Download an Islamic Empire

Middle East &
the Spread of Islam
First Global Civilization?
Chapter 6 & 7
Pg. 126-160
Define

Bedouin

Arab

Islam

Muslim
Pre-Islamic Arab World

Arabian Peninsula = harsh desert
• Cities
• Towns
• Bedouins
Clans: Rivalry & Vengeance


Harsh climate = dependence on clan
Social cohesion reinforced by warriors,
control of pastureland, & water


Bedouin woman
Bedouins on the move
from oasis to oasis
Towns & Trade

Several key towns arose near Red Sea
as a result of transcontinental trade
• Mecca
• Medina
Marriage & Family


Bedouin women enjoyed higher status
than neighbors
In urban environments, women’s
status was much lower
Poets & Gods

Because of the harsh environment…
• Material culture neglected in favor of oral
poetry
• Animistic polytheism
Genesis of Islam

Byzantine & Persian empires in N & E
Mesopotamia struggled against each
other to expand influence
• Bedouins face crisis

Muhammad rises to challenge
• Meditation → Revelation → Quran

Islam is born!
Persecution, Flight, Victory

Muhammad threatens the status of
Mecca’s Umayyad clan
• Fled to Medina & earns new converts

Muhammad returns to Mecca
smashing idols in Kaba
• Islam reigns supreme
Arabs & Islam

Islam addresses needs & weaknesses
of Arab society
Universal Elements of Islam

Islamic beliefs yield universal appeal
• Five Pillars
Question:

Assess the influence
of each of the Five
Pillars on the spread
of Islam.
• What are the intended
& un-intended
consequences of these
practices spiritually?
culturally? globally?
the Kaba
Umayyad: an Arab Empire
Consolidation & Division

Muhammad died in 632 w/o appointing
successor, creating a crisis
• Caliph


Position to be filled by Ali or Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr = 1st Caliph
• Led rapid expansion of Arab empire
Motives for Arab Conquests

Arab warriors driven to conquest for
wealth & glory rather than jihad
Weakness of the Adversaries


Persia – weakened from war &
manipulation
Byzantium – weakened from war &
resentful minority groups
Succession Problem → Sunni-Shia


Factionalism resulted from confusion
over succession between Ali &
Umayyad clan
Deep divisions:
• Sunni
• Shia
Umayyad Imperium


Built extensive empire from Spain to
Central Asia
Maintained control through Arab
minority
Converts & “People of the Book”


Converts not treated as full citizens
“People of the book” taxed, but
allowed to keep religions &
communities intact
Umayyad Family & Gender Roles

Women enjoyed stronger status
under Muhammad’s leadership
during the early years of Islam
Umayyad Decline

Caused by:
1. Alienated followers by becoming aloof,
corrupt, & decadent
2. Failed to integrate non-Arabs &
dissents
↳Sparked revolt in Persia among Abbasid
Questions

Assess the validity of the claim that
“The empire built from Umayyad
conquests was Arab rather than
Islamic.”
Abbasid: an Islamic Empire

Signs of things to come:
• Brutal treatment of Umayyad → absolutist
• Capital in Baghdad → strong Persian influence
• Growing power of wazir → bureaucratization
Islamic Conversion

Abbasid era saw full integration of
citizens & converts
Town & Country


Abbasid age saw urbanization &
expansion of trade
Rural estates prospered:
• Large estates – ayan, enriched warriors
• Slave labor
First Flowering of Learning

Islamic civilization made key
contributions in art, religion, law,
philosophy, science, & math
• Greece
Global Connections

Islam presents the unprecedented
rise of backwater nomads to global
empire
Abbasid: later in the Heartlands

Key problems surface as early as 3rd
Abbasid caliph
Imperial Extravagance

Harun al-Rashid’s reign proved
pivotal in extravagance & succession
• Court factionalism
• Rise of Turk mercenaries
Imperial Breakdown

Extravagance & succession disputes
fed spiraling financial problems
Abbasid Family & Women

Rise of harem & veil meant high
class women were increasingly
uneducated & secluded
• Contrast w/ slaves
Nomadic Incursions

With caliph in disorder, Abbasid
splintered into regional kingdoms
• Buyids capture Baghdad in 945
• Seljuk Turks capture Baghdad in 1055
Questions

Compare and contrast the Umayyad
and Abbasid.
• Which is more significant? Why?
• Assess the validity of calling the later
period of the Muslim empire, “Abbasid.”
Impact of Christian Crusaders

Series of Christian crusades attempt
to capture holy land starting in 1096
• Europeans established series of small
kingdoms in Eastern Med. until 1291

Crusades had much larger impact on
Europe by intensifying exchange
Age of Learning & Art
Full Flowering of Persian Lit

As Persians gained greater power,
Persian language became language of
high culture
• EX – history, poetry, mystical revelations
Achievements in Sciences

Abbasid era established itself as
most technologically & scientifically
advanced
Religious Trends & Expansion

Contradictory religious trends reflect
paths in society
• Orthodoxy
• Sufi movement
New Nomadic Invasion & Fall

13th century dominated by Mongol
invaders
• Baghdad & Abbasid fall in 1258
Questions

What seems to be the key in
determining status and freedoms of
women?
• Support your answer with examples
from the text.