reached up to the ankles of the Crusaders; men, women and children alike were killed mercilessly.
Following in their footsteps, would be what is called the Fourth Crusade in 1204 CE (600 AH), whereby - for three days - not only did the Catholic Crusader armies loot Constantinople, then the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire), but mercilessly killed and raped the Orthodox Christian inhabitants of the city.
The Muslims under Salahuddin al Ayyubi and his Ayyubid Dynasty would later regain Jerusalem 88 years later (1187 CE/583 AH) whilst the Ottomans under Sultan Mehmet II would conquer Constantinople in 1453 CE (857 AH), and though the Crusaders surrendered to the Ayyubids whilst the Byzantines didn't to the Ottomans, both of their conquering of the respective cities as well the treatment of its citizens was the complete opposite to that of the Crusaders.
July 16:
On this day (16 July, 1212 CE {6/7 Safar, 609 AH}), the Christian forces of King Alfonso VIII of Castile were joined by the armies of his rivals, Sancho VII of Navarre and Peter II of Aragon, and they decisively defeated the Almohad Empire (Al-Muwahhidun) under the leadership of Muhammad al-Nasir, at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa/Battle of Al-Uqab near Jaén in al-Andalus (Islamic Spain).
The battle marked the beginning of the Almohad Dynasty's decline. In the following decades, the cities of Córdoba, Seville, and Jaén would fall to the Christian conquest, with only Granada holding out for another 250 years.
Source: Lost Islamic History
July 19:
On this day (19 July, 711 CE {23/24 Ramadan, 92 AH}), the Battle of Guadalete was fought between the Christian Visigoths of Hispania under King Roderic (who died in battle) and the Umayyad Caliphate, composed mainly of Muslim Berbers and some Muslim Arabs, under the Berber Umayyad military commander Tariq bin Ziyad.
The exact location of the battle is not known with certainty but the Guadalete River is suspected to be the most likely location hence the name "Battle of Guadalete".There is also a difference of opinion on the exact date the battle took place with dates ranging between 19th July and 26th July, though it appears that 19th July itself is the more accepted date.
This battle was part of the larger Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania, and many narratives are abound as to what assisted the Umayyad victory including:
(1) The famous speech by Tariq bin Ziyad after he had supposedly burnt the entire Umayyad fleet;
(2) Possibility of indigenous Iberian Jews assisting the Muslim Umayyads due to issues of persecution, etc from the Christian Visigoths;
(3) A narrative of a certain Count Julian who wanted revenge against King Roderic after he had raped his daughter Florinda, and hence lended naval assistance to the Umayyads.
Though the historicity of some of the accounts are in question, the speed at which the Umayyads conquered Visigothic Hispania suggest that they may have been very little resistance, if any at all, put up towards them by the indigenous Iberians, thereby contradicting the Christian reconquista narratives.
This is only compounded by the fact that it is said that the lower classes of Visigothic Hispania had become disillusioned with the Visigothic royal family.
Pictured is a painting of the Battle of Guadalete by Mariano Lagueruela (1882 CE).
July 21:
On this day (21 July, 869 CE {2/3 Sha’ban, 255 AH}), began the reign of the 14th Abbasid Caliph, Abu Ishaq Muhammad ibn al-Watiq (some accounts say 22 July, 869 or 3/4 Sha’ban, 255 AH), or his regnal name: Al-Muhtadi Billah (Guided by Allah/God).
He was the son of the 9th Abbasid Caliph, Abu Jaʿfar Harun ibn Muhammad or his regnal name: Al-Wathiq Billah (He who trusts in Allah/God).
His reign was very short lived and ended in June 870, though as a ruler he sought to emulate arguably the most popular Umayyad Caliph: Umar bin Abdul Aziz or Umar II (referencing Umar ibn al Khattab r.a).
He became popular with the common folk due to his insistence on personally attending the court of grievances (Al-mazalim).
He also sought to restore the power and authority of the Abbasid Caliph which had been eroded due to the ongoing squabbles amongst Turkish military generals, called the "Anarchy at Samarra".
Pictured is the dirham of al-Muhtadi minted in 869 CE in the city of Wasit, eastern Iraq (via CNG coins).
July 27:
On this day (27 July, 1302 CE {21/22 Dhul Qa’dah, 701 AH}), the Battle of Bapheus took place whereby a Byzantine army of 2000 troops under George Mouzalon was defeated by an Ottoman army of around 5000 troops under Osman Gazi (son of Ertuğrul Gazi).
Since becoming Bey of the Kayi Tribe after the death of his father Ertuğrul Bey in 1281 CE and announcing that he was now Sultan of the Ottoman Beylik in 1299 CE, Osman Gazi over the next couple decades was launching continuous and deeper raids into the Byzantine territory of Bithynia.
Moreover, it is said that a year before this battle (1301 CE), the House of Osman was already besieging Nicea/Nicaea, the former capital of the (Byzantine) Empire of Nicaea as well started to hassle Prusa/Prussa, later known as Bursa, the eventual overall second and first major capital of the Ottomans (conquered in 1326 CE under Orhan Gazi, son of Osman Gazi).
This battle, located somewhere between Nicea and Nicomedia, aimed at curbing Osman's power and though it was a minor battle, it had very major consequences for the Byzantines as it allowed for the gradual conquest of Bityhnia; the last Byzantine outpost of Bithynia - Nicomedia - eventually fell to the Ottomans just over a decade after Osman Gazi passed away (1337 CE).
This battle was also the first major victory for the Ottomans and according to Ottoman historian Halil Inalcik, it allowed the Ottoman Principality to achieve the characteristics and qualities of an actual state.
