Question

As Muslim conquerors moved into the Byzantine Christian Empire, they were frequently received not as an invading army but as deliverers. Why was this the case?

Answer 1

The Arab-Muslim conquerors were often received as deliverers by the Byzantine Christian Empire due to ongoing religious struggles, decreased taxes, and indifference towards different Christian sects.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Arab-Muslim conquerors were often received as deliverers by the Byzantine Christian Empire because of several reasons:

1. The Byzantine Empire had ongoing struggles between the official Orthodox form of Christianity and various other Christian sects, leading many citizens to welcome the new Arab rulers.
2. Taxes often decreased under Arab rule, providing relief to the Byzantine citizens.
3. The Arabs were indifferent to which variety of Christian their new subjects were, making little effort to convert non-Arabs to Islam for several generations.

While bloodshed occurred during the Arab conquests, the long-term experience of Arab rule was no more oppressive, and probably less so, than the previous Byzantine rule.