1. Chapter 7
Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia
I) The Islamic Heartlands in Middle and late Abbasid eras
II) The Age of Learning and Artistic Refinements
III) The Coming of Islam to South Asia
IV) The Spread of Islam to Southeast Asia

2. Chapter 7 Introduction
Abbasids losing control of empire by mid 9th century
Shi’a dissenters, slave and peasant uprisings
Mongol invaders ended empire by 13th century
Despite political decline, Islamic civilization widely expanded and reached new cultural heights.

3. I) The Islamic Heartlands in Middle and Late Abbasid Era
Despite artist and intellectual creativity of era, peasant revolts and slavery increased, women's role decline
The 3rd Abbassid Caliph al-Mahdi ( ) failed to reconcile moderate Shia to Abbasid rule, and surrounded his court with luxury
Didn’t establish succession system, leaving lasting problems to future rulers.
Although full scale civil war was avoided after al-Mahdi’s death, within a year his eldest son and successor was poisoned which cleared the way for one of the most famous and enduring of the Abbasid caliphs, Harun al-Rashid.

4. a) Imperial Extravagance and Succession Disputes
Harun al-Rashid became one of the most famous caliphs, his court’s extravagance shown in The Thousand and One Nights.
Became dependant on Persian advisors, and his death led to civil war over succession
Armies became power center, removing and selecting caliphs.

5. b) Imperial Breakdown and Agrarian Disorder
Civil violence drained treasury, as well as costly new imperial centers for caliphs
Tax burden on peasants, who rebelled and agricultural villages fell into disrepair
Bandits and vagabonds everywhere

6. c) The Declining Position of Women in the Family and Society
Abbasid society male dominated, need to be segregated to prevent lust
The veil and harem symbolize subjugation to men
Large demand for concubines and male slaves from neighboring non-Muslim lands
Women married at puberty and spent lives in domestic management and childbearing

7. d) Nomadic Incursions and the Eclipse of Caliphal Power
Former provinces began to challenge Abbasid rule by mid-tenth century.
In 945 the armies of one of the regional dynasties the Buyids, of Persia, invaded the heartland of the Abbasid Empire and captured Baghdad.
From that point on, Caliphs were powerless, controlled by sultans
In just over a century the Buyids control was broken, and the Seljuk Turks took over and ruled the remnants of the Abbasid empire for two centuries
Seljuk were staunch Sunni who purged the Shi’a, and restored power of caliphate
When the Egyptians and Byzantines were defeated, provided an opening to settle Anatolia, nucleus of later Ottoman Empire

8. e) The Effect of the Christian Crusades
Christian Knights from Western Europe invaded Holy Land.
The element of surprise and Muslim political division made the first of the eight crusades the most successful, and much of the Holy Land was captured (1099) and divided into Christian kingdoms.
Small rival kingdoms not a threat to powerful Muslim leaders.
Muslim leaders recapture holy land and unite under Saladin
Crusades had effect on Christian world by intensifying European borrowing of technology, architecture, medicine, science, mathematics and culture of Muslim civilization
Europeans recovered much Greek learning lost after the fall of Rome
Muslim people little interested in European civilization.

9. II) An Age of Learning and Artistic Refinements
Ibn Khaldun was one of the greatest historians and social commentators of all time, and served as political advisors at several of the courts of Muslim rulers in his native North Africa.
He wrote a universal history in the Muqadimah where he discussed the causes for the rise and fall of dynasties
Despite political and social turmoil Muslim thinkers produced one of the great ages in human creativity
Prosperity associated with rapid urban growth, employment for skilled individuals abundant
Merchant amassed fortunes by supplying needs on trade routes
Artisans created mosques, palaces, tapestries, rugs, bronzes and ceramics

10. a) The Full Flowering of Persian Literature
Persian replaced Arabic as primary written language of Abbasid court used for literacy expression. Administration and scholarship
Calligraphy made Literature an art form
Firdawisepic poem Shah-Nama ( Book of Kings) was a history of Persia from creation to Islamic conquest
Arabic still used for religion, law and natural sciences

11. b) Achievement in the Sciences
For several centuries, Muslim society surpassed all others
In math, used Greek ideas
In chemistry al-Razi classified all material into animal, vegetable and mineral.
Improved Astrolabe was used for mapping the heavens
In medicine, improved hospitals
Craftsmen introduce machines and techniques for papermaking, silk weaving and ceramic firing
Scholars made excellent maps

12. c) Religious Trends and the New Push for Expansion
Ulama (religious scholars) became suspicious of non-Muslim thought
Insisted Quran was all embracing source of knowledge
Greta Theologian al-Ghazali struggled to fuse Greek and Quranic traditions, but was often opposed by conservatives
The Sufis were most innovative, gained reputation as healers, sought personal relationship with Allah.

13. d) New Waves of Nomadic Invasions and the End of the Caliphate
The Mongols threatened Islamic lands in the early 13th century
Chinggis Khan destroyed Turkic-Persian kingdoms east of Baghdad.
Chinggis died before the heartland of the Muslim world were invaded, but his grandson Hulegu renewed the assaults and the Abbasid capital of Baghdad was sacked and taken by the Mongols in 1258.
After the last Abbasid ruler was killed, Baghdad became an unimportant backwater in the Muslim world.
The Monguls continued westward until they were finally defeated by the Mamluks, or Turkic slaves, who ruled Epypt.

