ABBASID DECLINE & THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA
Chapter 7
ABBASID & ISLAM IN ASIA TIMELIME
ABBASID & ISLAM IN ASIA TIMELIME
The Abbasid Empire at Its Peak
ABBASID & ISLAM IN ASIA TIMELINE
MIDDLE AND LATE ABBASID ERAS
Abbasid empire weakened, 9th-13th centuries peasant revolts Shi’a un-reconciled succession not secure
As early as the third Abbasid Caliph, al-Mahdi (775-785), issues related to the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate were apparent.
Caliph abandons frugal ways Caliph does NOT establish clear pattern of succession
Wives/concubines became involved in the various palace intrigues associated with the succession crises.
THE LATE ABBASID ERA Harun al-Rashid (786-
809) ascended to the throne after the death of al-Mahdi
Harun al-Rashid enjoyed excess & sumptuous palace living
Emissaries sent in the 9th century were dazzled with the splendor of Baghdad
Led to gradual disintegration of the Empire
HARUN AL-RASHID & SLAVE ARMIES Power of Royal Advisors grew throughout the rule
of Harun al-Rashid. Caliphs became pawns in the factional royal court
battles Upon al-Rashid’s death, full-scale civil war broke out
amongst those vying for power. While al-Ma’mum (813-833) was the victor he
changed the Caliphate He was convinced to conscript thousands of mostly
Turkic-speaking slaves as his personal bodyguards Numbers reached 70K slave regiment = power center
846, they murdered the reigning caliph, and in the coming decades would murder at least four more!
ABBASID DECLINE
Caliphs struggle to control the Slave Regiments became civil wars Some Caliphs want to move capital away from
Baghdad’s turmoil Increased spending drained the treasury
Then peasant revolts against new taxes Spiraling taxation/pillaging, etc… New irrigation, old irrigation and public works fall into
disrepair Slavery increased and the position of women eroded
Abandonment of some of the earlier provinces of the empire.
LATE ABBASID DECLINE…WOMEN
The Harem and the Veil are the twin emblems of women’s increasing subjugation to men and confinement
The Abbasid court created the concept of the Harem for the Caliphate Not for pleasure, but
for ensuring bloodlines
ABBASID DECLINE Three major invasions of
Baghdad: 1st capture of Baghdad in 945, Persian
Buyids, Muslim Splinter group Persian gradually replaced Arabic as the
court language and literature 2nd group that successfully captured
Baghdad in 1055 was the Sunni, Seljuk Turks
3rd and last group the captured Baghdad in 1258 was the Mongols
Buyidflag
Buyid Kingdom 970CE (light blue)
THE SELJUKS By 1055, the Buyid control
over the Caliphate was broken
In 1055, Central Asian Nomadic warriors known as the Seljuk Turks ruled over the Abbasid lands. Staunch Sunnis…forced Shi’a
out of governmental positions Resisted the Byzantines
who were taking advantage of Muslim disunity Defeat of the Byzantines in
Asia Minor, later become the seat of the Ottoman Empire
THE CRUSADES 1099- 1291
THE CRUSADES Pope Urban II, in 1095, after calls for help from the
Byzantines, rallied Catholic Europe to wrestle the Biblical Holy Lands from the Seljuk Turks Knights from Western Europe launched crusades in 1096.
Muslim divisions and the element of surprise made the first Crusade a Christian success. 1099: Christian knights took Jerusalem. Muslim, Jewish, & Christian inhabitants were massacred
Non-whites
For the next two centuries, Europeans would mount in excess of 8 crusades. Varying degrees of success
When Muslim were united under powerful rule like Salah-ud-Din (Saladin) they re-conquer most of the lands they lost.
FIRST CRUSADE
IMPACT OF CRUSADES The Crusaders’ experiences in the Eastern
Mediterranean intensified European “borrowing” from the Muslim world.
Through increased cultural contacts, Europeans began to recover much of the Greek learning lost during the waves of nomadic invasions after the fall of the Roman Empire
For the Muslim world, the Crusades did not change much of anything. Islam continued to spread.
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Even though the caliphate was steeped in political turmoil, the Muslim Empire still experienced growth and prosperity until late in the Abbasid era Declining Revenue Deteriorating conditions in the countryside/town life
Expansion of the professional classes Muslim/Jewish/Christian entrepreneurs amass great
fortunes supplying cities with staples (grain/barley), essentials (cotton, woolen textiles for clothing), and luxury items.
