Growth of Islamic Society

Growth of Islamic SocietyUnit 2: The Post-Classical Age, 600-1450Part II Reconstruction of Society

1The Median CaliphateThe Problem of SuccessionAbu Bakr (leader of prayers- companion and fourth convert) and CompanionsAli (cousin and adopted son of Muhammad, husband of Fatima, second convert) and Abbas (uncle of Ali and the Prophet)The Median Caliphate (successor/representative)Abu Bakr (r. 632-634)Umar (Omar ibn al-Khattab) (r. 634-644)Uthman (Ummayyad clan) (r. 644-656)Ali (r. 656-661)The Sunni-Shiite split2Islamic Divide3Succession: Abu Bakr (632-34)632 Muhammed died without warningAbu Bakr elected Caliph (deputy, successor). Friend and early convert.Ali, son in law to Muhammed was passed over: Too youngBakr worked and led the movement. Success: Ridda Wars: fought off Bedouin led by other Charismatic leaders.4Islam SpreadsBakr continued the Arab unification processRecognized the weakness of the Persian/Byzantine EmpiresThey were at constant war with one anotherBegan to take Byzantine territoryChristians and Jews respected: people of the bookSocial restrictions, extra taxesSome Christians saw Muslims as liberators5Uthman (644-54)From the old Umayyad family. Former Meccan enemies of Muhammed now converted!

Codification of the Quran: Variants destroyed

651 Expansion deep into Sassanian territory (Persia)

654 Uthman assassinated.6Division and SchismAlis supporters name him CaliphThe Ummayyads rejected him

Ali refuses to prosecutes the assassins Ummayads later declare an open vendetta against himMecca vs Medina Clan tensionsSyrian and Iraqi factionsN/S Arabian tribal tensions7HasanRetired for 19 years to enjoy the good lifeWhen Muawiya died, he went to Mecca with several followers expecting to be named Caliph. But the Umayyads appointed a new caliph, who surrounded Ali with an army.679 Hasan led a great suicide charge. His head was sent to the capital.This would result in the Sunni-Shiite split8But expansion continued....674: Besieged Constantinople

700: Umayyads ruled from N. Africa almost to China: An empire! Why?

Surplus of military energy and religious zeal and well qualified generals

Weakness of the Byzantium and Persian states, and their poor rule over provinces.9Sunnis vs. ShiasSunnis90% of IslamRecognize 4 caliphs as legitimateNo ImanShiites10% of Muslims (mainly in Persia, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan)recognize only Ali and blood relatives as successorsImans: infallible, divinely guided, leaders of the faithGreen turbans: indicate a blood relative of the ProphetCult of Martyrdom10The Umayyad Dynasty11Expansion under the Umayyads Late 7th century: Islam spread to Asia

8th century: Spread to India, N. Africa, Spain

Threatened France, but Islamic armies were turned back by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours (also called Poitiers) in 732Islam dominated the Mediterranean from Spain to central Asia12Growth of Islam, 1200

13The Spread of Islam

14Umayyad Rule Arab conquest state, ruled by an Arab eliteArmy comprised of slave soldiers. Often not allowed to convert. Muslim/Arab warrior elite ruled provincesRejected assimilation of convertsKept governments intact, but staffed them with MuslimsCapital now Damascus15At first blocked by Byzantine & Sassanid

16Defeat at Byzantium717: Caliph Suleiman wanted to end the Christian empire once and for all.Attacked Constantinople with 80,000 troops and a strong naval force.Emperor Leo III beat off the attack. Besieging armies suffer through a cold winter718: Must of the Muslim fleet destroyed by Greek Fire. Suleiman fled.Leo III retook Asia Minor. Byzantium will last 500 years more. 17Greek Fire - exact composition unknown

