What if Vladimir I of Kiev chose Islam?

The year 988 represents a very important date in the history of the Eastern Slavs, as it  marks the beginning of a process, called chritianization of The Kievan Rus.

Therefore The Orthodox branch of Christianity, with its astonishing church-Aiga Sofia led to the advisor to the belief that it was the faith that fit their people best.


No, actually the reason was that the catholics were very meticoulus with the formal processes of the ceremonies etc.etc (boring indeed), but the orthodoxy was closer (according to the Rus responsibles of this selection)  to their people's temperament.The first contact that the Russian had with those 4 religions were the merchants(Khazars,Byzantines, Arabs and westerners). Don't think that Vladimir knew in detail the caesaropapism , or the cruelty  were  the Byzantine citizens were suffering.  Of course  in his eyes and ears (according to  the byzantine envoyes saids probably), the Orthodox faith seemed ideal. The russian cities and the kingdom of Kyiev had lived their most prosperous days (materially and intelectually)after their convertion to orthodoxy. It is characteristic that the Prince of Kyiev became one of the most educated people/monarchs in Europe , speaking Greek and Latin perfectly when the king of England put his signature whith his thumb.

As we know the succesion system in Kiev's Kingdom could create plots and aggressions between the royal members. Ac civil war was avoided when Boris and Gleb had chosen their death in order to prevent the death of thousands, when their brother Svyatopolk threatened their lives so that he could succed the throne. Both were assasinated. They are considered as saints, because indirectly, they acted with a truly christianic way. This act was commented as a nonsense by the byzantine bishop of Kiev... obviously used to the byzantine cruelty and plotting...
I don't want to be harsh but if they were devoted to the mosaic law for example , can you imagine what could have happened? I'm not sure about islam but as we know the islamic leaders were not the most peaceful men on the planet (well , of course nor the christian). The point is that due to the great distance from Constantinople , the Kiev citizens considered orthodoxy as something ideal,and they reformed their way of lives in what we call proto-christianic society. It seemed that they really caught the "meaning"... Of course the Byzantine bishop of Kiev had a really difficult intellectual work to do, and usually those bishops were equally important , as personalities , to the patriarch.

Of course the choose of the kingdom's religion was a geopolitical subject, not only based in the excessive and ideal narration of the "glory-land"

I think his alcohol loving subjects would have rebelled and that's the end of his line and Islam as a state religion.

I am not sure at past but I think, their life would be longer now, If they choose islam.. (If I am not wrong, Alchol consumption is decreasing life expectation of russians.)

Originally posted by mamikon are you assuming that the Russian/Slavic populace were already alcoholics?

Loving alcohol is not the same as being an alcoholic.

Yes, this is a likely version of what would have happened if the Rus were islamized by Golden Horde or Tatars but us we know the choose of Orthodoxy was a decision of policy, connected with geopolitics, so it has its results in the next centuries which were obvious and connected mainly to the Russo - Byzantine relationship (especially after the fall of Constantinople and the heritage of "third Rome") .This choose, the adoption of Orthodox faith, had its special gravity into diplomacy until 19th century and the early 20th during the balkan wars or the revolutionary wars of the balkan states against Ottoman empire . At least relegion was used by Russians as "pretext" to invade the Ottomans or change the status quo , in favor of the Balkan Orthodox people (Kioutsouk - Kainartzi treaty). So , history would be different -at least- in balkan provinces as we know it today, don't you think?

 

Edited by Athanasios - 14-Sep-2007 at 13:57