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Islam Muhammad through the Abbasids (c. 600 – 1258 CE) Arabia before Islam Bedouin (nomadic) desert culture Clan loyalties = key to survival “Blood feuds” Polytheistic religion Herders and caravan traders Arabia before Islam, pt. 2 Town/merchant culture Also clan-centered – linked to Bedouin Towns built around oases Main cities = Mecca and Medina (Yathrib) • Mecca controlled by Umayyad clan of Quraysh Bedouin tribe • Ka’ba shrine in Mecca Arabia before Islam, pt. 3 Status of women in Bedouin society Greater freedom/higher status than in neighboring sedentary societies Status/freedom varied by tribe Divorce, inheritance, control of property still favored men The Life of Muhammad (c. 570 – 632 CE) Member of Quraysh tribe But not Umayyad clan! Raised as a trader Moved to Mecca, worked for Khadijah Good mediator of disputes Muhammad, pt. 2 Exposed to other monotheistic religions through trade First revelation from angel Gabriel, c. 610 CE Umayyads saw him as threat Fled to Medina in 622 CE Later written down in Qu’ran (Koran) Hijra (first year of Islamic calendar!) New religion = Islam “submission to one true God, Allah” Muhammad, pt. 3 War between Umayyads and Muslims – Muhammad’s forces won! Returned to Mecca in 629 CE Smashed idols at Ka’ba Eventually, most Umayyads converted Died in 632 CE with no successor Why was Islam attractive? Monotheism belonged to no tribe or clan Community of faithful = umma Strong ethical/moral component Dignity and equality of all believers before God (like Christianity?) Social responsibility for poor Belief in afterlife and Last Judgment Freedom of worship for “People of the Book” The Five Pillars of Islam “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet.” Pray 5 times per day, facing Mecca Fast during holy month of Ramadan Zakat - tithe for charity Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca once in life EFFECT: Universal Religion! Sunni vs. Shiite – the Origins Leadership crisis after Muhammad’s death Two candidates to succeed Prophet • Ali • Abu Bakr Abu Bakr chosen as caliph • Generals expanded reach of Islam into Persian and Byzantine territory in search of war booty Sunni vs. Shiite, pt. 2 Umayyad clan became dominant Third caliph was an Umayyad Umayyads = Muhammad’s early enemies! Caliph personally very unpopular - murdered Supporters of Ali declared him caliph Umayyad rejected his claims – CIVIL WAR! Sunni vs. Shiite, pt. 3 Ali victorious; tried to be generous Assassinated, 661 CE Ali’s second son, Husayn, took up fight, was killed at Karbala in 680 CE SUNNI = Umayyads SHIITES = Followers of Ali/Husayn Husayn shrine in Karbala Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE) Spread faith and extended empire Byzantine territories of Syria, western Iraq, Palestine and Egypt by mid-640s CE Defeat of Sassanid (Persian) Empire, 651 CE Central Asia by 8th c. CE North Africa and Spain by early 8th c. Domination of Mediterranean • Built war fleets by 640 CE to challenge Byzantines • Crete, Sicily and Sardinia taken by early 9th c. Quickest empire-building in history up to that point Early Expansion of Islam Umayyad Caliphate, pt. 2 Early motives for conquest Revenge against non-Arab rulers War booty and tribute = CASH NOT REALLY CONVERSION!! Moved capital to Damascus (Syria) Built up bureaucracy But only Arab Muslims were first-class citizens Most subjects of empire were non-Muslim Great Mosque - Damascus Umayyad Caliphate, pt. 3 “People of the Book” = dhimmi Jews and Christians – Bible Flexible definition - relaxed to include non-Biblical religions Aside from paying taxes, were left to govern themselves and worship freely CULTURALLY TOLERANT Jesus Moses Umayyad Caliphate, pt. 4 Reasons for fall of Caliphate? Overthrown by Abbasids by 750 CE Leader = Abu al-Abbas • Allies = dissident groups • Shiites (still hated Umayyads!) • Mawali (non-Arab Muslims), still 2nd-class citizens Abbasid Caliphate (750 – 1258 CE) Once in power, Abbasids rejected Shiite allies as heretics – fighting ever since! Built new capital at Baghdad Imperial bureaucracy grew Main advisor = wazir (vizier) Only effective at administering empire and collecting taxes for approx. 100 years • Why? Abbasid Palace - Baghdad Abbasid Caliphate, pt. 2 Mass conversions to Islam encouraged for all subjects of Empire War booty no longer distributed Mawali now equal citizens with Arabs • Persians came to dominate administration Long distance trade revived Sea routes particularly busy Muslim Traders (by land and sea) Abbasid Caliphate, pt. 3 Status of women? Harem reached zenith Veiling and seclusion of non-slave women (especially urban upper classes) Land-owning elite established Decline of Abbasid Caliphate High peasant tax burden Caliphs neglected public welfare Former provinces of empire broke away Syria and Egypt Buyids of Persia sacked Baghdad (945 CE) • Caliphs became puppets of Buyids • Buyids took title of sultan (“victorious” in Arabic) Abbasid Decline, pt. 2 Seljuk Turks supplanted Buyids in 1055 CE Nomads from central Asia Persecuted Shiites Defeated Byzantines • Opened way for settlement of Anatolia by Ottoman Turks Battled Crusaders from Western Europe • First Crusade captured Jerusalem, 1099 CE • Horrible massacre (even Christians!) • Crusaders maintained foothold in Palestine until 1291, but mostly wiped out by Salah-ud-Din (Saladin) in late 12th c. Abbasid Decline, pt. 3 Mongol invasions - the “coup de grace” 1258 CE – Baghdad sacked and last Abbasid caliph executed Mongols finally defeated by Mamluks (originally Turkic slaves who ruled Egypt) 1401 CE – Baghdad sacked again by Timur (Tamerlane) Mongol Siege of Baghdad Islamic Art and Science Abbasid Caliphate = “Golden Age” of Islamic culture, despite political turmoil Early Abbasid period Mosque and palace building flourished Recovery, translation and dissemination of classical texts Transmission of ideas • “Arabic numerals”, chess from India Socrates Jews, Christians and Muslims all participated Islamic Art and Science, pt. 2 Persian literature Persian = language of “high culture”, literature, administration and scholarship Arabic = language of religion, law and natural sciences Rubiyat by Omar Khayyam Islamic Art and Science, pt. 3 Mathematics and science Medicine Skilled astronomers and cartographers NOW do you recognize it? Abbasid Religious Trends Ulama – orthodox scholars of Islam Hostile to non-Muslim (classical) ideas Sufis Wandering mystics - personal union with Allah Possible to look beyond illusory realm of senses to find Allah – like Buddhism, but still strongly monotheistic Sometimes extreme asceticism Drugs, dancing (dervishes) to induce ecstatic trances Very popular – important in diffusion of Islam in S. Asia Whirling Dervish - Sufism Rivals to Abbasids Spain Umayyads (756 CE) Egypt Fatimids (909-1169 CE) • Shiite Ayyubids (1169-1250 CE) • Salah al-Din - Sunni Mamluks (1250-1517 CE) Fatimid Architecture