Download Islam - Yola

The spread of major world religions across political and cultural
borders and the development of a new, more regular
system of trade that connected much of Asia, Africa, and
Europe.
The spread of trade helped disseminate religion, and
confidence in a divine order helped merchants take risks. A
trigger for this change was the economic decline and
disorder associated with the decline of the classical empires.
Religion and commerce were the engines of change in the
postclassical period. Both facilitated the spread of
technologies, ideas, and disease. Even though the classical
empires collapsed, the successes of classical civilization
encouraged many people to maintain or revive classical
forms.
The impact of this time period on the daily life of women was
noticeable. The postclassical period saw an intriguing tension
on the roles of women as religions insisted on equality but
societies clung onto the patriarchal culture.
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Islam first appeared
on the Arabian Peninsula
› Bedouin pastoral nomad tribes
 Goat and Camels
 Some small agricultural settlements south
› Towns like Mecca developed along coasts
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Clan Loyalty and rivalry
› Clans had different Clan Idols
 Blend of animism and polytheism
 Art was largely nonexistent (maybe the Idols)
 Shaykhs were leaders of the Bedouin
 Women enjoyed somewhat greater freedoms
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Then something changed….
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Arabia and
Surrounding
Area
Before and
During the
Time of
Muhammad
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(Born 570 Mecca – Died 632 Medina)
Founder of the religion of Islam regarded by
Muslims as a messenger and prophet of Allah
after receiving a message from archangel Jobril
“Gabriel” (610 CE)
› The last and the greatest law-bearer in a series of 28
Islamic prophets
› Restorer of the uncorrupted original monotheistic faith
of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other
prophets
Also a diplomat, merchant, philosopher, orator,
legislator, reformer, & military general
 The start of political empires and major culture
change
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Mohammad unified the Arab tribes under religion,
but would also become a political system:
So, after Mohammad’s Death…Ridda Wars
happened to restore unity of the tribes (faith)
Political structures:
› Mohammad’s father-in-law Abu Bakr assumed leadership
of the Umma (the faithful, followers of prophet)
› Ali (Mohammad’s son-in-law & blood descendant) was
passed over.
 The catalyst of the Sunni-Shi’s split
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Form of Government- Theocracy
Empires
› Umayyad Caliphate(661-750) capital in Damascus,
captured Mesopotamia, N. Africa, & Persia
› Abbasid Caliphate(750-1258) moved the capital to
Bagdad. The first 300 years are known as the zenith of
Islamic civilization as a single religious and political entity
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Revolts and Revolutions-
› Hijra- 622 CE (Islam year one)
 Mohammad & his followers forced out of Mecca and fled to
Medina (200 miles/320kilometres)
 622-630 marked with battles with other Arabian tribes
 Mohammad returned to Mecca with 10k men
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Regional, trans-regional, and global structures &
organizations
Conflicts or Revolts
› The Sunni & Shiite split- 656-661 disputes in Mohammad’s
family led to civil war – when Caliph Ali was assassinated
in 661, Shiites believed the Umayyads to be usurpers
› This conflict still remains today…
› Umayyad’s extravagance led to the empire’s overthrow
in 750
› Crusades (1095 – 1291) more detail during Europe
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Agricultural & pastoral production
› Conquered areas had crops Arabs never seen before: sugar
cane, rice, spinach, artichokes
› Shared new crops & farming techniques
› Increased food supply = surplus crops growth of cities
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Trade & Commerce
› Merchants & Landlords grew in wealth & status.
