1. The Rise and Spread of Islam

2. Rise of Islam
After Muhammad’s monotheistic revelations, Islam (submission) spread through Medina and Mecca.
Islam provided answers to many of Arabia’s problems.
Islam was influenced by neighboring Jews, Zoroastians, and Christians but was uniquely Arab.

3. Problems Islam addressed
Poverty – with Zakat
Warfare – by unifying Arabia
Inequality – since all believers are equal
Literacy – with Arabic
Vulnerability to outside attack – by unifying
Lack of legal code – providing Sharia
Women’s rights – guaranteeing certain rights

4. The Caliphate
Once united under one ruler (the Caliph), the Arabs focused on conquest.
The death of Muhammad brought conflict between Muslims over leadership (sunni vs. shia)
The Umayyad clan took control of the Caliphate
During the Umayyad rule Islam expanded rapidly

6. The Abbasid Caliphate
After the failure of the Umayyad Caliphate Abbas established the Abbasid Caliphate
Ultimately the Abbasids became weak & corrupt; the Caliphate fell apart
The spread of Islam continued, and the Abbasid period brought cultural, intellectual, and economic advances

9. Islam and Trade Arab traders and Sufis spread Islam along trade routes
Sharia became new business law
Arabs used the camel and dhow to expand and intensify trade
Establishment of caravanserai

11. The Rise of Ghana
Trade routes between Saharan & Sub-Saharan: Gold for Salt
Ghana taxed trade
Two major cities:
Arab town of traders
center of government
Influence of Islam limited

12. Mali Est. by SUNDIATA Leaders and the elite converted to Islam, but:
Syncretic version: kept local religion too
Used Islam to establish royal cult
Spread Islamic architecture, law, learning
Agricultural economy but also taxed trade
Most famous Musa was Mansa: went on Hajj

15. Mansa Musa’s Hajj Took 8,000 people with him across the Sahara
So much gold = devalued gold in Egypt
On return brought architects and religious experts back
Built mosques along the route
Funded madrasas
Timbuktu as center of learning

18. DjinguereBer Mosque
Timbuktu

19. Changes to Mali after MM’s Hajj
New mosques built
Madrasas opened
Orthodox movement
Established safety within region for trade

21. Swahili Coast Spread of Islam with trade
City-states/kingdoms (not unified)
Arabs middlemen in trading
Mixed language – Swahili – emerged
Islamic architecture, customs, Arabic script, etc. spread
Most common people did not convert