The Islamic WorldThe Islamic World

I. Sassanid EmpireI. Sassanid EmpireA. Sassanid kingdom in Iran

1. Arab herders Arab herders to east & Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire west

2. relations with Byzantines alternated between war & trading

3. times of peace: Byzantine cities & Arab nomads guided trade caravans

4. invention of the camel saddle camel saddle aided Arab traders

B. Religion & EmpireB. Religion & Empire1. Sassanid Empire: ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism

Byzantine Empire: Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Eastern Orthodox: believes the Pope is not head of Christian Church, but rather patriarchs

- Byzantine use of Greek language- both intolerant of other religions

3. RELIGION replaced citizenship & ethnicity as the paramount factor in people’s identity

II. The Origins of IslamII. The Origins of Islam

A. The Arabian Peninsula before Muhammad:A. The Arabian Peninsula before Muhammad:

1. Nomadic caravan traders (BedouinsBedouins) brought Arabs into contact with Byzantine & Sassanid empires

2. The nomads were polytheists

3. Mecca was a caravan city in Arabia

- Mecca also attracted nomads to worship idols in a shrine called the Ka’abaKa’aba

B.B. Muhammad in MeccaMuhammad in Mecca1. The prophet MuhammadMuhammad was born in MeccaMecca (about

570), grew up as an orphan, & became involved in the caravan trade; married older, wealthier KhadijaKhadija

-in 610 the Prophet had revelations after meditating in a cave for days from Allah Allah (god)

2. The message of Muhammad’s revelations:

-there is one god, Allah -submit to Allah’s will

III. The Rise & Fall of the III. The Rise & Fall of the Caliphate (632–1258)Caliphate (632–1258)

A.A. The Formation of the The Formation of the UmmaUmma

1. Muhammad & his followers fled from Mecca to Medina in 622 (the hijrahhijrah)

ummaumma: single community of Muslim believers

2. The umma became the core of the Islamic state

3. Muhammad’s father-in-law Abu Bakr became successor (the caliphcaliph) of Muhammad

- he standardized Islamic religion & the Islamic state- he oversaw writing of holy book the Qur’anQur’an

In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.

4. Disagreements over caliphs after the 3rd caliph, UthmanUthman

- civil war was fought between supporters of Uthman (the UmmayaUmmaya) & those who supported Ali Ali (Muhammad’s son-

in-law)

- Umayyad Caliphate Umayyad Caliphate established in 661 (capital: DamascusDamascus)

5. Internal political conflict led to rival branches:

- Shi’ites supported Ali’s claim to caliphate- Sunnis supported Umayyad Caliphate- 80% of Muslims today are Sunni

The CaliphateThe CaliphateLooking at Sunni Islam: the Caliphate

1. Abu Bakr (10-12 AH = 632-634 CE)2. Umar (12-23 AH = 634-644 CE)3. Uthman (23-35 AH = 644-656 CE)4. Ali (35-40 AH = 656-661 CE)

Sunni and Shi’ite Islam divide…for Sunnis:

The Umayyad Caliphate (Damascus)The Abbasid Caliphate (Baghdad)The Ottoman Caliphate (Istanbul)

B.B. The Islamic Conquests, 634–711The Islamic Conquests, 634–711

1. conquests outside Arabia began in 7th c.

-Arabs took Syria, Egypt, and Sasanid Empire-8th c.: Tunisia, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, and Sindh (Pakistan)

2. causes of rapid expansion?

3. Arab forces: regular, paid armies kept in military camps

C. Umayyad & Abbasid Caliphates, 661–850C. Umayyad & Abbasid Caliphates, 661–850

1. Umayyads ruled an Arab empire, NOT a Muslim empire

- Mu’awiya moves capital to Damascus- ruled through established Sassanid and Byzantine gov’t- introduced Muslim bureaucrats & Arabic language- overthrown in 750 (“MoorsMoors” remained in Spain)

2. AbbasAbbas family took over & established Abbasid Caliphate (capital: BaghdadBaghdad)

-held caliphate until 1258

The “Golden Age” of IslamThe “Golden Age” of Islam

3. Literature and learning: translation of Greek texts, secular Arab poetry, math & science

pump

chemistry &

perfumery

astronomy

eye anatomy

The Book of One Thousand and One Nights

D.D. Political Fragmentation, 850–1050Political Fragmentation, 850–1050

1. Abbasid power declined at end of 9th cen….causes?

-vast territory-difficulty of transportation & communications-dissatisfaction of non-Muslim provinces

2. In Baghdad, caliphs relied on Turkish slave troops known as MamluksMamluks

- Mamluks took control of the caliphate

3. In Spain: Umayyads held power over a society in which Islamic, Roman, German, & Jewish cultures combined

E. Decline, 1050–1258E. Decline, 1050–12581. In C. Asia & Middle East: nomadic Seljuk Turks Seljuk Turks took power

-established Suljuk SultanateSuljuk Sultanate (took Anatolia from Byzantines in 1071 at Manzikert)

2. Crusades: Muslims united under Sultan SaladinSaladin to drive Christians out of Middle East

- Mongol invasions of 13th cen.