Alternative history: What if the Romans conquered Arabia Felix

Alternative history: What if the Romans conquered Arabia Felix?

Context

Arabia Felix is a name given by the Romans for the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, specifically Yemen. The name Arabia Felix means lucky Arabia, because the area is a fertile area and its location is strategic. The region was known during the time of ancient civilisations to be the place where frankinsence is produced, and its resin was used for religious rituals, perfume and medicine. At that time, frankinsence was a valuable commodity in many parts of the world, including Rome, Greece, Egypt, even India and China. During the 1st century BC, Gallus Aelius, a Roman general led an expedition to Arabia Felix to control the trade of frankinsence and spices. But, the campaign failed because of the harsh terrain in Arabia Felix and the Romans were faced by resistance by the tribes living in Arabia Felix.

Scenario

In 25 BC, a general called Gallus Aelius led an expedition to modern-day Yemen, or what was then called Arabia Felix. The campaign failed, due to the harsh terrain in the area. Not only that, there are other factors which caused the failure of the Roman conquest of Arabia Felix, which is resistance from the tribes living there. In this alternative timeline, the campaign was successful and some people living in Arabia Felix would have been sold into slavery and sent to Europe by the Romans, then the Romans would have been involved in sea trade. At the beginning, they would have controlled the trade routes via the Red Sea, then they would successfully conquer Arabia Felix and eventually conquer Northeast Africa.

After the Romans successfully conquered Arabia Felix and Northeast Africa, frankinsence would have become one of the most important commodities that supported the economy of the Roman Empire. This would have caused people from the ethnicities of Northeast Africa to be subject to hefty taxes and whoever refused would have been sold into slavery and be sent to Europe to work in the olive fields. Thus, a mixed-race population would have emerged in various parts of the Roman Empire, such as Anatolia and the Iberian Peninsula.

The Roman Empire would have still collapsed in this alternative timeline, and former Roman territories in Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula would have been under the rule of the Ethiopian Christian kingdom led by the negus. The Ethiopian Christian kingdom in this alternative timeline would have expanded to the eastern and southern parts of Africa into modern-day Mozambique, then they would expand to Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, Seychelles, the southern part of Iran, parts of the Indian subcontinent, the Maldives, even the Indonesian archipelago, then the empire would have been a country where various religions, namely Christianity (Ethiopian, Syrian and Latin rites), Islam (after the 7th century), Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and various indigenous beliefs, even religious groups deemed as deviating from Christian doctrine (such as Sabellianism) would have been tolerated. The Ethiopian Empire in this alternative timeline would have been the first pluralist state in the pre-modern era.

The Ethiopian Empire in this alternative timeline would have been divided into many states, because the people who are not Ethiopians would not be happy to be ruled by Ethiopians. New empires, such as the Barawa and Suvarnabhumi empires would have emerged. In this alternative timeline, the spread of Islam would have reached modern-day Mozambique due to da'wah efforts by Muslim preachers, and the spread of the Syrian Orthodox version of Christianity would have reached the Indonesian archipelago, specifically the Nias and Batak ethnic groups, due to missionary efforts. Seychelles in this alternative timeline would not be called Seychelles, but Bahir Tsion, and the people would have been Ethiopian Christians who are Syrian Orthodox. This alternative timeline does not stop here, a new trade route would have been open in other parts of the world, including the Zambezi River, which would have made the spread of Islam to modern-day Zambia and Malawi possible. Thus, the Nyanja and Lozi would have converted to Islam and establish a kingdom there.

The Mascarene Islands in this in this alternative scenario would not have been touched by human activity until the era of European colonialism. The fate of Ethiopia in this alternative timeline would be like Japan, where the country would undergo large-scale modernisation to prevent European colonialism. However, that does not mean that Ethiopia would be a stable country without influential separatist movements like Japan, separatist movements would emerge, and their revolt would have succeeded and not been crushed. Radical groups, either left-wing or right-wing, would emerge in Ethiopia in this alternative timeline.

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