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The Spread of Islam
Building a Muslim Empire
Death of Muhammad
 Muhammad died in 632
 He had not named a successor or instructed how to
choose one
 Using trial custom – Muslims elected Abu Bakr, the first
caliph
 Abu Bakr and next 3 elected caliphs: “rightly-guided”
- Umar, Uthman, and Ali
 After Muhammad’s death – some tribes abandoned
Islam; others refused to pay taxes
 For 2 years, Abu Bakr used military force to reassert
authority; his troops organized into effective, mobile
army
- conquered Syria, lower Egypt
- rightly guided caliphs had support
 By 750 – Muslim Empire spanned 6000 miles from
Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River
Reasons for Success of
Islam
 Military victories seen as sign of Allah’s support
- victories due to: military discipline, faith of men,
tactics used, expert commanders, weakness of
Byzantines and Persian empires
 Conquered people often chose Islam
- liked Islam’s message
- economic advantage – did not pay non-believer’s tax
- religious tolerance
Internal Conflict Creates
Crisis
 Despite military successes, Muslims had a hard time
unifying their rule
- 656: Uthman murdered
- 661: Ali assassinated
 Umayyad family came to power – set up hereditary rule
 Capital moved to Damascus, Syria
 Umayyad Problems: capital too far away, abandoned
simple lifestyle
Split in Islam
 A fundamental split within Islam developed, but most
Muslims accepted Umayyad rule
 A minority continued to resist and an alternate view of the
office of caliph developed – believed caliph should be a
relative of Muhammad – these were Shi’a or the “party of
Ali”
 Those who did not resist Umayyad rule later became known
as Sunni – followers of Muhammad’s example
 Third group, Sufis, pursued a life of poverty and devotion to a
spiritual path
The Abbasids

Rebel groups overthrew the Umayyads in 750 and the Abbasids took control

Abbasids murdered the remaining members of the Umayyad family, but one
prince, Abd al-Rahman escaped to Spain
- set up a Umayyad Dynasty there
- Spain had already been conquered by Muslims from
North Africa, the Berbers (defeated in 732 at Battle of
Tours
- Settled into S. Spain, helped form Muslim state called al-Andalus
Abbasid Caliphate
750 - 1258
 Abbasids moved capital to Baghdad in 762
 Their power strength was in old Persian lands: Iraq,
Iran, c. Asia
 Controlled key trade routes – spread of goods and ideas
from Asia, Africa, and Europe
 Developed strong bureaucracy: efficient treasury
supported by taxes, army department, diplomatic corps
 But they couldn’t keep political control; independent
Muslim states sprung up
Muslim Kingdoms
 Fatimid Dynasty (named after Muhammad’s daughter) began
in North Africa
- began in N. Africa - spread to Arabia, Syria
- capital in Cairo (Egypt)
 Cordoba in al-Andalus - - Umayyad capital
- 500,000 population, cosmopolitan mix of Jews,
Muslims and Christians – many adopted Arabic
- dazzling center of Muslim culture: libraries, mosques