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Chapter 7
The World of Islam
Bedouin Arabs

Islam sprang from the Bedouin Arabs
of the Arabian Peninsula at the
beginning of the 7th Century AD.
 Semitic people dating to at least the
5th Century BC.
 What was Bedouin society like?


Basic social unit?
What drove the economy of the early
Arabian population?
Pre-Islamic Bedouin Arabs
 Sheikh:

Responsibilities?
Who chose the sheikhs?
 Each
tribe was autonomous but had a
sense of allegiance to larger clan.
 Prior to Islam, what did Bedouin religion
look like?
Ka’aba

Each tribe had a
sacred stone that
symbolized the
supreme God
 Significance of the
Ka’aba in Mecca?
Arab Trade
Why did a new trade route down the Red
Sea through Mecca and to the Indian
Ocean become more popular in the 400500s AD?
 This significantly increased the importance
of the Arabian Peninsula. Consequences?

What groups will experience tension as a
result of the new wealth?
Muhammad

Islam founded by Muhammad in the midst of
this change to the region.
 Born in Mecca (570) to a merchant family,
married a rich widow and became a merchant
himself.
 What troubled Muhammad?


Disparity between the traditional Arab values of
honesty and generosity and the avarice and greed of
the rich commercial elites in the city.
What happens to Muhammad as he meditates?
Koran
 How
is Muhammad’s Allah related to
Jewish and Christian beliefs?
 What is significant about Muhammad’s
revelations?
 The revelations received by Muhammad
were dictated by him and transcribed into
what became the Koran, the holy scripture
of Islam.
Mecca

Muhammad set out to comply with the
command he received to preach the newest
word of God, starting with his hometown of
Mecca.
 Results for Muhammad?
 622 Muhammad and some of his disciples went
north to the rival city of Yathrib (modern
Medina). Why there?
 The date of this flight, known as the Hegira
marks the first date of the official calendar of
Islam.
Spread of Islam

In Medina Muhammad attracted more followers


Whom does he succeed in converting?
Muhammad converted his followers into a
military force, conquered Mecca, and
converted the townspeople to the new faith.
 How does Muhammad destroy the pre-Islamic
religion?
 Two years later, Muhammad dies, just as faith
beginning to take off.
The Teachings Of Muhammad
 Similarities





to Judaism and Christianity
Is monotheistic
God is all-powerful and all-knowing
Promises salvation in a heaven-like afterlife
Based on teaching of prophet who received
teachings directly from God.
“People of the Book.”
 Differences


Muhammad not divine. Rather, a man who
received revelations.
Single holy text rather than many
Teachings of Muhammad

Basic ethical code of Islam is based on five
pillars:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Shahadah: belief in Allah and Muhammad as his
Prophet
Salah: standard prayer five times a day and public
prayer on Friday at midday
Sawm: Observation of fasting from dawn to sunset
during Ramadan.
Hajj: making a pilgrimage to Mecca in one’s lifetime
Zakat: Giving alms to the poor and unfortunate.
Those who followed laws guaranteed a
place in eternal paradise
Additional Teachings
had a number of “laws” drawn up
after the death of Muhammad that
regulated the lives of Muslims: Hadith
 Forbidden to:
 Islam

gamble, eat pork, drink alcohol, and engage
in dishonest behavior.
 Sexual
behavior?
The Arab Empire

Muhammad had not named a successor and
did not have a male heir.


Consequences?
What factions fight over who will be the first
Caliph (successor)?
 Succeeded in suppressing factionalism and
began to spread Islam.
 Instituted Jihad — religious raids. Holy wars.
“Striving in the way of the lord”
 Once Arabs unified, early Muslims direct the
Jihad against neighboring countries.
Spread of Islam
 Byzantine

and Persian Empires
In the early and mid 600s, the Arabs take
Syria from Byzantine Empire,
 650:
Muslims take the entire Persian
Sassanid Empire.

Why were they able to beat these powers?
Arab Rule
 The
conquered areas tended to submit
relatively peacefully to Arab rule once the
fighting was over. Why?
 Muslims tolerant of other monotheistic
religions. Conversion was not mandatory
but incentives did exist.
 Many conquered people did convert to
Islam. Why?
Rise of the Umayyads
 Internal
strife over the leadership.
 How did Muhammad Ali become Caliph?

Assassinated in 661.
 What
did Caliph Mu’awiyah do that split
Islam?
 The Umayyads.


Capital moved to Damascus (Syria).
Umayyads retain power for nearly a century.
Umayyad Expansion

Beginning of the 7th Century the Umayyads
continue expansion of Arab empire both east
and west.
 Move into North-central Africa and conquer the
pastoral Berbers living there.
 710 Tariq attacks across the Strait of Gibraltar to
Spain.


Visigoths collapsed quickly.
By 725 most of Iberian Peninsula a Muslim state.
Umayyad Expansion
 Arabs
then try to move across the
Pyrenees; defeated by Franks under
Charles Martel at the battle of Tours.

Significance?
 Attack
the Byzantine Empire in 717 but are
defeated outside of Constantinople


Greek Fire.
Significance?
Fall of Umayyads
 Factional


What racial tension exists?
In present-day Iraq Shi’ites challenged the
legitimacy of the Sunni Umayyads.
 750



disputes
Abu al-Abbas led revolt.
Causes?
Umayyads overthrown and replaced by the
Abbasid dynasty, which ruled for 500 years
Based in present-day Iraq.
The Abbasids

The Abbasids brought dramatic political, economic and
cultural changes to the Arab empire.


