Download Concise History Ch.1 – 5 POWERPOINT not 2007

Chapters 1 – 5
REVIEW
rihlah sa’idah, basi’ah tovah, safar be-khayr
….and may you have a fruitful intellectual
journey
Authors Approach
• “From what we now know about Middle East history,
we believe the most useful unit of study is not the
dynasty or the nation-state but the civilization” (p.4)
• “..this book…focuses on an interlocking complex of
rulers and subjects, governments and laws, arts and
letters, cultures and customs, cities and villages – in
short, on a civilization that has prevailed in most of
western Asia, and northern Africa since the 7th
century, all tied together by the religion of Islam”
(p.4)
Geographic Topics
• Coexistence in an arid environment
• Natural crossroads of Euro-African landmass
• OIL – a major resource – ECONOMIC
ADVANTAGE
• WATER – a limited resource – GEOPOLITICAL
PROBLEM
Middle East Before Muhammad
Rise of Christianity
• “If history can be defined as humanity’s recorded past, than
the Middle East has had more history than any other part of
the world” (p.15)
• Under Roman rule, Christianity - which is based in the Middle
East - becomes popular among Roman soldiers stationed at
this far outpost of the empire
• Roman emperor Constantine (313 – 337) adopts Christianity
and builds new Roman capital at Constantinople (modern day
Istanbul, Turkey)
Dissident Christian Sects –
What does it mean for future Arab Conquests?
• Arians – argued that Christ was still not equivalent to
God
• Nestorians - saw Christ as two distinct persons;
divine and human
• Monophysites – believe Christ contained within him
a single, wholly divine nature
• All of these sects were persecuted by the Orthodox
church. This policy turns dissenters against
Constantinople. Why does this help the future Arab
conquerors?
Rome’s Persian Rival
• Persian Empire included Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central
Asia
• Zoroastrianism is state religion, BUT
other religious groups could practice
freely
Arabs
• Nobody is sure where the Arabs came from
• Populated the dry and desolate Arabian
Peninsula
• Nomadic, following the seasonal availability of
groundwater
Arabian Culture
* Arabs were warlike; hunger or habit led them to pray
on one another or on outsiders
* While the nomadic lifestyle gave them no chance to
develop architecture, sculpture or painting – they did
possess one highly portable form of artistic expression
– poetry
* Pre-Islamic poetry embodies the Arab Code of Virtue.
These poems were recited by memory by tribal Arabs
and their descendants
* “Pre-Islamic poetry helped to shape the Arabic
language, the literature and culture of the Arabs, and
hence the thoughts and actions of Arabic-speaking
peoples even now” (p.24)
Arab Code of Virtue – “Muruwwah”
(p.24)
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Bravery in battle
Patience in misfortune
Persistence in revenge
Protection of the weak
Defiance toward the strong
Hospitality to the visitor
Generosity to the poor
Loyalty to the tribe
Fidelity in keeping promises
Southern Arabia
• The southern part of the Arabian peninsula
has a moderate climate and environment and
thus a different culture emerges there
• Southern Arabia fought over by Ethiopians
and Persians. Persians control the area from
575 - 625
Mecca and Muhammad Origins
• Pre – Islamic Mecca was an important caravan
station. Had spiritual importance due to nearby
shrines in the mountains
• Muhammad is born in Mecca in 570, he is part of the
Quraysh tribe. Orphaned as child and cared for by his
Uncle. Becomes a well respected merchant
• MH upset that Meccan leaders were not upholding
the code of virtue. Thought the Jews, Christians
might have answers to problems (p.30-31)
First Revelation & Early Muslims
• In 610, Muhammad has first revelation when he is
told by the angel, Gabriel, that he is the Lord’s
Messenger. Muhammad now claims to be a prophet
of God
• First believers in Muhammad come from lower
stratum of society – similar to so many other
revolutions!
