1. Umayyads and Abbasids

2. Sunni v. Shi’a  At issue: Who should lead the Muslim Umma?  First 4 Caliphs = “The Rightly Guided” Caliphs  Ali, 4 th caliph, killed by Umayyads  Husayn (Ali’s son) killed in 680 by Umayyads (10,000 soldiers v. 72 of Husayn’s followers) – all killed  Killing of Husayn = the final split.  Shi’a = “Party of Ali” Sunni = “The Majority”

3. Umayyads  Expansion (central Asia, N.W. India, N. Africa, Spain)  Capital = Damascus (modern Syria)  Arab conquest state  Bureaucracy – Arab elite ruled over non-Arab, non-Muslim populations  Segregated into garrison towns to prevent mixing

5. People of the Book  Christians and Jews  paid extra taxes, but tolerated  non-Arab converts still had extra taxes  few conversions

6. Family & Gender Roles  Women’s status high, at first  Active in commerce  Pastoralist background!  More patriarchal over time

7. Umayyad Decline & Fall  REVOLT led by Abbasid family  Non-Arab converts & Shi’ites joined Abbasids

8. Abbasid Caliphate  Centralized  Capital = Baghdad. Imitated Persian culture  Vizir = chief advisor

9. From Arab to Islamic Empire: Abbasids  non-Arab Converts fully integrated  Opportunities for education/gov’t positions  LOTS of conversions

10. Abbasid Economy & Culture  Urban  Madrassa schools  Trade & Hajj = constant and quick ideas exchange  Ancient authors translated (especially Greek!!!)

11. Abbasid Decline  Overexpansion  Caliphs hired personal armies of Turkic Central Asian nomads (slave soldiers)  Centralization breaks down  Mamluk & Seljuk Turkic slave soldiers really run the gov’t (caliph = figurehead)  Mongols – kill the last caliph in 1258