Download Caliphs took advantage of weakened empires

The Spread of Islam
Muhammad died
in 632 and named
no successor.
His closest followers
developed an election
system for choosing
the next leader of
Islam.
This leader would not be
a “prophet” as was
Muhammad, but a
“Caliph” which means
“Deputy” or
“Successor” in Arabic.
The Right-Guided Caliphs
1st Caliph: Abu Bakr
•elected
•Many Bedouins renounced
Islam after Muhammad’s
death
•They were conquered as
Abu-Baker expanded
Islam across Arabia.
Expansion confined to the Arabian Peninsula
2nd Caliph: Umar
•Umar was chosen to succeed
•Took advantage of
weakened empires
conquering Persia and Syria
(part of Byzantine Empire)
which were weak from
fighting each other.
•Also conquered Egypt,
Palestine and Iraq
Umar 634-644 CE
Why did Muslims Conquer?
Leaders sought
wealth & tribute
Warriors were
guaranteed a place in
Paradise if they died
in battle
Muslims were
unified by faith
Caliphs took
advantage of
weakened empires
(Persia, Byzantine)
Conquered Peoples:
Voluntarily converted
and served in the Army
(Males)
or
Did not convert, paid
taxes and were exempt
from military service
Qu’ran forbids forced conversion to Islam
•Non-Arabs were not
treated equally to Arabs,
but Christians and Jews
(“People of the Book”) were
not forced to convert. They
could not build new churches
or temples. They could not
Evangelize within the
empire.
•Others of polytheistic
faiths were forced to
convert.
Many welcomed Islam
and converted because
of its belief that all
were equal in the eyes
of Allah.
Caliph #3: Uthman
Internal Conflict
•No real expansion
•During his Caliphate, a single
text of the Qu’ran was written.
•Promoted Umayyad relatives
within Islamic government which
angered many.
•Spent exorbitantly which caused
decline in treasury.
•These factors led to political
instability – he was assassinated
in 656 CE - Civil War broke out
Uthman
644-656
Islam Divides
Muslims fought Muslims over
Uthman’s Successor
•Ali – 656-661 was
Muhammad’s son-in-law
declared that he was the new
Caliph
•Mu’awiya – was Uthman’s
cousin and backed by the
Umayyads
Ali succeeds with major
political unrest. He is killed in
661. Mu’awiya then becomes
Caliph.
Shi’as: Believe that
Muhammad’s relatives
should lead Islam
Sunnis – Believe
Muhammad’s
followers vote and
choose the next
Caliph
•Mu’awiya came from the
Umayyad clan, established
the Umayyad dynasty.
The Umayyads – part one
•Changed succession
from an election to
hereditary succession
which ended any
chance of Ali’s
relatives being
elected to Caliph.
The Umayyad Great Mosque, Damascus
•Moved capital to Damascus
Tensions between
the Shia (Shi’ites) and
the Umayyads turns into
war
Sunnis fought the Shi’ites
in the Battle of Karbala
The Shi’ites lost their
Leader, Husain,
Muhammad’s
Grandson. He became a
martyr.
Every Year, Shiites commemorate Hussain’s death with
a reenactment of the Battle of Karbala – a solemn holy day
called Ashura
The Umayyads – Part two
•Significant
expansion occurred
in North Africa,
Spain and Central
Asia, and Indus
Valley
•The Muslims were
stopped at the
Battle of Tours
(France) in 732 by
the troops
of Frankish King
Charles Martel
Moorish Architecture in Coѓdoba,
the capital of Spain in 717
The Umayyads – Part 3
Reasons for the fall
•Empire was too large to
manage
•Non-Arabs rebelled
against class differences
•Luxurious lifestyle of the
aristocracy and secular
attitudes toward Islamic
doctrine and morality left
devout Muslims
discontented.
•The Abbasid clan
overthrew the Umayyad
Dynasty in 750.
The Abbasid Caliphate
•Opened government
and military posts to
non-Arabs, but an Arab
elite still existed.
•Slavery became widespread – not based on
race.
•Intermarriage in
Muslim territories and
a blending of cultures.
Courtyard of the Abbasid Palace in Baghdad
Abbasid Era was the Golden
Age For the Empire of Islam
•Economic Prosperity
•Baghdad major trade center
in emerging global trade
•New technologies and
advancements included the
Astrolabe, paper from China,
use of Arabic numbers,
medical advancements,
Algebra
Abbasid Decline
began around 900
CE, caused by:
Succession
problems
Corruption which
undermined political
authority
Local governments
gained power while
Abbasid gov’t
became
decentralized.
Fragmentation of Abbasid Caliphate
https://qed.princeton.edu/getfile.php?f=Abbasid_Caliphate_and_fragmentation,_786_to_1194.jpg
The Abbasids’ control weakened and
by the eleventh century, the Seljuk
Turks controlled Baghdad. The
Mongols invaded and destroyed
Baghdad in 1258.
Sources:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/islam/index2.html
Pictures
1.
http://lokomodele.republika.pl/figurki/it6010.jpg
2.
http://www.thewalters.org/works_of_art/itemdetails.aspx?aid=2405
3.
http://www.jcu.edu/religion/Nursi/Images/islamic%20calligraphy%202.jpg
4.
http://www.hobbybunker.com/images/products/ita6055g.jpg
5.
http://www.topnews.in/files/Islamic_Art_Museum.jpg
6.
http://www.sonic.net/~formorts/imageready/islamic_star2.gif
7. www.islamicity.org
http://api.ning.com/files/i4fTJpzVJDN8RlkRwyKcG3ApYXZIl9TdG0xUcj*5Qs_/MoorishArchitecture.jpg
8.
http://www.kidspast.com/images/abbasids-dynasty.jpg
9.
http://propoets.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/arabic_calligraphy_at_wazir_khan_mosque2
.jpg
10. http://moinansari.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/islamic-expansion-in-the-8th-century.jpg
11. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/pilgrimage-to-karbala/who-are-theshia/battle-of-karbala/1729/
http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/IV67/index.html
http://www.sunymaritime.edu/stephenblucelibrary/images/ast
rolabe_5.jpg.jpg
http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/b/b0/Battlefield.jpg
http://www.johnmariani.com/archive/2005/051218/defrvishe
sIMG_1992.JPG