The rising spread of the Islamic power gained its support throughout the Middle East and Southwest Asia in numerous ways. Although the incursions in both were exceptionally different, the Islamic spread contributed greatly to the political, economical and social additions different than any other dominating culture and world religion in both of the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
When the Islamic empire began its spread into the Middle East, they easily converted Bedouins who believed in polytheistic gods and a few other nomads who only had a slight vision that a certain greater force of unexplainable nature may exist. Many other places, however, did not welcome Islam's dramatic approach and turned it away. The Islamic people failed to take Mecca the first time but instead, gained the city of Medina. They later traveled back to Mecca and regained control of the industrious city. However, things were still not peaceful between many other religious groups and the new Islamic religion. As Islam became stronger and held onto many of the major cities it conquered, other world religions such as Christianity began to fear of its great rising power. Christians began a series of nine holy wars known as the "Crusades" to try and win back many of its former cities now overtaken by Muslims. The result was that every single crusade failed and the Islamic domination continued to spread [class lecture/notes].
The Muslims continued their expansion by fighting their way into Southwest Asia's India. However, unlike the Middle East, the domination in this certain area did not take much for many of its people to convert to Islam. In fact, several converted rather peacefully, many being merchants who came in contact with new ideas as well as many people wanting to escape the caste system in India [p. 162]. The continuous spread throughout this region also lead to an Islamic kingdom in India called the Delhi Sultanate.
