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Islamic Empires
Muslim Armies Conquer Many Lands
After Muhammad’s death in 632, his followers chose
Abu Bakr to be the first Caliph, successor or highest
leader of Islam. Abu Bakr quickly united all of Arabia
under Islam. Muslim armies rapidly conquered Persian
and Byzantine land.
Growth of the Empire
Umayyad Family Dynasty
•Moved the capital of the Islamic Empire to
Damascus, Syria.
•Conquered Central Asia, Northern India, and part
of North Africa
•Controlled trade in the eastern Mediterranean
In 711, Muslim armies invaded Spain, conquered
it and then moved into France. Christian armies
at the Battle of Tours halted Islam’s move into
Europe. Muslims called Moors ruled Spain until
the 1400’s.
Trade Helps Islam Spread
Muslim traders carried Islam into Africa, India
and Southeast Asia. Between 1200 and 1600
Islam spread into Malaysia and Indonesia.
In lands the Muslims conquered, those of other
faiths were allowed to practice their religion
with certain restrictions. Christians and Jews
had to pay a special tax, and were not allowed
to convert anyone to their religion. In some
Islamic countries today it is still illegal to spread
other faiths.
Ottoman Empire
In the mid 1200’s Muslim
Turkish warriors began to
conquer the lands of the
fading Byzantine
Empire. In the lands they
captured, Christian boys
were enslaved, converted
to Islam, and turned into
fierce soldiers. These
young soldiers were
the original Janissaries.
In 1453, led by Mehmed II, the Ottoman’s
conquered Constantinople. He turned the great
church, Hagia Sophia into a mosque. A later
Sultan (Ottoman ruler) would conquer all of Asia
Minor (Turkey) Syria and Egypt.
The Ottoman’s reached their height under
Suleyman I (The Magnificent) between 1520 and
1566.
The Savavid Empire
At the same time as the Ottoman’s, another
Muslim empire was growing in Persia (Iran). The
Safavids were Shia Muslims. The empire would
last until the 1700’s.
A conflict between two Muslim groups
developed during this time that still continues to
this day.
Savavid Empire
Division of Islam
Sunni Muslims: Believe that caliphs do not have
to be descended from Muhammad’s family.
Shia Muslims: DO believe that caliphs have to be
descended from Muhammad’s family.
Most Muslims in the world are Sunnites. Only in
Iran and Iraq are Shia the majority.
Mughal Empire
In 1526, the Turkish Muslim leader, Babur established
the Mughal Empire in northern India. By the mid-1500’s
emperor Akbar had conquered central India. By the early
1700’s the Mughal Empire would stretch to southern
India. The Mughal’s were known for their monumental
works of architecture.
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal tomb for
his wife in the 1600’s.
The Mughal Empire fell in the late 1600’s.
Work Cited:
"World History Chapter 12." World History
Chapter 12. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
<http://mrbarbersocialstudies.com/Socialstudie
s/World_History_Chapter_12.html>.