Muslims’ navigation in early Islamic centuries

Subject Areas : The Journal of Islamic History and Civilisation

حسین قرچانلو ¹ ( ندارد )

Received: 2006-02-07 Accepted : 2006-06-15 Published : 2006-08-23

Keywords: commercial navigation, military navigation, China, East Africa, Persian, Arabs, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf,

Abstract :

Navigation and shipping drew Muslims’ attention for centuries. For this they have special purposes and motives which should be counted as the main factors of shipping prosperity in Islamic civilization. Military navigation in order to occupy different areas and attach them into Islamic territory began from the first decades after the emergence of Islam and continued for centuries. Commercial navigation in order to transport various goods in a reciprocal stream between different lands and Islamic territories was especially noticed by Muslims, and had an important role in the progress of shipping. By commercial shipping, because of its very wide geographical domain of activity, Muslims could communicate with different nations of various lands Indian ocean breadth, from East African shores till Chinese ones, and also they could achieve important geographical explorations. These activities altogether resulted in developing Muslims’ geographical understanding and their information about other nations and created literary, narrative and technical works on sea and navigation.