Download 10.2 Islam Expands - Fordson High School

In spite of internal conflicts, the Muslims
create a huge empire that includes land on
three continents.
Muhammad’s Successors Spread Islam
A New Leader
•In 632 Muhammad dies; Muslims elect AbuBakr to be the first caliph.
•Caliph—title for a Muslim leader—means
“successor” or “deputy.
Muhammad’s Successors Spread Islam
“Rightly Guided” Caliphs
•The first four caliphs are guided by the
Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions.
•Jihad—an armed struggle against
unbelievers—is used to expand Islam.
•Muslims control all of Arabia, and armies
conquer Syria and lower Egypt.
•By 750, the Muslim empire stretches from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River.
Muhammad’s Successors Spread Islam
Reasons for Success
•Muslim armies are well disciplined and
expertly commanded.
•Byzantine and Sassanid empires are weak
from previous conflict.
•Persecuted citizens of these empires
welcome Islam.
•People are attracted to Islam’s offer of
equality and hope.
Muhammad’s Successors Spread Islam
Treatment of Conquered Peoples
•Muslim invaders tolerate other religions.
•Christians and Jews receive special
consideration as “people of the book.”
From 632 to
750, highly
mobile troops
mounted on
camels were
successful in
conquering lands
in the name of
Allah.
Internal Conflict Creates a Crisis
Rise of the Umayyads
•Struggles for power end the elective
system of choosing a caliph
•A wealthy family, the Umayyads, take
power and move the capital to Damascus.
Internal Conflict Creates a Crisis
Sunni—Shi’a Split
•Shi’a— “party” of Ali—believe the caliph
should be a descendant of Muhammad.
•Sunni—followers of Muhammad’s
example—supported the Umayyads.
•Sufi followers pursue life of poverty and
spirituality. They reject the Umayyads.
•In 750, a rebel group—the Abbasids—topple
the Umayyads.
Control Extends Over Three-Continents
Fall of the Umayyads
•Abbasids murder Umayyad family; one
prince escapes, Abd al-Rahman
•He flees to Spain and establishes the
Umayyad caliphate in al-Andalus.
•al-Andalus is a Muslim state in southern
Spain settled by North Africans.
Control Extends Over Three-Continents
Abbasids Consolidate Power
•In 762, Abbasids move Muslim capital from
Damascus to Bagdad.
•Location provides access to trade goods,
gold, and information.
•Abbasids develop a strong bureaucracy to
manage empire.
Control Extends Over Three-Continents
Rival Groups Divide Muslim Lands
•Independent Muslim states spring up; Shi’a
Muslims form new caliphate
•Fatimid caliphate—claim descent from
Fatima, daughter of Muhammad.
•The Fatimid caliphate begins in North
Africa and spreads to the Red Sea, western
Arabia, and Syria.
Control Extends Over Three-Continents
Muslim Trade Network
•Muslims trade by land and sea with Asia
and Europe
•Muslim merchants use Arabic, single
currency, and checks.
•Cordoba, in al-Andalus, is a dazzling center
of Muslim culture.