Diplomatic Relations between European and Eastern Rulers

Abstract

In its heyday, the Caliphate exceeded the size of the Roman Empire, covering territories from the Iberian Peninsula to the West Indies, from the Caucasus and Central Asia to the African deserts. Arab merchants and Arab money penetrated to the farthest corners of the Ancient World. The diplomatic relations of the Arab caliphate extended far west from the state of China. Damascus, the Umayyad capital, was one of the greatest capitals in the world. The Umayyad state was strongly influenced by the traditions of the Eastern Roman Empire and to a certain extent, the Sassanids in its culture, management methods and methods of foreign relations.