• Muhammad’s early message is similar to Arab code
of virtue
Muslim – one who submits to God’s will
Islam – the act of submission to God
Meccan Opposition
• Meccans of wealth and power feared MH’s influence.
They made a lot of $$ from pilgrimages to Mecca’s
many shrines
• MH claims he made a pilgrimage in one night to
Jerusalem on a winged horse
• When MH’s influential Uncle dies, MH loses
protection. He and his followers forced to leave
Mecca for Medina
Emigration to Medina (Hijra)
• MH is welcomed into Medina as an arbitrator
between quaraling Arab and Jewish tribes. In return
for his work, MH and the Meccan Muslims are given
sanctuary
• MH soon becomes a leader of Medina. Is now both a
spiritual and political leader
• MH and the Muslims raid Meccan caravans and
defeat a force of 1,000 sent from Mecca to bring him
down
Return to Mecca
• In 628, MH makes a truce with Mecca.
He returns a year later with a force
10,000 strong. Mecca falls under his
control and embraces Islam
• MH dies on June 8th, 632
What is Islam?
• MH is the messenger of God (Allah)
• Gabriel was the angel sent by Allah to reveal the Quran to MH
• Quran is the record of God’s revelations to the angel Gabriel via
MH. It is 114 chapters of hard reading.
• Muslims recognize Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Job and
Jesus as prophets. They deny, however, that Jesus was the “son of
God”
• There is a belief in a Judgment Day when all people will die. No
prophets will return before this day
Five Pillars of Islam
• Believe that MH is the messenger of the one God,
Allah
• Pray five times a day towards Mecca
• Fast during Ramadan
• Almsgiving
• Hajj – pilgramage to Mecca (takes place during
December)
Muhammad’s Successors
• MH never chose a successor, nor ever
mentioned a system to choose successors
• His friend, and original convert, Abu-Bakr
called himself the successor of the messenger
of God. “Khalifat rasul Allah”, shortened to
“Khalifa”, or in English, “Caliph”. Abu-Bakr is
caliph from 632-634
Initial Arab Conquests
• “The Caliph’s brilliant answer [to how to hold the Arab tribes
together] was to turn the bedouin’s combative energies away
from one another and toward conquering the settled lands to
the North, the Roman and Persian empires” (p.55)
• Rome’s Middle East holding (Palestine, Syria, Egypt) are
captured in less than a decade
• Persian Empire captured over a generation
• “Within a century, Muslim soldiers would be stationed from
Spain in the west, across North Africa and Middle East to the
borders of China in the east” (p.55)
Eastern Hemisphere – 700AD
Five Reasons the Arabs Succeeded
1. Fought few, carefully chosen engagements in deserts mostly.
Had small, but cohesive forces
2.
Many non-Muslim Arabs joined the conquests (remember
the code of virtue)
3.
Years of warfare between Romans and Persians had
weakened both
4.
Many people living under both empires were discontented
and welcomed the Arabs
5.
Persian Empire underwent an internal collapse
Beginnings of Islamic Government
• Mostly Meccans and Medinians are sent to
administer the newly conquered provinces. Jews,
Christians and Zoroastrians were still allowed to
practice
• Ali, MH’s nephew, is fourth caliph. (656-661). He
moves the capital to Kufa, Iraq
• Mu’awiya is fifth caliphate. He moves capital to
Damascus and launches attacks on Roman controlled
Anatolia (Turkey)
Husayn’s Rebellion – Emergence of
Shi’ism
• Husayn is MH’s grandson. He doesn’t recognize the caliphate
of Mu’awiya and is therefore attacked and killed in Karbala,
Iraq
• Husayn’s supporters vow to never recognize the Umayyads
(Mu’awiya’s tribe) as caliphs. They call themselves “Shi’at Ali”
or “The Party of Ali”
• Sunnis accept the ruling caliphs
• Shiites have a separate pilgramage to Najaf and Karbala, the
burial sites of Ali and Husayn. (Both of these are important
cities in modern day Iraq)