1. PART III THE POSTCLASSICAL PERIOD, 500–1450: NEW FAITH AND NEW COMMERCE

2. In Chapters 6 and 7, Islam is the focus, as it spread from the Arabian peninsula to neighboring areas. Chapter 8 moves to sub-Saharan Africa, and developments there in trade and civilization.

3. CHAPTER 6 The First Global Civilization: The Rise and Spread of Islam

5. Main Idea how does a nomadic pastoral society produced a religion capable of achieving global dominance.

6. Arabia before Islam was the home of a typical pastoral nomadic society
The Region lacked:
true urbanization-not a city
occupational specialization
social stratification that allowed the maintenance of specialized bureaucracies.

7. Also missing were industries associated with civilization, a rich material culture, and a writing system.

8. Islam allowed the bedouin to overcome the problems of tribalism and to unify into a religio-political system that transcended clan and tribal limits. Islamic warriors then were able to overcome their civilized, but weak, neighbors.

9. After conquest, the Muslims incorporated influences from civilizations: bureaucracies, urbanization, social stratification, occupational specialization
=> Unity came from religious beliefs, a single law code, and an evolving distinctive Islamic culture.

10. Think about why the disputes over authority after the death of Muhammad served to hinder future Muslim unity.

11. Muhammad did not leave a principle for succession within Islam; he was the final prophet.

12. Successors to lead the Muslim community first were elected by the umma
Successors to lead the Muslim community first were elected by the umma. Ali contested the system by advocating descent from Muhammad; this became the focal point of Shi’ism.

13. Ali’s opposition caused civil war, and Umayyad success led to their founding of a dynasty. The Shi’a never accepted defeat; descendants of Muhammad were always present to contest rule over Muslims. A fundamental division remained between the Sunni and Shi’a divisions of Islam.

14. 1.Desert and Town: The Pre-Islamic Arabian World.
The inhospitable Arabian peninsula was inhabited by bedouin (or nomadic)societies => desert-dwellers herded camels and goats
Others practiced agriculture => agricultural and commercial centers in southern coastal regions.
The towns were extensions of bedouin society, sharing its culture, and ruled by its clans.

15. Page 137

16. Clan Identity
Desert environment => strong dependence on family/clan
Clan cohesion => struggle to control pastures/waters
Turf wars-very gang like
Page 138 and 139

17. Towns and long distance trade
In this harsh environment => Invasions and bedouin destroyed civilizations
Some cities did develop => MECCA (founded by UMAYYAD clan of the QURAYSH bedouin tribe) => members dominated politics and commerce
MECCA => site of Ka’ba (revered religious shrine in pre-Islamic Arabia
Page
Long distance caravan trade

18. MEDINA part of trade system
Not a big as Mecca
No single group dominated city

19. Isolation => lack of material culture => poetry was most used
Women not equal to men but may have enjoyed more freedom than other women in the Middle East
Isolation => lack of material culture => poetry was most used
Animism and polytheism most popular among Bedouins
Page 141 Quraysh recognized allah

20. 2. Muhammad and Islam
By 6th century MECCA and MEDINA in danger of decline => rely on Bedouin tribes
Pressure from north and migration => influenced monotheism in Arabia => several Arab prophets emerged
Muhammad is one of those prophets
Bedouin tribes keep trade routes open page 142

21. 610 in MECCA => 1st of many revelations => Qur’an
Merchant life => saw much of world => sees clan rivalries in his world and becomes concerned => no solidarity, poverty => tired of life that focus on wealth
610 in MECCA => 1st of many revelations => Qur’an
Page 142 5th p

22. As in all epics his (Muhammad) success threatens the UMAYYADs => they want to preserve power and wealth and gods of ka’ba => plot to kill him
Muhammad flees to MEDINA (622 AD) => successful => rivals MECCA => Quraysh attack Muhammad but loose => treaty 628 AD
Page 143

23. Islam’s Attraction Monotheism-one god Distinctively Arab-original
No intermediaries-no sainst,no priets
Umma-unites as community, one ideal
Page 144

24. 3. The Arab Empire of the Umayyads
Death of Muhammad (632 AD) => many problems
Main problem => succession
Despite disagreements Islam united most of Arabia by 633
Page 147 CALIPH political and religious successor to muhammad

25. ALI vs. Abu Bakr
Ali – cousin and son-in-law of muhammad => passed over as CALIPHATE
Abu Bakr – convert to Islam chosen as 1st Caliph
=> Source of great tension today

26. Spread of Islam Courage Military prowess Religious zeal
Weak neighboring empires
=> Conquer Mesopotamia, North Africa and Persia
Page 148

27. Succession: Who will replace Muhammad
After 20 years of being distracted by success of expansion
=> in 656 open religious and political conflicts (due to old tensions and how will spoils be divided)
=> open violence sparked by murder of Uthman (Umayyad) => Demascus becomes capital
Page 149
Uthman died june
Established official version of quran
Converts: abu bakr uthman
Similar to constantinopole and rome
Move nations capital to NYC
Chs to northampton

28. Caliphs Abu Bakr ____-634 Umar 634- ____ Uthman 644- ____
Fitna distress
First convert to islam-ali

29. Caliphs Abu Bakr 632-634 Umar 634-644 Uthman 644-656 Ali 656-661
Fitna distress
First convert to islam-ali

30. Battle of Siffin => ____ loses ____ Sunnis support ___________
Shia support ____________
680 at __________ Ali’s second son is killed => conflict between ______ and ________ becomes “permanent”
Page 149

31. Battle of Siffin => Ali loses credibility
Sunnis support Umayyad
Shia support Ali
680 at Karbala Ali’s second son is killed => conflict between Shi’a and Umayyad-Sunnis becomes “permanent”

32. Encourage marriage, denounced adultery
Converts and “people of the book” => islam allowed converts and tolerated Christians and Jews
Encourage marriage, denounced adultery
Page 150

33. Fall of Umayyad Addiction to ______ ___________ source of tension
Stopped _______

34. Fall of Umayyad Addiction to luxury Succession source of tension
Stopped waring
Distribution of spoils-contempt for Demascus

35. Vocabulary
Arab-passerby or nomad-region; desert; inhabitant of the desert
Islam-from arabic-submission, aslama > submit to god
Muslim-from arabic-one who submits
All terms on quizlet

36. Abbasid Empire Named after Muhammad’s uncle al-Abbas
Abbasids overthrow _________(Sunni) in 750 AD
overthrow is greatly aided by
__________

37. Abbasid Empire Named after Muhammad’s uncle al-Abbas
Abbasids overthrow Umayyads (Sunni) in 750 AD
overthrow is greatly aided by
Shi’a (Ali)
Mawali

38. What’s missing?

39. A BATTLE

40. Battle of the River Zab 750 AD Abbasids BEAT Umayyads
Move capital to Baghdad

41. Side Notes: Important cities
Muhammad Mecca and Medina
Umayyad Damascus
Abbasids Baghdad

42. Abbasid Empire Fairly effective for 100 years
Very little influence on distant towns
Time of great urban expansion (cities are growing)
Many people convert
Revival of Afro-Eurasian trading network
Dhows
Page 155 and can refer to page 166