Muslim Civilizations622-1629

Section 2: Building a Muslim Empire

• Abu Bakr- Muhammad’s father-in-law, was the first caliph, Islamic ruler.

• Some Arab tribes did not want to follow Abu, however he was able to reunite tribes.

• Muslims were then able to conquer the Persians and portions of the Byzantine Empire.

Sunnis and Shiites

Shiites• Believe the true

successors to Muhammad are descendants of his daughter, Fatima and son-in-law Ali.

• Believe the Imams, the descendants, are divine inspired leaders and interpret the Quran and Muhammad’s actions.

Sunnis• Believe that any good

Muslim can lead the community.

• Majority of Muslims, believe inspiration comes from Muhammad’s example

• 90% of Muslims are Sunni

Similarities

• Believe in the same God• Look to Quran for guidance• Follow Pillars of Islam

Sufis• Mystics that communicate with

God through meditation, fasting, and rituals.

• Traveled and spread Islam to remote villages.

Umayyad & Abbasids

Umayyad (oo my ad) caliphs expanded and spread Muslim civilizations through parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Reasons for Success

• Weak Byzantine and Persian empires

• Efficient fighting

Conquered People and Lands

• Allowed people to practice any religion they wanted, but non-Muslims had restrictions and a tax on them.

• Many people did convert to Islam

• The Umayyad's began struggling to control the vast empires.

• Tension between wealthy Arabs and less wealthy non-Arabs caused issues.

Abbasid dynasty took over the Umayyad's and had support from Shiites and non-Arabs.

• Equality for all Muslims• Capital moved to Baghdad

• City of Peace, Gift of God, Paradise on Earth

Abbasid Empire Declines• Seljuk Turks converted to Islam

and forced the Christian pope to call for the First Crusade

• Mongols burned and looted Baghdad, conquering Muslim and non-Muslim lands.

Section 3: Muslim Civilization’s Golden AgeMuslim civilization blended with other cultures to

create a unique civilization.

Camel trading caravans crossed the Sahara and followed the Silk Road into China

People began converting to Islam and learned Arabic-common religion and language helped global trade

expand.

Goods

Steel swords, leather goods, cotton textiles, Persian carpets, fine glassware, furniture, and tapestries

Social Mobility: Ability to move up in social class. People could improve their social rank through religious, scholarly, or military achievements.

Slavery- Common in Muslim lands, but freeing slaves was an act of charity. Slaves worked in houses or

were skilled artisans.

.

Muslim Art, Literature, & Architecture

Islamic Literature: The Quran, it banned the worship of idols. Artists were not allowed to use God or human figures in their religious

art.

Chivalry and romance of nomadic life were themes Muslim poetry

Arab writers gathered and adapted stories from other cultures as well. The Thousand and One Nights is one of the most famous

group of tales.

Muslims Seek Knowledge

• Boys and girls received elementary education. • Reading and writing was emphasized

• Libraries and centers of learning were established in Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba, and Timbuktu• Translated other great works

• Ibn Rushd: Put all knowledge, except the Quran, to the test of reason

• Ibn Khaldun (ib un kal doon): Set standards for scientific study of history, urged historians to trust sources only after thorough investigations

Mathematics & Medicine

al-Khwarizmi: He pioneered Algebra and developed astronomical tables based on the Greek and Indian discoveries.

Physicians and pharmacists had to pass tests before they could practice. The government set up hospitals, doctors traveled to people that could not get to the city.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna): Persian physician, wrote Canon on Medicine, a medical encyclopedia that contained treatments and diagnoses of diseases and prescriptions

Section 4: India’s Muslim Empires

• Delhi sultanate started the Muslim rule in northern India

• Hindu princes were battling each other inside of fighting a common enemy• Large numbers of Hindus from low castes converted to Islam

• Muslims in India changed the culture and government • The Mongol raids forced many to leave Baghdad and head to India

bringing Persian and Greek learning

• Muslims and Hindus Clash• Muslims conquest destroyed many Buddhist monasteries and Hindus

were killed. Hindus may have converted to escape death.• Delhi sultans became tolerant of Hindu subjects

• Allowed rajahs, local Hindu rulers to stay in place

• Indian Muslims absorbed aspects of Hindu culture• Urdu language- Persian, Arabic, and Indian language spoken in Delhi

• Sikhism (seek iz um) • Religion that arose from Nanak’s teachings of a blend of Islam

and Hinduism

• Mughal India• Babur (descendent of Genghis Khan) head of Turkish and

Mongol armies• Conquered Delhi sultanate and set up the Mughal dynasty

• Akbar (Babur’s grandson) was the chief builder of the Mughal empire• Created a strong central government, had a policy of tolerance to

Hindus. He allowed any caste to have a government job and Hindu princes helped rule the empire.

• He ended the tax that non-Muslims were forced to pay and he married a Hindu princess.

• After Akbar’s death, his son, Jahangir (juh HAHN geer), took over but was a very weak ruler. Jahangir’s wife, Nur Jahan was a strong leader.• During Shah Jahan’s

(Akbar’s grandson) reign, it was the highest point of Mughal art, literature, and architecture.

• When his wife died, he was so distraught that he built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for her.

Ottoman and Safavid Empires

• New technology helped create strong governments. • Cannons and muskets gave firepower

to foot soldiers

• Ottomans• Turkish speaking people came

from Central Asia and expanded into Eastern Europe

• Crushed the Byzantine empire-took over Constantinople (Istanbul) which became the Ottoman capital.

Ottoman and Safavid Empires

• Suleiman (soo lay mahn)

• General that conquered many lands, in the Middle East and west into Europe.

• He believed to be the heir of the Abbasids and caliph of all Muslims.• “Emperor” & “Protector of the

Sacred Places” (Mecca & Medina)

• Suleiman had absolute power but had help from a council. A bureaucracy supervised the business of government and the military kept peace

Society divided into classes

• Men of the Sword & Men of the Pen• Sword: Guarded the sultan and defended

the state• Pen: Scientists, lawyers, judges, and poets

• Men of Negotiation• Merchants, tax collectors, and artisans

• Men of Husbandry• Farmers and herders

Men of Sword and Pen were almost all Muslims. The other classes included non-Muslims

Men of the Sword

&Men of the Pen

Men of Negotiation

Men of Husbandry

Ottoman Culture

• Janizaries (jan ih sehr eez)• Elite force of Ottoman army • Rigorous military training

• Non-Muslim boys and girls served as slaves in Muslim houses

• After Suleiman’s death, the empire began to decline. • Advances in technology in Europe, as well as

Russia and others claimed Ottoman land added to the decline.

Safavid Empire

• Safavids (located between the Mughals and Ottomans, Iran today)

• Shiite Muslims while the Ottomans were Sunni Muslims• Safavid king is called a shah

• Shah Abbas the Great• Built a new capital, Isfahan, which was the center for international silk trade. • Centralized the government and created a strong military force

• After Shah Abbas’s death, the empire declined. Shiite scholars challenged the shahs and wanted to persecute those of other religions. Rebels were able to defeat armies and capture Isfahan.