Stressed religious orthodoxy.
Ended distinction between Arab and non-Arab Muslims.

762--Moved capital to new capital city in Baghdad, far to
the east of the Umayyad capital.

Move increased Persian influence on Islam.


Under Abbasids who are seen as ideal citizens?
Arab cultural influence is being diluted.
Golden Age
 The
800s were a Golden Age.
 Baghdad became a cultural and economic
center
 What trade routes do the Abbasids
control?


Set up astronomical observatories
Became a cultural center.
• Hellenistic literature preserved and translated here
• Culture/technology from east to west.
Disintegration of Abbasids

Under the Abbasids the caliphs became more
regal and kinglike and less focused on spiritual
matters.




Autocratic
Complex and ingrained bureaucracy.
Succession to the Caliphate disputed
Financial corruption and decadence undermined
Islamic teachings.
• Sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, public drinking, etc.
• Caliphs maintained huge harems.
Disintegration of Abbasids
 Because
of a shortage of Arabs, the
caliphate began to recruit non-Arabs such
as Turks and Persians.
 Provincial rulers break away



Spain under an Umayyad prince (750)
Morocco
Egypt under a Shi’ite dynasty (Fatimids) in
973
The Seljuk Turks
 Where
do the “Turks” come from?
 Converted to Islam and became military
mercenaries for the Abbasid Caliphate.

“Mounted” archers.
 In
the 11th Century became a threat to
Abbasids

Grew in strength and number and moved
further west into Iran and Armenia as
Abbasids weakened.
Will the Real Caliph Please Stand Up?
Seljuk Expansion
 1055:
Turkish leader captured Bahgdad
and took the title “Sultan”.

Caliph remained head of the religion. Why?
 1071:
Battle of Manzikert. Turks beat a
Byzantine force in E. Turkey and took
most of the Anatolian peninsula.
 Byzantine Empire forced to look to west
for help.

Sets the stage for Crusades
Turkish Control

Turkish control of Islamic empire was a mixed blessing.



Did revitalize religion. How?



Abbasids: Turks seen as barbarians who destroyed civilization.
Military strength tied areas more closely together under their new
power
Ended squabbles between Sunnis and Shi’ites.
Revitalized Islamic law and institutions and stabilized the empire.
But also made it harder to spread Islam. Why?



Narrow view of the Koran. Islam becomes less attractive.
Harder to convert others
Less response to social changes within society.
Manzikert’s Legacy
The Crusades





Strength of the Seljuk Turks
frighten Christian Europe
Byzantine Emperor Alexius I
desperately needed military
assistance.
Because of recent (1051) schism
between Orthodox Church and
Roman church, Europeans were
not inclined to be allies.
Alexius’ solution?
Pope’s motivation?
Crusades



Crusades begin in 1096 and continue off and on for 200 years.
Some early success in capturing territory around Palestine under
Christian rule, but only temporary.
At first, Muslim rulers taken off guard by mounted knights,
Saladin

1169 Saladin overthrows the
Fatimids in Egypt and took
control of Egypt
 Why is Saladin effective?
 What success does he have?

What sort of religious freedom
is permitted?
The Mongols


Destruction of the Arab empire was caused by Mongols
Swept out of Central Asia in the early thirteenth century
and seized control over China and much of the rest of
the known world.
Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan took the Mongols
from a nomadic people to the
dominant military power in the
world in a very short time.
 1258 successors advanced
Mongol control as far as Persia
and Mesopotamia, bringing an
end to the Caliphate at
Baghdad.
 Why were Mongols destructive to
the economy?
Mamelukes
 Mongols
advanced as far as the Red Sea,
but failed in attempt to take Egypt because
of stiff resistance by Mamelukes.
 Why did Mongol empire began to break
apart?
 Cities were rebuilt and Persian influence
became predominant at court.
 Effect on Arab Empire?
 Cairo new center of Islamic civilization
where Mamelukes were in control.
The Wealth of Araby


The 400 years after the rise of Islam was one of the most
prosperous periods in the Middle East.
Trade was both by ship and by desert Caravan of
camels.






China: Silk and porcelain
East Africa: Gold, Ivory and Rhinoceros horn
Sahara: Gold and Slaves
Southeast Asia: Sandalwood, cotton, wheat, sugar and spices
Exchange of goods was facilitated by advances in
banking and money—letters of credit and paper money.
Effect on demographics?
Islamic Society
Egalitarian – Why? To what extent?
 Effect of Trade?
 Distinct upper class





ruling families, government officials, tribal leaders and
wealthiest merchants.
Where did these “nobles” come from?
Effect on perceptions?
Average person and majority of people were still
rural and depended on herding or agriculture.
 At first, small independent farmers. Gradually,
concentration of land in large landowners.
Islamic Society


Slavery from Africa and non-Islamic populations in Asia
Women were largely treated as second-class citizens.





Could own property, but considered inferior in fact and in the law.
Islamic custom required that women be cloistered in their homes
Prohibited from contacts with males outside their own family.
Required to cover virtually all parts of their bodies.
Strictest Muslims believed that women should be seen in public
only at their wedding, the death of their husband and their own
death.
Philosophy and Science

Islam attitude to other cultures?


Translated and stored in “House of Wisdom” in
Baghdad. Also brought texts from India.
Islamic society became a clearinghouse for wisdom
from many different cultures, where it was distilled,
preserved and added to.

Imported technology for making paper from
China and set up paper factories in Baghdad at
the end of the 8th century.
 Islamic scholars made advances of their own
especially in mathematics and natural science.


Adopted and passed on the number system of India
Created algebra