CHAPTER 12Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization

to South and Southeast Asia

World Civilizations: The Global ExperienceFifth Edition

Stearns/Adas/Schwartz/Gilbert

Copyright 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid ErasII. An Age of Learning and Artistic RefinementsIII. The Coming of Islam to South AsiaIV. The Spread of Islam to Southeast Asia

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid Eras

Abbasid empire weakened, 9th-13th centuriesPeasant revolts

Al-Mahdi (775-785)Shi’a unreconciledSuccession not secure

A. Imperial Extravagance and Succession Disputes

Harun al-RashidSon of al-MahdiThe Thousand and One NightsBarmicides

Persian advisorsDeath followed by civil war

Al-Ma'mun

The Abbasid Empire at Its Peak

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid Eras

B. Imperial Breakdown and Agrarian DisorderCivil unrestCaliphs build lavishly

Tax burden increasesAgriculture suffers

The Abbasid Empire at Its Peak

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

I. The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid Eras

C. The Declining Position of Women in the Family and Society

Seclusion, veilPolygyny

D. Nomadic Incursions and the Eclipse of Caliphal Power

Former provinces threaten AbbasidsBuyids, Persia

Take Baghdad, 945Sultans

Seljuk Turks1055, defeat BuyidsSunnis

Shi'a purgesDefeat Byzantines, Egypt

E. The Impact of the Christian Crusades1096, western European Christian knights

Small kingdoms established

Saladin retakes landsLast in 1291

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

II. An Age of Learning and Artistic Refinements

Urban growthMerchants thrive

A. The Full Flowering of Persian Literature

Persian the court languageAdministration, literature

Arabic in religion, law, sciences

Calligraphy

FirdawsiShah-Nama

Epic poemSa'diOmar Kayyan

Rubaiyat

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

II. An Age of Learning and Artistic Refinements

B. Achievements in the Sciences

MathBuild on Greek work

ChemistryExperiments

Al-Razi

Al-BiruniSpecific weights

MedicineHospitalsCourses of study

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

II. An Age of Learning and Artistic Refinements

C. Religious Trends and the New Push for Expansion

Sufis

Mysticism

Ulama

Conservative

Against outside influence

Greek philosophy rejected

Qur'an sufficient

Al-Ghazali

Synthesis of Greek, Qur'anic ideas

Opposed by orthodoxy

D. New Waves of Nomadic Invasions and the End of the Caliphate

Mongols

Chinggis Khan

Hulegu

1258, Baghdad falls

Last Abbasid killed

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

III. The Coming of Islam to South AsiaBy 1200, Muslims rule much of north,

centralConflict between two different systems

Hindu religion v. Muslim monotheismMuslim egalitarianism v. Indian

caste system

A. Political Divisions and the First Muslim Invasions

First as traders, 8th centuryAttacks lead to invasion

Muhammad ibn QasimUmayyad generalTakes Sind, Indus valleysIndians treated as dhimmi

The Spread of Islam, 10th-16th Centuries

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

III. The Coming of Islam to South Asia

B. Indian Influences on Islamic CivilizationScience, math, medicine, music, astronomy

India influences Arab

C. From Booty to Empire: The Second Wave of Muslim Invasions

10th century, Turkish dynasty established in Afghanistan

Mahmud of GhazniBegins invasion of India

Muhammad of GhurPersianState in Indus valleyThence to BengalHis lieutenant, Qutb-ud-Din Aibak

forms state at DelhiDelhi sultanate rules for 300 years

D. Patterns of ConversionConverts especially among Buddhists, lower

castes, untouchablesAlso, conversion to escape taxes

Muslims fleeing Mongols, 13th, 14th centuries

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

III. The Coming of Islam to South Asia

E. Patterns of Accommodation

High-caste Hindus remain apart

Muslims also often fail to integrate

F. Islamic Challenge and Hindu Revival

Bhakti

Devotional cults

Emotional approach

Caste distinctions dissolved

Shiva, Vishnu, Kali especially

Mira Bai, Kabir,

Songs in regional languages

G. Stand-off: The Muslim Presence in India at the End of

the Sultanate Period

Brahmins v. ulama

Separate communities

Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Stearns et al., World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman, Copyright 2007

IV. The Spread of Islam to Southeast Asia

Shrivijaya

A. Trading Contacts and Conversion

Trading leads to peaceful conversion

Sufis important

Starting with Sumatran ports

Malacca

Thence to Malaya, Sumatra, Demak (Java)

Coastal cities especially receptive

Buddhist elites, but population converts to Islam