› A boat called ‘dhow’ improved sailing, carried goods across
Indian Ocean & Mediterranean Sea Routes
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Labor Systems
› Slave labor became increasingly important for unskilled work
› Craftsman- catering to the wealthy: furniture, carpets, glassware,
jewelry, & tapestries
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Industrialization
› All the above stimulated new businesses
› Cities like Baghdad, Damascus,
Jerusalem, and Cairo grew
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Religion(s)- The word Islam comes from the Arabic phrase “to submit to
God” Universal & ethnic religion that has diffused around the world
Sacred Place(s) Ka’ba in Mecca, Medina, Dome on the Rock, Masque in Istanbul
Important texts: Quran (Koran),
Belief systems:
Abraham is the patriarch
His son Ismail (Ishmeal) is their direct ancestor
Other major prophets: Adam, Noah, Moses, David, Solomon, John the Baptist &
Jesus
› Muhammad believed he was the last of 28 prophets
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 Muslims respect Jews & Christians as “people of the book”
 Term Muslim in Arabic means –”one who has submitted to the will of God”
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Philosophies
Five Pillars of Islam- the fundamental obligations of Islam that distinguish it from
Christianity and Judaism
› 1. Testimony of faith, 2. Prayer (Daily Worship 5 times a day), 3. Almsgiving (Annual
Tax) 4. Fasting (Ramadan), 5. Pilgrimage (Mecca 1x in life)
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Ideologies
Sufism- appeared 700-800CE a mystical tradition of fasting, prayer, & meditation to
grow closer to Allah (Prominent in Iran)
› Jihad›
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Science- Built on the mathematical knowledge of
ancient Hindu scholars
› Algebra
› Arabic numerals still used today
› Optical science, pharmacology, & anatomy
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Key Technology-
› Borrowed inventions from China:
 Paper, Compass, gunpowder,
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Arts-
› Distinct from most others because of its intricate,
geometrically based format
 Quran strictly forbade the lifelike representation of human
figures esp. of Muhammad or Allah
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Architecture- Art carried over to public buildings,
colored ceramic tiles,
› Domes, Arches, Columns, Minaret(Prayer Tower)
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Gender roles and relations
› Women- Dress restrictions, appearance in public, modesty, veil
 Right to inherit, have dowries, and own property
› Men – Male domination was offset by the command to treat women with
respect
Family and kinship
› Polygamy up to 4 wives (Concubines, Harem)
Racial and ethnic constructions
› Abbasids fully integrated the ‘Mawali’ into the Islamic community
Social and economic classes
› Ayans – Land owning Elite. Dhimmis- people of the book were protected
(Jews, Christians, & Zoroastrianism) Slaves important as Bedouin settled
down.
Language- Arabic was a unifying force in the Islamic caliphates= Quran only
written in Arabic
Writing systems- Arabic, paper made sharing of ideas & writing books much
cheaper
› Many books “Golden Age” (Poetry sung aloud in Arabic-Jalal al-Din al-Rumi)
› Many love stories & folktales = “The Thousand and One Nights”
Learning- Madrasas (Universities) Scholars sought to preserve works of the Greek,
Roman, and Indian civilizations
Demography = Population Increase
 Migration- of Arabs via the different
Islamic Empires
 Crusades by Europeans migrating to
Islamic areas between1095 and 1291 not
much cultural change.
 Patterns of settlement- Nomads became
urban
 Technology’s impact on environment
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Dar-Islam developed into one of the
most dominant influences throughout
the eastern hemisphere (Eurasia, Africa)
› Even through Mongol invasions Dar-Islam
thrived.
 Dar-Islam - Muslims culture and life styles
Patriarchy
 Nomadic conflict with settled,
advanced, urban cultures
 Major cities centers of trade and culture
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Changing Empires:
› Umayyad 661-750 (Internal Riots by general
public because of
› Abbasids 750-1258 (Mongols sack Baghdad)
› Mamluk Dynasty- Mongols who made Egypt
the center of Islam culture (sacked by
Ottomans later 16th century)
› After Mongols, new empires of Ottomans
(Turkey), Safavids (Persia), Mughals (Delhi
Sultanate, India) Started in 1300s-1400s
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Increase of long distance trade,
interactions of Indian Ocean & TransSaharan trade routes creating new trade
Analyze gender systems & changes
 Interactions between Jews, Christians, &
Muslims
 Compare European & sub-Saharan
African contacts with Islamic World
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