Download The Arab Empire and its Successors

Chapter 11
Islam Spreads
Maps and
Charts 1
Muhammad
died – no
successor
Followers chose Abu Bakr
– his father-in-law over Ali
his cousin and son-in-law
– caliph (would cause
conflict later)
Under Abu, Arabs
spread
Islam and defeated
Byzantium army at Syria –
Jihad – “struggle for God”
Abu Bakr had little control
over military commanders of
the clans
The
Bedouin clans
were more interested
in “Booty” (that’s
money y’all!) than
spreading the
Islamic faith
The
Byzantine and
Persian (Sasanian)
Empires were weak
against the Arab
invasions
Bakr dies – once
again no successors
st
1 4 caliphs were
assassinated –
rd
Uthman (3 Caliph)
st
was the 1 Umayyad
caliph
Abu
caliph was Ali –
Muhammad’s son-inlaw (ruled for 5 years),
but Umayyads were
upset that Ali did not
avenge Uthman’s
murder.
4th
Umayyad
Clan vs. Ali and his
ally clan.
Umayyads proclaim Mu’awiya
as Caliph
Ali is assassinated, and leaves
Mu’awiya as Caliph
Husayn (Ali’s son) – Karbala –
last struggle against
Umayyads
Islam
splits
Shiite – only accept rulers
who are descendants of Ali
(supporters of Ali)
Sunni – accepted the
Umayyads as rulers
Still
source of conflict
and division today!
Empire TimeLine
Umayyad Dynasty
(661-750) – split of
Islam
Abbasid Dynasty
(750-1258)
The Umayyads
Matched the size of the
Roman Empire
Fastest growing Empire
Moved capital from Medina
to Damascus in Syria.
Built bureaucracy
Empire
was Arab conquest
state
Only Muslim Arabs were first
class citizens
Discouraged inter-marriage
(tax reasons; didn’t work)
Mawali – Muslim converts in
conquered areas (still had to
pay taxes)
Dhimmis
(“people of the
book”) – Arabs tolerated
other religions
Few people would be
converted during the
Umayyad Dynasty
Who Resented the Umayyads?
Muslim
faithfuls who
resented Umayyad’s
corruptness
Warriors – did not receive
share in the booty (it went
directly to royal treasury)
party – led by
al-Abbas (descendents
of Muhammad’s uncle)
Shi’ites
Mawali
Abbasid
The Fall of the Umayyad
Persia
and Iraq fell to
rebels
Then Syria and
Damascus
Rebels eliminated the
Umayyad family
Abbasid Dynasty – 750 to
1258
B/c
of Umayyad’s
corruption, Abu alAbbas overthrew them
Built new capital Baghdad
On a piece of paper, draw a Venn
Diagram like the one below:
Sunni
Shiite
Pg. 257-258
*Who were the Sufi?