abu_rashid wrote on Sep 12^th, 2010 at 6:34pm:



And as for the arguement that the Caliphate isn't imperialistic because "Islam raised up the lands it opened, it did not occupy and drain them of their resources as imperialists do"...That's a load of crap..

EVERY single Empire throughout history has 'raised up' the lands it conquered........It's an absolutely unavoidable by-product of conquest, once you occupy a nation/country the improvements you make (even if you use slave labour to make those improvements) raises the technology level of the conquered country, because you use local workers to do it.....

And the usual 'resources' that empires remove from conquered countries are things the native inhabitants have no use for....

And EVEN the Caliphate moved troops, traders and administrators into conquered territories.....if that's NOT occupation, what is???