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The World of Islam Part #2. The World of Islam Part #2. From the Internet. Umayya Architecture. Dome of the Rock. The Abbasi Dynasty.
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The World of Islam Part #2 From the Internet
Umayya Architecture Dome of the Rock
The Abbasi Dynasty • Amidst growing resentment toward the Umayya Dynasty Abu al-Abbas, a descendent of Muhammad’s uncle, overthrew the Umayya Dynasty in 750 and established the Abbasid Dynasty. • The Dynasty lasted until 1258 A.D.
Abbasi Rule • The Abbasi moved the capital of their empire to Baghdad. • This move increased Persian influence and changed Abbasi culture. • Under this dynasty the new heroes were judges, merchants, and government officials. • This dynasty did not favor Arab rule and the empire became more culturally diverse.
Haroon al-Rashid • The greatest of the Abbasi Khalifas. This is called the golden age of the Abbasi Dynasty • He was known for his charity and was a great supporter of culture and the arts. • His son continued the tradition and supported the study of astronomy and began to translate classical Greek works into Arabic.
Trade • Baghdad became a major crossroads for trade. • This made the city very wealthy. • This also helped spread products and knowledge from the Middle East to parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Government Administration • The government of the Abbasids became more like a monarchy. • The bureaucracy which assisted the Khalifa became more complicated. • In order to assist him the Khalifa appointed a Vizier who was like a prime minister. • This man was the chief advisor to the Khalifa and would help him run the government.
Decline and Division • There was great difficulty in the Abbasi Dynasty with imperial succession. • There was also financial corruption. • Khalifas began to recruit from non-Arab groups for government administration such as the Turks and the Persians. • These groups came to dominate the political situation.
Rulers of provinces began to break away and establish independent kingdoms. • Spain had an independent Khilaafah at Cordoba which had been established in 750 by Umayya rulers who fled the Abbasi Dynasty. • Morocco became independent. • The Fatimi dynasty was established in Egypt with the capital at Cairo in 973.
SeljukTurks and the Crusades • As the Fatimi Dynasty in Egypt became more powerful they became the new center of the Muslim world. • One group which came to power in this region were the Seljuk Turks. • The Turks played a large role in the military and many rose through the ranks to gain a lot of political power.
The Turks were originally a nomadic people who converted to Islam and were great soldiers in the Abbasi Khilaafah. • As the Abbasi weakened, the Turks became stronger moving into the areas of Iran and Armenia. They eventually took over many Abbasi territories.
The Sultan • The Turks were ruled by a Sultan, meaning “head of state.” • While the Abbasi were still a religious authority when the Turks captured Baghdad they were the military and political leaders of the state. • The Turks in the second half of the 11th century kept putting pressure on the Byzantine Empire. In 1071 they defeated the Byzantine army at Manzikert and gained control of Asia Minor (Anatolian Peninsula) • In desperation, the Byzantine Empire turned to the West for help. This led to a series of wars known as The Crusades.
The Crusades • The Byzantine Emperor Alexius I sent a letter to the Pope (Urban II) asking for help against the Turks. • This led to a series of wars in 1096 known as The Crusades. • At first the Crusaders were successful and took the city of Jerusalem. • In 1187 the Muslim leader Saladin retook the city, leaving the Christians with only a small collection of land holdings in the Middle East. • The Crusades had a lasting impact-breeding centuries of mistrust between the Muslim world and the Christian World.
The Mongol Threat • The Mongols were a pastoral, horse-riding people who swept out of the Gobi in the early 13th century to seize control over much of the known world. • They were not Muslims and find it difficult to adapt to city life. • They spread destruction across Asia into Muslim territory. • The Invasion began with Genghis Khan and was continued under the leadership Kublia Khan and Hulegu. • They seized Mesopotamia destroying the city of Baghdad in 1258 • The Mongols made it as far as the Red Sea, but were unable to take Egypt. • Over time the Mongol rulers converted to Islam and rebuilt the Muslim world.
Prosperity in the Islamic World • The Muslim empires carried on extensive trade with China, the Byzantine Empire, India, and SE Asia. • Trade was done by ship and by camel caravans which traveled from Morocco in the West to the countries beyond the Caspian Sea in Central Asia to the East. • Goods • Sub Saharan Africa: Gold and Slaves • China: Silk and Porcelain • E. Africa: Gold and Ivory • SE Asia and India: Sandalwood and Spices. • Egypt: Grain • Iraq: Linen, Dates, and Precious Stones • W. India: Textiles • The development of banking helped to facilitate trade and eventually influenced European banking systems during the European Renaissance.
The Role of Cities • Flourishing trade led to wealthy and successful cities. • Baghdad-was known as the city of peace and was highly successful under the Abbasi rule • Cairo: Was part of the Fatimi Dynasty, prosperous • Cordoba: Capital of Umayya Spain, prosperous too • Cities had Palaces for the Khalifas and mosques for worship. • There were also public buildings with fountains, courtyards, public baths, and a bazaar.
The Bazaar • The covered market was a central part of each Muslim city. • There were high standards for business and sanitation. • It was a place where people could acquire both goods and services.