Long-Distance trade & new trade links thrive
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Intellectual Creativity grew dramatically: Expansion of professional Artisan classes Mosques and palaces became more ornate. Tapestries and rugs from Persia were in great demand from
Europe to China (Persian Rugs) Persian becomes the language of “high culture”
Arabic remains language of religion, law, and the advancement of the Sciences
they developed their own theories: Major corrections to algebraic and geometric theories Advances in trigonometry
Persian was language of literary expression, administration, and scholarship
Write on many subjects from love affairs, to statecraft, to incidents from everyday life.
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Great advances in chemistry and astronomy.
Cairo: best hospitals in the world
Muslim traders introduce techniques like papermaking and silk-weaving that was developed in China.
Development of cartography
RELIGIOUS CONTRADICTIONS Orthodox religious scholars “Ulama” stressed
an increasingly restrictive conservatism within Islam, particularly with respect to scientific inquiry Felt that the revival of Greco-Roman philosophical
traditions would erode the absolute authority of the Qur’an
Sufi were wandering mystics who sought a personal union with Allah
Conservative interpretation of the law and religious texts
"a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God."
A reaction against the abstract divinity of the Qur’an
Sufis gain reputations as healers and miracle workers…gain sizeable followings= the spread of Islam
Some led militant bands that spread Islam to nonbelievers
THE END OF THE CALIPHATE
Abbasid Caliphate was compromised by many different factions
In the early 13th century, the Mongols, united under Genghis Khan became a powerful force in Asia, smashing through Turko-Persian kingdoms to the east of Baghdad by 1220 CE. Hulegu Khan (Grandson of
Genghis Khan) invaded Baghdad 1258 and kills last Caliph
THE END OF THE CALIPHATE The Mongol advance
was stopped by the Mamluks, or Turkic Slaves who ruled Egypt
In 1401, Baghdad suffers from another capture and round of pillaging by the forces of Tamerlane (Timur) Muslim/Mongol
Baghdad’s glory becomes supplanted by Cairo to the west and Istanbul to the North
THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
ISLAM’S ARRIVAL IN SOUTH ASIA India through the Gupta Empire had been a
crossroads of migration for Central Asian nomads seeking refuge People were accepted, and assimilated into Indian Society.
Arrival of the Muslims in the 7th Century CE, altered that.
Early interactions did little to add territory to the Muslim Empire, and in some cases, lost territory
BUT, in 962 CE, a Turkish slave dynasty seized power in Afghanistan. Led by Mahmud of Ghazni, began two CENTURIES of Muslim
raiding and conquest in Northern India Throughout the 11th century, Mahmud defeated one
confederation of Hindu princes after another in the name of Islam.
MAHMUD OF GHAZNI
The efforts of Mahmud of Ghazni were continued by Muhammad of Ghur Assassinated in
1206 A slave lieutenant
seizes power…Qutb-ud-din Aibak
Islam would spread into fringes of China
THE HINDU/ISLAM MIXINDIA…HINDUISM
Open, tolerant, and inclusive of varying forms of religious devotion.
Search of union with spiritual source of all creation.
Social system structured on the caste system
INDIA…ISLAM
Based on doctrines, practices (specific) and exclusive worship of a single god.
Highly egalitarian (Democratic/classless society) in the sight of God.
Religious practices are mandatory and obvious
THE HINDU/ISLAM MIX
Early centuries were characterized by violent conflict. However, a good deal of trade and religious
interchange. In time, peaceful interactions became the norm
There were contacts via traders in the Indian Ocean Trade network as early as 711 CE
Indian overlords who took over land in South Asia brought little change to most inhabitants of the Indian Subcontinent. Many people welcomed the Arabs because they
promised lighter taxation and religious tolerance
EARLY MUSLIM ENCOUNTERS IN INDIA Muslim leaders decided to treat Hindus
and Buddhists as the dhimmi, or “people of the book” even though they had no connection to the Bible. This meant that Hindus and Buddhists had
to pay the tax on non-believers, they enjoyed the freedom to worship as they pleased.
Little effort was put towards conversion, so most people remained Hindu or Buddhist.
