Interaction and Confrontation of Islamic Civilization with Christian Civilization Post Eastern Roman Conquest in Europe

INTERACTION AND CONFRONTATION OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION WITH CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION POST EASTERN ROMAN CONQUEST IN EUROPE Rinawati Paramadina University, Indonesia Abstract For Christian nations, the fall of Constantinople symbolized the collapse of their defensive stronghold and highlighted the threat posed by the Islamic Ottoman Empire. This event marked the transition from the center of Christian civilization to Islamic civilization, sparking a process of adaptation and interaction between the two civilizations. This paper examines how this interaction took place, including the integration and conflicts recorded in history and their impacts up to the present day. The research method used is a literature study, where the author traces relevant documents with a focus on the study. After finding the relevant sources, the researcher reads and critically analyzes them to understand their content, evaluate their validity, and reliability. The research results show that the relationship between Islam and Christianity during the Ottoman Empire demonstrated complex dynamics, with a mixture of tolerance, cooperation, and conflict. Policies of tolerance and cultural exchange had a positive impact on the development of civilization in the region. However, confrontations between the two religions arose from various factors, such as: Differences in beliefs and traditions became sources of tension, especially in the Balkan region. Political rivalry between the Ottomans and European Christian powers impacted inter-religious relations. Both Christian and Islamic parties discriminated against minority religions. The conflicts and tensions that emerged are also part of history that needs to be studied to understand the complexity of inter-religious relations in the past. Keywords: Interaction; Confrontation; Islam; Christianity. INTRODUCTION The European era lasted from the late third century to the early seventh century. This period was marked by the social collapse and political reorganization of the Roman Empire. In the western regions (Spain, Gaul, England, and parts of Italy), its practitioners and inhabitants were replaced by German invaders and settlers. This resulted in a shift in the center of power from ancient Rome to the newly founded Constantinople. Although the Roman Empire continued, its identity began to lean more towards Byzantine (or Greek) than Roman. On the one hand, the Eastern Roman Empire faced a very different civilization in East Asia. On the other hand, the Empire was surrounded by the "savagery" of the Slavic and Germanic territories in the North and West of Europe (Monalisa, Syah, & M, 2017). This part of the story also highlights the important role of the Catholic Church in the consolidation and expansion of its territory. As a major institution, the imperial church succeeded in maintaining and expanding Western civilization from the Mediterranean region. The Church gradually converted and helped civilize German and Slavic colonists, as well as settlers in Southern Europe. The Church also began to push missionary and civilizing work into the north, beyond the borders of the former Roman Empire. However, at the same time, Christianity lost territory on the eastern and southern coasts of the Mediterranean to the new and rival religion, Islam. Since the appearance of Muhammad, the ancient traditional unity of the Mediterranean was divided. Half of the territory. *Correspondance Author: Article History | Submited: 12 Juni, 2024 | Revised: 28 Juni, 2024|Accepted: 03 Juli, 2024 |Publish: 30 Juli 2024 HOW TO CITE (APA 6th Edition): Rinawati. (2024). Interaction and Confrontation of Islamic Civilization with Christian Civilization Post Eastern Roman Conquest in Europe. Juspi: Jurnal Sejarah Peradaban Islam. 8(1), page.156-169 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.30829/juspi.v8i1.20544 156 Interaction and Confrontation of Islamic Civilization with Christian Civilization ...| 157 Those (Syria and North Africa) which are close to the Middle East, basically fall into Islamic culture. This caused Western civilization and European Christianity to become more focused and clearly defined (Hayes, 1949). Byzantium, the last heir to the ancient Roman Empire, not only inherited its territory and culture, but also became the first stronghold of Christianity. Since its founding, Constantinople, its capital, has been seen as a replica of heaven on earth. The Byzantine Emperor was considered God's representative, leading his people with divine authority. However, beneath its glory and unity, Byzantium harbored threatening internal divisions. Debates about Bible interpretation and religious doctrine (orthodoxy and heresy) are as dangerous as civil war. This problem is getting worse day by day, undermining the unity and strength of the empire. The fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as Constantinople, was a complex event triggered by various factors, including religious, military and political factors. This event was an important turning point in the Middle Ages, and news of it spread quickly throughout the Muslim and Christian worlds (Hayes, 1949). The conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II in 1453 had a significant impact and changed the map of power in the Mediterranean region. For Christian nations, the fall of Constantinople became a symbol of the collapse of their buffer zone and clarified the threat from the Ottoman Turks. The impact of this conquest was felt in various aspects of life, including religious, military, economic and psychological. The shadow of Mehmed and his ambition to control the entire Eastern Roman Empire haunted the Greeks, Venetians, Genoese, the Pope in Rome, Hungarians, Wallachians and the Balkans. This conquest was the culmination of Mehmed's persistent efforts over many years. Previously, Constantinople had been besieged 23 times, and only once was captured by Christian Knights during the IV Crusade, which was a strange event in Christian history. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the glorious era of the Eastern Roman Empire which had lasted 1,123 years since its founding in the 4th century AD. RESEARCH METHOD Literature study is an important stage in almost all research, where researchers collect information relevant to the research topic from various sources such as scientific books, research reports, scientific articles, theses, dissertations, encyclopedias, and other written and electronic sources. Library research is often differentiated, both still require library searches. The main difference lies in the function, purpose and position of library research in each research. Literature study cannot be separated from study. Through literature study, researchers can find theories that support the problems and areas to be researched. The reason researchers chose library studies was because the data taken were literature data and historical research (history). Historical research is a systematic process for exploring and understandi (...truncated)