Agriculture • While cities were expanding a vast majority of the people still lived in the country and made their living in agriculture. • Originally the land was owned by peasants, but was eventually bought by aristocrats and was worked by slave labor.
Islamic Society • Islam is considered more than just a religion, it is seen as a way of life that encompasses politics, economics, and social life. • According to the Quran, all people were equal in the eyes of God, but in reality, the Muslim Empires did not follow this ideal. There was a well developed upper and lower class. • Non-Muslims were not considered equal to Muslims and slavery was widespread (as in the rest of the ancient world). Slaves were usually non-Muslims because Islamic law made it illegal for one Muslim to enslave another. • Slaves served in the military or served as domestic servants. • Slaves could sometimes purchase their freedom and it was considered a good act to free ones slaves.
The Role of Women • Originally, the Quran granted women spiritual and social equality with men. Both men and women were to be friends and protectors of one another. • Women could earn a living and own and inherit property. They played a prominent role in the rise of Islam. • Men and Women had assigned social duties, but most societies in which Islam arose were male dominated
Women in these societies had to have a male guardian and parents arranged marriages for their children. • Men could have up to four wives, but they had to pay a dowry (gift of money or property) to their wives’ families. • Women did have the right to divorce and adultery was forbidden for both men and women. • After the spread of Islam local traditions began to assert themselves and many of the rights that were initially given to women in Islam were replaced by older traditions which denied women equal rights. A similar thing happened to the rights of early Christian women once Christianity became merged with Roman influence.
The Veil • The veil worn by Muslim women is traditionally called the Hijab. • The ideal of women wearing veils was common in many Middle Eastern cultures before the advent of Islam. • In Ancient Mesopotamia a veil was a symbol of status, purity, and moral character. • There is some controversy over this use of these veils today. There are different interpretations of this tradition in different parts of the Muslim world. • In general, women and men are supposed to dress modestly, the degree of that modesty varies from region to region according to local custom and tradition.
In the Quran the Hijab has different meanings it can mean a curtain or partition dividing rooms--in other verses it is a sacred divide between the earth and holy, god and human, light and dark, and men and women. The Hijab covers the head and Neck The Chador covers the full body with a head scarf underneath. The covering that women wear varies from country to country. The Burka (Burqa) is a veil that completely covers the face and body.
Philosophy, Science, and History • The Arab world was aware of Greek thought and had been in the process of translating and preserving these works for years. This becomes very important later on when this knowledge is rediscovered by Europe during The Renaissance. • The knowledge of the Muslim world was preserved in Baghdad in a library known as the House of Wisdom.
Preservation of Knowledge • Muslim scholars helped to preserve the knowledge of Greece and Rome by translating works and making them available to other scholars. • It is because of this that European scholars were able to rediscover the works of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers. • In the twelfth century these works were translated into Latin . • The discovery of paper-making technology from China made this much easier.
Islamic Advancements • Muslims scholars not only preserved works of Greek philosophy, they also interpreted the works and wrote extensive commentary on them. • The Muslim philosopher Ibn-Rushd wrote on nearly all of Aristotle’s works.
Math and Science • Muslim scholars adopted and passed on the numerical system of India, and the use of zero. These numbers came to be known in the west as Arabic numbers. • A ninth-century Arab mathematician also developed algebra.
Astrolabe • Muslims also studied astronomy which led to the development of the Astrolabe. This instrument was used for naval navigation by observing the positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies. • This invention made it possible for European sailors to sail to the Americas.
Medicine • The Muslims philosopher and scientist Ibn Sina wrote a medical encyclopedia which explained contagious diseases. • This became the foundation for later European medical advancements.
History • The Muslims historian Ibn-Khaldun lived in the 14th century. • This book, Introduction to History proposed a cyclical view of history with the rise and fall of civilizations.
Literature • Many Muslims consider the Quran to be the greatest work of Muslim literature, but there was a strong oral tradition prior to the Quran which continued to have influence. • The poet Omar Khayyam. He was a twelfth century Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer. • He wrote about many different themes and his poems were recorded by his friends after his death.
The 1001 Nights/Arabian Nights • Probably a famous piece of Muslim literature is the 1001 Nights or Arabian Nights. • This is a collection of stories based around a central theme. • The Sultan king of Baghdad wishes to kill his wife on their wedding night. The princess Scheherazade tells him stories each night to prevent her death, eventually winning him over. • The tales include the familiar stories of Aladdin and Ali Baba and the forty thieves.
Art and Architecture • Islamic art is a blend of Arab, Turkish, and Persian traditions. • Islamic art and architecture is guided by the Quran which forbids of representation of living beings. So mosques and palaces are decorated with floral motifs and geometric patterns (known as arabesque) and Arabic script.
The Great Mosque at Samurra In present-day Iraq, it was the largest mosque at the time. It covered 10 acres. Most famous section is the minaret, or tower, it is from this tower that the Mu’athin, or Crier calls the faithful to prayer five times a day.
Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain • Ninth-century mosque in southern Spain. Its hundreds of columns support horseshoe arches and make it seem like a forest of trees.
Arabesque and Calligraphy • Since depictions of living things are forbidden many Mosques are decorated with Arabesque and Arabic Calligraphy.
