Major Islamic Empires

Ms. CatsosWorld History

Where was each picture taken?

All three were taken in Baghdad, Iraq- the former capital of the Abbasid Empire

Objective• Understand the rise and the fall of

the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires, the two major empires of the medieval Islamic world.

• Know how these two empires spread Islam and the lasting effects of that spread today

Essential Question• How do empires rise and fall?

The Umayyad Empire 661- 750

• After the death of Ali, the Umayyad family set up a dynasty. They were Sunnis.

• Their capital was Damascus, in Syria.

• They spread Islam across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Why were the Umayyads so successful in spreading Islam?• Byzantine and Persian Empires were

weak• Fighting methods: camel and horse

cavalry• Common faith inspired army• Fair treatment of conquered people

The Umayyad Empire- Challenges

• Had to adapt from desert life to ruling large cities and huge territories

• Arabs had more rights than non-Arabs• Shiites still angry about murder of Ali• When conquests stopped, money

stopped coming in, and people turned to a new leader

Abbasid Empire (750-1258)• The new leader was Abu al-Abbas,

who captured Damascus in 750.• He invited the Umayyads to a

banquet, then killed them all.• The Abbas family became Shiites to

gain their support.• The Abbasids ended Arab dominance

and made Islam a universal religion.

New Capital: Baghdad• Moved the capital

to Baghdad (today in Iraq)

• Strong Persian influence

• Huge center of trade and culture

• Leader during Baghdad’s peak: Harun al-Rashid

Decline of the Abbasid Empire• Starting in 850, Abbasid control fragmented• Spain, Egypt and other areas were ruled by

separate states• Civil Wars• Invasions: Seljuks, Crusaders, and Mongols

How was its decline similar to the decline of Ancient Rome?

Seljuk Turks• From Central Asia• Adopted Islam• Ruled by a sultan• Took over Baghdad• Threatened Byzantines and

motivated Urban II to call the first Crusade

Crusaders• In 1099 captured Jerusalem• It went back in forth for hundreds of

years in bloody battle• Crusades had more of a cultural impact

in Europe than in the Middle East• The Crusaders did not take Muslim

land permanently, but created centuries of hostility

Continuing Influence• After the caliphates fell, the Middle

East became very politically divided- and still is today

• Islam still linked these diverse people as a common religion

• What other effects can you think of?