1. THE ISLAMIC EMPIRE

2. Essential Question: p. 36
What was the impact of the Islamic Empire under the Abbasids and the Umayyads?

3. Overview of Islam
Around the year 600 CE, a new monotheistic religion called Islam began
Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian city of Mecca
After the Hijrah to the city of Medina, Muhammad gained Muslim converts and returned to Mecca, conquering the city

4. Muslims believe in the Five Pillars of Islam:
Faith: belief in one God, Allah, and the Prophet Muhammad
Prayer: 5 times per day towards Mecca
Alms: 2.5% to charity
Fasting: During the month of Ramadan
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
MECCA

5. They became known as the “Rightly Guided Caliphs”
Islam After Muhammad
When Muhammad died in 632, the Muslim community elected a new leader called a caliph (successor)
The first four caliphs all knew Muhammad and promised to stay true to the Qu’ran and Muhammad’s message
They became known as the “Rightly Guided Caliphs”

6. He used jihad to control and expand the Islamic Empire
Islam After Muhammad
The first caliph was Muhammad’s friend and father-in-law, Abu Bakr; his goal was to keep Muslims under his government (the “caliphate”)
After Muhammad’s death people began to turn their backs on Islam (declaring themselves prophets, not paying taxes etc)
Jihad means striving - Used 2 ways- the inner struggle against evil and armed struggle against non-believers
He used jihad to control and expand the Islamic Empire

7. The Rightly Guided Caliphs
The empire expanded under the next caliphs

8. The caliphs used the Shari'a (laws of Islam) to govern the Empire
During the Rightly Guided Caliphates, the Islamic Empire expanded “Dar-al-Islam” (the areas where Islam is practiced)
The caliphs used the Shari'a (laws of Islam) to govern the Empire
The caliphate never forced non-Muslims to convert, especially “People of the Book” (Jews and Christians); they allowed religious tolerance as long as taxes were paid to the Empire

9. The Umayyad Empire
After the death of the fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, a civil war for control of the Empire began
The clan that came to power started the Umayyad Empire
However, the rise of Umayyads led to a division in Islam

10. The Sunni-Shi’a Split
Before the Umayyads, caliphs were elected members of Muhammad’s family
Shi’a Muslims rejected the rule of the Umayyads
Sunni Muslims accepted the rule of the Umayyads
The Shi’a believe that caliphs must come directly from Muhammad’s bloodline
The Sunni believe that caliphs should follow Muhammad’s example, but do not have to be relatives
Shi’a meant party of Ali

12. The Umayyad Empire
The Umayyads expanded the Empire, which brought wealth and new Islamic converts
Some don’t like this wealth and excess

13. In 750, the Umayyad Empire was overthrown by the Abbasids
Under the Abbasids, the Islamic Empire grew to its greatest extent

14. The Abbasids’ rule over the Islamic Empire lasted from 750 to 1258
The Abbasid Empire
The Abbasids’ rule over the Islamic Empire lasted from 750 to 1258
The Abbasid caliphate built a strong government bureaucracy to rule the Empire

15. The Abbasid Empire
Muslim merchants expanded the Empire’s wealth by trading across Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea

16. The Abbasid Empire
Wealth from trade led to a “golden age”, a time of great Muslim achievements in science, mathematics, medicine, and architecture

17. “Acquire knowledge. It enableth its possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it lighteth the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless; it guideth us to happiness; it sustaineth us in misery; it is an ornament amongst friends, and an armour against enemies.”
-Muhammad

18. <--- Astrolabe: Interest in astronomy developed due to 3 of the pillars of Islam: Praying towards Mecca, fasting during Ramadan and performing the hajj
Art focused on geometric patterns, not people

19. Calligraphy
Architecture was a blend of different cultures including Rome, Byzantine and new elements

20. The Islamic empire made significant contributions to medicine and mathematics
Al-Razi wrote an encyclopedia called the Comprehensive Book, it drew on knowledge from Greek, Syrian, Arabic and Indian sources
Some attribute the beginnings of algebra to Al-Khwarizmi
Muslim scientists conducted experiments in laboratories

21. The House of Wisdom was a center of learning located in Baghdad
It was here that scholars translated texts and studied information from other cultures (Greeks, Romans, India etc)