CHAPTER 7 - THE RISE & SPREAD OF ISLAM

AP World

The Muslim Empire■ Rose in Southwest Asia, North Africa &

South Asia■ Islam developed in South Asia in the 7th

century ■ Muslim traders & conquerors became the

prime agents for the transfer of food crops, technology, and ideas among the many centers of civilization in the Eastern Hemisphere

Muslim Empire Split§ Unified by § a common

allegiance to the religious teachings of Muhammad

§ by the Arabic language (to an extent)

■ Divided by ■ political rivalries, ■ cultural & linguistic

(language) diversity, ■ religious

sectarianism (excessive devotion to a particular religious group)

Prophet Muhammad■ Muhammad, a

merchant, preached monotheism & Arab unity in a region that was mostly polytheistic & politically fragmented

■ Muhammad’s visions & teachings were recorded in the Qur’an

Islamic theology (doctrine)■ Belief in 1 God (monotheism) – Allah

– Muhammad is God’s prophet

■ Highly developed legal codes

■ Egalitarianism (belief in equality of all people)

■ Strong sense of community

■ Dedication to the 5 Pillars– Require each follower of Islam (a Muslim) to take a

holy journey (a hajj) to Mecca at least one in their lifetime

– Pray throughout the day– Pay a tax (zakat) to help the poor

Islamic theology (doctrine)■ Mecca is revered because it was the

birthplace of Muhammad

■ Muhammed did not claim to be a savior, but he did preach that he was a prophet – the last & greatest of Allah’s prophets

■ The zakat (tax) was much higher for non-believers– Economic factor that led many to

convert to Islam

Islamic theology (doctrine)■ The concept of jihad (struggle for the faith)

inspired Muslim armies to conquer the lands of nonbelievers in Southwest Asia & across North Africa

■ Not all Muslims shared this aggressive view of jihad– Some considered it to be an inward

struggle for faith

Effect of Islam■ It had an almost instant effect on the

polytheistic nomadic herders of the Arabian Peninsula– Uniting them into 1 faith – by either

force or choice

■ Islamic armies, missionaries, and merchants rapidly spread the faith eastward and westward

Islam vs. Christianity■ 100 years after Muhammad’s death,

Muslims & Christians fought for control of France (Crusades)

■ Islam had replaced Christianity as the dominant culture in North Africa & in Spain

■ Muslim political & social influence (Dar-al Islam) stretched from Spain, across North Africa & into modern-day India and Pakistan by the mid-8th century

Line of succession■ Unlike Christianity, where Jesus named

Peter his successor, Islam did not establish a clear line of succession after Muhammad– The faith fractured into regional

caliphates

■ The Umayyad caliphate originally ruled from Damascus, Syria– After clashing with rival Abbasid

caliphate, it established a dynasty in Cordoba, Spain

Umayyad caliphate■ First to succeed Muhammad was Abu Bakr

(632-634)– Received no financial support from

Muslim community and his command was limited

– Only loosely controlled military commanders

■ Tolerant of other religions (Christians and Jews) as long as they paid their jizya (a tax for non-Muslims)

Umayyad caliphate■ Islamic peoples defeated Bedouin tribes

one after the other.– Victories known as the Ridda Wars– Revealed the vulnerability of the

Byzantine & Persian Empires. ■ Former guardians of these empires joined

the Arabian empire

Umayyad caliphate■ Muslim rule was supreme in Spain until the

11th century, but remained a presence there until the 5th century

■ While western Europe was recovering from the collapse of the Roman Empire, Spain was wealthy and stable under the Umayyad caliphate

■ Arab technology & trade, passed down by merchants and others from Asia, kept Spain out of the discord of the Middle Ages

Umayyad Decline & Fall

■ Many Umayyad warriors settled far away from Damascus (political center of Umayyad).– Resented authority & saw Damascus

elite as corrupt

■ Former Umayyad warriors formed alliance with groups that resisted Umayyad rule.

The Sunni-Shi’i Split■ Tension among Bedouin groups broke into violence

when the 3rd caliph, Uthman, was murdered– He was unpopular because he was elected

caliph by the Umayyad clan (Muhammad’s rivals)

– Ali (warrior/commander) was proclaimed by supporters to be the next caliph■ Umayyad’s rejected claim leading to warfare

between the groups.– Sunnis – supporters of the Umayyads– Shi’ites – supporters of Ali■ Still a major conflict in the Islamic world!

Abbasid caliphate■ Centered in Baghdad

– One of the worlds most cosmopolitan cities, with Arabs, Persians, Europeans, Turks, South Asians, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Muslims living there

■ Stretched from modern day Turkey into Central Asia and across North Africa

The Abbasid Empire at its Peak

Abbasid caliphate■ Led to bureaucratic expansion◦ Admitted converted Muslims as FULL

members of the Islamic community◦ Resulted in Islam becoming a universal

faith (from Spain to the Philippine Islands) instead of a religion for a few elite groups.

Abbasid caliphate■ Abbasids participated in cultural borrowing

– Adapted cultural traits from neighbors and made them their own

– EX: Persians served in the government & Persian art, language & literature were prominent among the Abbasids■ Including stories of “Aladdin” & “Sinbad

the Sailor” from 1001 Nights (The Arabian Nights)

Abbasid caliphate■ Northern Turkish Muslims, among them

Seljuks, held important posts in the Abbasid caliphate

■ They also employed Turkish soldiers (Mamluks) in their army

■ The Abbasids lost power to local rulers and faced peasant revolts throughout the empire– They were ultimately destroyed by

Mongols in the mid 13th century

Abbasid caliphate■ Often referred to as the Islamic Golden

Age– Scholars, poets, scientists, artists from

inside/outside the caliphate were welcomed into the region

– Advances were made in astronomy, medicine, and mathematics

– Time of great urban expansion due to the revival of the Afro-Eurasian trade network.

Decline of Abbasid caliphate• Abbasid disintegrated between 9th and 13th

centuries• Harun al-Rashid: Most famous of the Abbasid

caliphs (786-809 CE) was known for extravagant/costly living • Reign recounted in The Thousand and

One Nights• Rulers became dependent on Persian

(outside) advisors • Imperial treasury drained by continual civil

violence, new imperial centers, heavy tax burdens, and bandits

Women and Islam§ Women in pre-Islamic Bedouin culture

enjoyed greater freedom and higher status compared to other civilized empires (Byzantine and Persian empires)§ Did NOT wear veils and were NOT secluded§ Women’s advice was highly regarded, but

still NOT considered equal to men though§ Women AND men were both sometimes

allowed to have multiple marriage partners

Declining Position of Women• The harem and the veil became signs of

women’s subjugation to men• Harem = seclusion of elite women, wives, and

concubines/slaves• Women attempted use seduction/charm to

advance their sons into positions of power

• The Islamic culture kept much of its male dominated nature despite the Qur’an’s teaching on the equality of women

Islam –Way of

Life

Law & Government- Sharia: Laws based on

the Qu’ran- Sharia: Laws that

regulate government, family, and community

Arabic- Language in which the

Qu’ran must be read- Language learned by

converts to Islam- Unifying force for

Muslims from many regions

Arts- Ban against

presenting symbols of God

- Elaborate decoration and architecture in

mosques

Holy Book (Qu’ran)- Considered sacred

word of God- Final authority in all

matters- Complete guide for life

Basic Duties (5 Pillars)- Faith

- Daily Prayer- Charity

- Fasting during Ramadan

- Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)