The Islamic World

I. Sassanid Empire Sassanid kingdom in Iran 1. Arab herders to east & Byzantine Empire west

2. relations with Byzantines alternated between war & trading 3. times of peace: Byzantine cities & Arab nomads guided trade caravans 4. invention of the camel saddle aided Arab traders

B. Religion & Empire Sassanid Empire: Zoroastrianism Byzantine Empire: Eastern Orthodox Christianity Eastern Orthodox: believes the Pope is not head of Christian Church, but rather patriarchs - Byzantine use of Greek language - both intolerant of other religions RELIGION replaced citizenship & ethnicity as the paramount factor in people’s identity

A. The Arabian Peninsula before Muhammad: II. The Origins of Islam A. The Arabian Peninsula before Muhammad: Nomadic caravan traders (Bedouins) brought Arabs into contact with Byzantine & Sassanid empires The nomads were polytheists Mecca was a caravan city in Arabia - Mecca also attracted nomads to worship idols in a shrine called the Ka’aba

B. Muhammad in Mecca 1. The prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca (about 570), grew up as an orphan, & became involved in the caravan trade; married older, wealthier Khadija -in 610 the Prophet had revelations after meditating in a cave for days from Allah (god) The message of Muhammad’s revelations: -there is one god, Allah -submit to Allah’s will

III. The Rise & Fall of the Caliphate (632–1258)

A. The Formation of the Umma Muhammad & his followers fled from Mecca to Medina in 622 (the hijrah) umma: single community of Muslim believers 2. The umma became the core of the Islamic state Muhammad’s father-in-law Abu Bakr became successor (the caliph) of Muhammad - he standardized Islamic religion & the Islamic state - he oversaw writing of holy book the Qur’an

In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.

Disagreements over caliphs after the 3rd caliph, Uthman - civil war was fought between supporters of Uthman (the Ummaya) & those who supported Ali (Muhammad’s son- in-law) - Umayyad Caliphate established in 661 (capital: Damascus) Internal political conflict led to rival branches: - Shi’ites supported Ali’s claim to caliphate - Sunnis supported Umayyad Caliphate - 80% of Muslims today are Sunni

The Caliphate Looking at Sunni Islam: the Caliphate 1. Abu Bakr (10-12 AH = 632-634 CE) 2. Umar (12-23 AH = 634-644 CE) 3. Uthman (23-35 AH = 644-656 CE) 4. Ali (35-40 AH = 656-661 CE) Sunni and Shi’ite Islam divide…for Sunnis: The Umayyad Caliphate (Damascus) The Abbasid Caliphate (Baghdad) The Ottoman Caliphate (Istanbul)

B. The Islamic Conquests, 634–711 conquests outside Arabia began in 7th c. -Arabs took Syria, Egypt, and Sasanid Empire -8th c.: Tunisia, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, and Sindh (Pakistan) 2. causes of rapid expansion? 3. Arab forces: regular, paid armies kept in military camps

C. Umayyad & Abbasid Caliphates, 661–850 Umayyads ruled an Arab empire, NOT a Muslim empire - Mu’awiya moves capital to Damascus - ruled through established Sassanid and Byzantine gov’t - introduced Muslim bureaucrats & Arabic language - overthrown in 750 (“Moors” remained in Spain) 2. Abbas family took over & established Abbasid Caliphate (capital: Baghdad) -held caliphate until 1258

The “Golden Age” of Islam 3. Literature and learning: translation of Greek texts, secular Arab poetry, math & science pump chemistry & perfumery astronomy eye anatomy

The Book of One Thousand and One Nights

D. Political Fragmentation, 850–1050 Abbasid power declined at end of 9th cen….causes? -vast territory -difficulty of transportation & communications -dissatisfaction of non-Muslim provinces In Baghdad, caliphs relied on Turkish slave troops known as Mamluks - Mamluks took control of the caliphate In Spain: Umayyads held power over a society in which Islamic, Roman, German, & Jewish cultures combined

E. Decline, 1050–1258 1. In C. Asia & Middle East: nomadic Seljuk Turks took power -established Suljuk Sultanate (took Anatolia from Byzantines in 1071 at Manzikert) Crusades: Muslims united under Sultan Saladin to drive Christians out of Middle East - Mongol invasions of 13th cen.