14. III) The Coming of Islam to South Asia
Muslim invaders (711) added complexity to Indian civilization
Hindu religion tolerant, polytheistic, based on caste system whereas Islam was evangelistic, egalitarian and monotheistic
Early period many conflicts, but although tensions persisted, peaceful commercial and religious exchange occurred with Muslim rulers and Hindu subjects

15. Political Divisions and 1st Muslim Invasions
Umayyad general Muhammad ibn Qasim conquered and annexed Sind
Many Indians welcomed the new rulers because they were treated as “people of the book” and offered religious tolerance and lower taxes
Minimal conversion efforts did not change existing beliefs

16. b) Indian Influences on Islamic Culture
While Islam's effect on India was minimal, Islamic civilization was enriched by Indian culture
Indian achievements in science, math, medicine, music, and astronomy passed to Arabs
Indian numerals were accepted, later to pass to Europe as “Arabic numerals”
India became staging point for later Islamic expansion to Southeast Asia

17. c) From Booty to Empire: The 2nd Wave of Muslim Invasions
Internal Muslim divisions allowed Hindu reconquest
Turk Mahmud of Ghazni began two centuries of Islamic incursions into India
Persian Muhammad of Ghur created an Islamic state in the Indus Valley in the 12th century.
After Muhammad was assassinated in 1206, one of his slave lieutenants, Qutb-ud-din-Aibak seized power.
Delhi Sultanate (1206) rule a dynasty of military states in north central India for the next 300 years

18. d) Patterns of Conversion
Although Muslims came to India as conquerors, most exchanges with Indians was peaceful
Low and outcast Hindus were welcomed at Mosques and schools
Buddhists were the most numerous converts, often to escape taxes or intermarry
Many Muslims also fled to India to escape Mongol incursions.

19. e) Patterns of Accommodation
High caste Hindus did not accept invaders as equals, had little effect on community
Hindus thought Muslims would be absorbed by Hindu society
Muslims accepted Hindu social hierarchies, foods and attitudes toward women.
Muslim communities became socially divided along caste lines, and Muslims also adopted Indian foods and style of dress.
The Muslim influx had unfortunate consequences for women in both Hindu and Muslim communities.
The invaders increasingly adopted the Hindu practice of marrying women at earlier ages, and some upper class Muslim groups even preformed sati, the ritual of burning widows on the same funeral pyres as their deceased husbands.

20. f) Islamic Challenge and Hindu Revival
Despite Hindu influences, Muslims held to tenants of Islam.
Hindu response was devotional cults open to all castes, stressing emotional bond to gods, Shiva, Vishnu, and Kali.
Membership in these bhaktic cults was open to all, including women and untouchables.
Mira Bai, a low-caste woman, and Kabir, a weaver, wrote poems and songs in local languages accessible to common people
Movement helped stem the conversion to Islam

21. g) Stand-Off: The Muslim Presence in India at the End of the Sultanate Period
Similarities in message led to attempts to bridge gaps between Islam and Hinduism, which orthodox of each faith opposed
Brahamas called Muslim temple destroyers
Ulama stressed incompatibility of beliefs
By end of Sultanate period there were two distinct religious communities
South Asia remained least converted area to Islam, great majority still Hindu

22. IV) The Spread of Islam to Southeast Asia
Muslims by the 8th century had gained control of Indian commerce
Southeast Asian sailors from the Chinese trading complex met the Indian Ocean zone
Islamic culture reached Southeast Asia (1290)
When trading empire of Buddhist ruled Shrivijaya collapsed in 13th century, peaceful large scale Muslim entry was possible

23. Trading Contacts and Conversions
Peaceful contacts and conversion were more important than conquest in the spread of Islam
Trading contacts prepared way, with process forwarded by Sufis
Coastal cities most receptive to Islam, linked to trade ports on Indian Ocean.
The powerful trading city of Malacca replaced Shrivijaya, and Islam spread along the coasts of Malaya to east Sumatra to the trading center of Demak on the north coast of Java.
Buddhist dynasties in region were limited to elite, opening mass of population to Sufis

24. b) Sufi Mystics and the Nature of Southeast Asian Islam
Sufis often tolerant of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs, converts retained pre-Islamic practices, especially regulating social interaction
Islamic law ruled, women held stronger position than in Middle East or India
Many pre-Muslim beliefs were incorporated into Islamic ceremonies, such as Javanese puppet shadow plays

25. In Depth: Conversion and Accommodation in the Spread of Religions
Great civilizations and religions have been closely associated throughout history
Religions need strong core set of beliefs appeal to potential converts
Core beliefs maintain sense of identity, but flexibility to allow retention of important aspects of local culture
Capacity of Accommodation allowed Islam and later Christianity to spread to many differing communities.

26. Global Connections: Islam a Bridge Between Worlds
Despite political instability of Abbasids, Islam’s position in global history was solidified
Muslim world linked civilizations through trade and conquest, civilized nomadic people in Asia and Africa
Cultural contributions diffused widely, yet intellectual rigidity of the ulama caused Muslims to become less receptive to outside influences, unlike the transforming European world