Middle East and North Africa 6.3 | Politics and Economy

Origin of Politics After Muhammad died, Islam needed a successor These were called “Caliphs” or Khalifas They established large Islamic Caliphates The Umayyad Caliphate c. 700 AD Wars with Christianity The Byzantine Empire (2nd Rome) The Frankish Empire (Germanic) Later adopted much Latin and became Romanized Later, became France

Origin of Economy The Caliphates controlled Middle Eastern trade Lucrative trade from Asia to Italy The Abbasid Caliphate c. 750 AD Defeated the Chinese Tang Empire (Battle of Talas River) Islamic merchants would dominate Silk Road trade The Islamic world was the wealthiest on Earth Demand Supply Markets

Political Development After the Crusades and the Mongol Conquest The Mamluk slaves defeat the Mongols, 1260 AD Political fragmentation Religious fundamentalism Two massive Islamic Empires emerge The Ottoman Empire (Sunni) Centered at Istanbul (Constantinople) The Safavid Empire (Shia) Centered at Isfahan

Economic Development The Ottomans began to heavily tax trade to Europe Europeans got fed up and decided to get to Asia themselves Marco Polo’s travels European exploration (sail East, later West) Christopher Columbus thinking he was in India Trade routes shifted and Islamic economies suffered Over time, economies would suffer greatly

Politics today Cold War divisions led to American dominance of leadership Support for loyal leaders (often tyrannical) Issues with Israel (1948) Jewish nation in the middle of Arab/Islamic nations US support and war Islamic countries loyal to US are often the most corrupt Sanctions on Iran since 1979 The CIA coup d'état of Iran Many governments struggle with reform US support of conservatism Internal issues with fanaticism

Economy Today Economies are mostly dependent upon the West Foreign ownership of Islamic industry Oil is the major industry of the M-E Disrupted by corruption, foreign encroachment, and instability