Do Now What was the Sunni-Shi’a split? Why did it happen? (Hint: See pp. 169 in your textbook)

Essential Question How can we explain the rise and spread of Islam during this period?

Lesson Objective SWBAT analyze pre-Islamic Arabs and Umayyad Empires in a SPICE chart

The Pre-Islamic Arabian World Break it Down! Social structures Political systems Interactions between humans and the environment Culture & Religion Economic Systems

Pre-Islamic Arabian World: Social Structures Social organization was similar to those of other nomadic peoples Lived in clans (close-knit and interrelated families; familias) Some social stratification; shayks, leaders of tribes and clans, were very powerful Women were not considered equal to men but did enjoy greater freedom and higher status than those who lived in nearby civilized centers (such as the Byzantine and Persian Empires)

Pre-Islamic Arabian World: Politics Clan councils regulated watering places and grazing lands, which were essential to maintaining herds Shayks were elected by councils of elder advisors

Pre-Islamic Arabian World: The Environment Difficult environment: most of the Arabian peninsula is inhospitable desert Oases, which contain water and shade, allowed for some towns agriculture to flourish Towns also developed along the Red Sea. Their proximity to the Red Sea allowed them to have access to water routes to other civilizations

Pre-Islamic Arabian World: Culture Culture was not highly developed Little art or architecture of worth The main artistic focus was poetry, which was transmitted orally since there was no written language The religion was polytheistic and some would say primitive Religion did not have to do with ethics

Pre-Islamic Arabian World: Economic Systems The economy of most of Arabia was underdeveloped Mostly nomads No written language Medina and esp. Mecca were exceptions; these cities were home to powerful merchants who traded with neighboring civilizations

The Umayyads: Social Structures Most people within the Umayyad Empire were the dhimmi, or “people of the book” Most subjects did not convert, they simply paid a jizya, or special tax. They were allowed religious freedom. Women enjoyed greater rights under Islam because Muhammad stressed the moral and ethical aspects of marriage Women enjoyed greater legal rights of divorce and inheritance

The Umayyads: Conquest (Theme 3) By 633, united most of Arabia under Islam Military strength, unity and weakness of nearby empires (Persian and Byzantine) resulted in stunning conquests of Mesopotamia, north Africa, and Persia This empire was Arab, rather than Islamic: the Umayyads did not care to convert subjects to Islam

The Umayyads: The Environment As the empire expanded into the Mediterranean, trade was easier to conduct The empire became more productive due to a more fertile environment

The Umayyads: Culture & Religion Debate about who should succeed Muhammad as caliph: Abu Bakr gets it over Ali Split between Sunnis, who backed the Umayyads, and the Shi’a, supporters of Ali, remains to this day the most fundamental in the Islamic World

The Umayyads: Economic Systems War & conquest led to greater trade and an increase in economic inequality The Umayyad caliphs’ growing addiction to luxury and soft living led people to resent them