Arabia at the start of the early Middle Ages

Arab tribes lived on the Arabian Peninsula and neighbouring lands. Nomadic Bedouins herded camels, sheep and horses, while the settled people of the south and west grew dates and grapes in oases. Yemen and Hijaz were the most developed regions, and towns such as Mecca arose along the caravan routes. Most Arabs believed in various gods and goddesses. In the 6th century population growth, competition between tribes for water and pasture and, after Yemen came under Persian influence in the 570s, the shift of trade routes caused economic hardship. According to Islamic tradition the Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca about 570 and from 610 received revelations; Muslims regard his message as faith in one God. In 622 he and his followers moved from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina) — an event called the Hijra, the start of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. In 630 Mecca was taken peacefully, the Kaaba became the chief pilgrimage place of Muslims and over the following years most Arab tribes united in a single state.