INDIAN/MUSLIM CULTURAL DIFFUSION Muslims inherit the Indian scientific learning, which
rivaled the Greeks as the most advanced in the world.
Arabic numerals originated in India Indian learning was transferred to Baghdad in the
age of the Abbasids. Indian doctors, scientists, etc.
Muslims adopt Indian styles of dress, food, and ride on elephants as the Hindu rajas (kings) did.
Muslims also adopt and infuse Indian architectural styles
THE DELHI SULTANATE
A new Muslim empire was proclaimed with the capital at Delhi, along the Jumna river on the Gengetic Plain.
For the next 300 years, a succession of dynasties known as the Delhi Sultante (literally, princes of the heartland) ruled North and Central India
THE DELHI SULTANATE
This was a period of clashing control between the sultanate princes themselves, as well as Mongol and Turkic invaders.
CONVERSION
Carriers of the new faith on the subcontinent were often merchants and Sufi mystics Sufis shared many characteristics with Indian
gurus and wandering ascetics. Belief in magical healing powers Accepted lower-caste and outcaste groups into
Islamic faith Most Muslims were NOT from the Indo-
Gangetic centers of the Delhi Sultanate, indicating low forced conversions
CONVERSION
Most conversions came from low-caste or Buddhist groups. Buddhism became largely debased as a result
of corrupt practices Buddhist temples and monasteries
became lucrative targets for raids, etc. Many lower-caste, untouchables, animistic
tribes, and Buddhists were attracted to the egalitarian nature of Islam
ACCOMMODATION
Hindus were convinced that Muslims would soon be absorbed by the superior religions and more sophisticated cultures of India Many things pointed that way!
Muslim princes adopted regal styles Muslim rulers claim divine descent Muslim rulers mint coins with Hindu images
Muslim communities also became socially divided along caste lines Violation of the original tenets of Islam!
ISLAM IN SOUTH ASIA AT THE END OF THE SULTANATE
Attempts to fuse Hinduism and Islam soon were recognized as impossible.
Brahmans soon denounce Muslim leaders, etc. Muslims respond by strengthening their
unity within the Indian Muslim community
After centuries of political domination though, South Asia remained one of the least converted and integrated of all the areas Islam reached.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
IMPORTANCE
Southeast Asia was CRITICAL to the connection of trade from Chinese ports to Indian vessels along the Indian Ocean Trade network
SOUTHEAST ASIAN CONTRIBUTION
Aromatic woods from rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra
Spices: cloves, nutmeg from Indonesia
From 8th Century onward, coastal trade in India became dominated by Muslims
SE ASIA As a result, elements
of Islam began to filter into the southeast Asian region
The collapse of the Shrivijaya trading empire (Buddhist) in the 13th century opened the door for the widespread introduction of Islam
SE ASIA
Trading contacts paved the way for conversion NOT conquest and force
Muslim ships also carry Sufis to the various parts of SE Asia
Conversion begins in Sumatra, then across the Strait of Malacca to Malaya
SE ASIA Muslims impressed SE Asians by telling them
how much of the world had already been converted
MALACCA Mainland conversion
was centered on Malacca, a powerful trading city
Spreads to east Sumatra and to DEMAK on the north coast of Java
From there, spread to the Celebes and then the Spice Islands, then to Mindanao and Southern Philippines
THE SPICE ISLAND(S)
CONVERSION Trading was the key
to conversion. Regulation of
commonality in Muslim laws was good to regulate business.
Conversion linked centers culturally, and economically to Indian merchants and ports in India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean
SE ASIAN ISLAM
Some areas (like Central Java) saw conversion take longer than others Hindu-Buddhist
dynasties contested its spread
Mainland Southeast Asia did NOT see wholesale conversion, and remained largely Buddhist
Because it was spread primarily by Sufis, SE Asian Islam was more dynamic than orthodox Islam Infused with mythical
strains Tolerated animist,
Hindu, and Buddhist beliefs and rituals.
Magical powers
WOMEN IN SE ASIAN ISLAMIC SOCIETY Women retained a strong position in
the family and the community Trading in local and regional markets was
dominated by small-scale female merchants
As in Western Sumatra, lineage and inheritance was traced through female lines
Many cultural elements were blended from SE Asian Culture with Muslim Culture.