composition include such chemicals as liquid petroleum, naphtha, burning pitch, sulphur, resin, quicklimeand bitumen, along with some other "secret ingredient". 18Greek Fire was the secret weapon of the Eastern Roman Emperors. It is said to have been invented by a Syrian Engineer, one Callinicus, a refugee from Maalbek, in the seventh century (673 AD). The "liquid fire" was hurled on to the ships of their enemies from siphons and burst into flames on contact. As it was reputed to be inextinguishable and burned even on water, it caused panic and dread. Its introduction into warfare of its time was comparable in its demoralizing influence to the introduction of nuclear weapons in our time. Both Arab and Greek sources agree that it surpassed all incendiary weapons in destruction. The secret behind the Greek fire was handed down from one emperor to the next for centuries. Rumors about its composition include such chemicals as liquid petroleum, naphtha, burning pitch, sulphur, resin, quicklimeand bitumen, along with some other "secret ingredient". The exact composition, however, remains unknown. For a thorough investigation of the weapon one can refer to Professor J.R. Partington's book, "A history of the Greek Fire and Gunpowder", Heffer, 1960. This volume quotes the ancient authorities extensively, with an excellent commentary. It also examines ancient and modern theories on the composition of the chemicals used in the Greek Fire. This is considered the most up to date source on the subject. Umayyad DeclineSeries of weak self-indulgent rulers

c. 750. The Merv Revolt50,000 Persian warriors settled in E. Iranconverted to Islam, fought in battles, but earned little bootyresented corrupt rule from BaghdadWhen Umayyads sent troops to the area, revolt broke out!19Islam Under the Umayyads

20The Abbasid RevoltRevolt spread through the eastern provinces

Resented Arab rule: the Mawali

Marched under the Black Abbasid banner

Abu al-Abbas, Muhammeds uncles g.g. grandson

Alliance with Shiite factions750: defeat the Umayyad caliph in the Battle of the River Zab21The End of the UmayyadsAbu al-Abbas wanted to end the Umayyad family. Murdered all surviving members at a feast of reconciliationOne escaped, the grandson of the last Umayyad caliph, and fled to SpainHe established the Cordoba Caliphate. It lasted until 1492 CE22The Abbasid Dynasty23The World and the Abbasids Map

24The Early AbbasidsCapital: Baghdad: Arabic court languageInfluenced by the Near East idea of divine kingship: Shadow of God on EarthLots of court pomp and ritualWhen the caliph appeared in public, his executioners were with him!Bound by Sharia : Islamic law but not enforced25Abbasid Wine Bowl

26Abbasid Glass Work

27Abbasid GovernmentCaliph ruled with large, complex bureaucracy

Manned by Persians and Mawali

Some aspects of universalism

Diverse people united by Arabic language and Islam

End of wars of expansion28Society Under the AbbasidsLong Distance Trade with Banking and Letters of Credit along the Silk Road trade

Key: Export of Mesopotamia agriculture, Nile Agriculture, sheep, date palm.

East Asian crops spread westward, including rice, sugar cane.

Slave state: Many Africans working S. Iraq salt mines, or in military29IndustryTextile Making

Rug Weaving: High Art Armenia, Bokhara

Chinese trade. Learned paper making

Perfumes, medicines, cosmetics, art in ceramics, metals

Imported Indian 0 developed algebra and trigonometry30Intellectual LifeTranslated Greek and Roman classical works

Philosophy, science, astronomy, geography, math

No interest in mythology, drama or poetry

Preserved and made additional contributions

Worked particularly with Aristotles work31Abbasid Mosque in Nayin

32Medicineal Razi (865-925) (Rhazes)20 volume medical encyclopediaTranslated into Latin 1270Printed in Europe 1486 onwardsOn the Fact that even Skilled Physicians Cannot Heal All DiseasesWhy Frightened Patients Easily Forsake even the Skilled Physician33Other Thinkersal-Biruni (973-1056) Geography, Travels in India

al-Kindi (d.870) reconciled Islam with Neoplatonism

al Farabi (d.950), Ibn Sina (Avicenna d. 1036), Ibn Rushd (Averroes d. 1198) All Islamic scholars of Aristotle34Abbasid Caliphate

35The Islamic Empire

36Trends Towards DecentralizationEventually turned against their Shiite allies and other factions

Large empire lent itself to regionalism

Numerous violent harem conspiracies and civil wars followed by more stable rulers

Utilized slave armies of Africans, Slavs and Berbers that eventually became a political force known as Mamluks37