Islamic Rise: From Mohammed to Ottomans

1. The Rise of Islam

2. Early History • Arabs • Semitic speaking people of SW Asia • 106 BCE Rome turned into a province

3. Bedouins • Nomadic people from northern part of peninsula • Rulers- sheikh • Council- majlis • 2nd cen BCE began participating in caravans • Polytheistic • Allah over community of spirits • Spirits in natural objects • Sacred stones

4. Role of Mohammed (570-632) • Born in Mecca • Caravan manager • Angel Gabriel commanded him to preach the revelations he was given • Qur’an • guidelines by which followers were to live • Preached to residents of Mecca • 3 yrs 30 followers • 622 Hegira- toYathrib • Bedouins • Returned to Mecca at the head of military force • 632 Mohammed Died

5. Teachings of Mohammed • Monotheistic • Concerned with afterlife and salvation • must subject self to Allah • Qur’an • Sacred book and ethical guideline, code of laws, political theory • Five Pillars of Islam • Faithful guaranteed a place in paradise • A way of life • Shari’a • Law codes • strict behavioral requirements

6. Successors • No separation between political and religious authority • Abu Bakr • Caliph • Imam • Jihad • Arabic tribal customs to raid enemies

7. Arab Empire • Abu Bakr unified Arabs • Attacked Byzantine and Sassanian Empires • Yarmuk 636 defeated Byzantine army • 640 took Syria • 637 defeated Persian forces • Conquered Sassanids empire in 650 • Rapid expansion • Unification of Bedouins • Arab administrators • Conversion voluntary • Simple and direct new religion, w/ egalitarian qualities

8. The Umayyads • Abu Bakr’s successor Umar • Many preferred Ali • 656, Uthman, Umar’s successor, assassinated • Ali finally selected • 661 Ali assassinated • Mu’awiya, Ali’s chief rival replaced him • Made caliphate hereditary • Expansion • N Africa conquered the Berbers • 710 southern Spain • 717 attacked Constantinople; failed • 725 most of Iberian peninsula • By 732 into southern France

9. The Umayyads • Succession problems • Ali’s second son Hussein • Shi’ites • Rebelled against Umayyad rule in 680 failed • Schism between Shi’ites and Sunni (orthodox) continues to this day • Fall • Umayyad decadence • Non-Arabs resented favoritism • 750 revolt led by Abu al-Abbas

10. The Abbasids (750-1258) • Political, economic, cultural change • Judges, merchants, and gov’t viewed as ideal citizens • Opened Islamic culture to occupied civilizations • 762 new capital Baghdad • Abbasid Rule • conquered richest provinces of Rome • Controlled trade routes East • Added to wealth of Islamic world • Promoted exchange of culture and technology • Caliphs became more regal • Bureaucracy • Diwan • Vizier

11. The Abbasid Fall • Lack of spiritual authority • Financial corruption • Positions to court favorites • Life of luxury by caliphate an political and economic elites • Changes in armed forces and bureaucracy • Provincial rulers began to break away • Abd al-Rahman in Spain • Emir • Fragmentation of Islamic society • Moroccan independance • Fatimids in Egypt

12. Seljuk Turks • Nomads from central Asia • mercenaries of Abbasid • 1055 captured Baghdad • Sultan • Abbasid caliph titular religious leader • 1071 Byzantines vs. Seljuk • Byzantines turned to west for help • Beneficial Rule • Ended to squabbling between Sunni and Shi’ites • Revitalized Islamic laws and institutions • Political stability • Resentment by Persian Shi’ites • assassins

13. The Crusades • End of 11thcen Byzantium called for assistance from Christian states • Muslims desecrating Christian shrines in holy land • Molesting Christian pilgrims • From 1096 to 13thcen • Series of Christian raids on Islamic territory • 1169 Sunni Muslims took control over Egypt and Syria • Saladin • Christians confronted on 2 fronts • Saladin invades Jerusalem in 1187 • Benign reign • Christians returned • secured some coastal cities • Minimal impact on Middle East • United Islam against foreign invaders • Created mistrust of Christendom

14. The Mongols • Pastoral people out of Gobi desert • Spread across central Asia • Seized Persia and Mesopotamia • Ended Abbasid Caliphate • Not Muslims • Failed to seize Egypt • Mongols took lifestyle of conquered people • Ottomans • 1453 Sultan Mehmet II seized Constantinople • Ended Byzantine Empire

15. Islamic Civilization • Trade and Cities • Trade goods carried by ship and Camels • Banking • Urban areas flourished • palace of governor, caliph, or the Mosque • Poor in houses of mud or sun dried bricks • Bedouins in tents • Eating habits varied in accordance with economic standings and practices

16. Islamic Society • Egalitarian • Equality under eyes of Allah • Well defined upper class • No hereditary nobility • More urban than most other societies at time • Slavery wide spread • Women

17. Islamic Culture • Philosophy and science • preserved and spread of ancient world • Texts from India on Math and linguistics • Intro of paper • Numerical system of India • 9th cen al-jabr • Astronomy- observatory in Baghdad • New developments in optics, chemistry, anatomy

18. Art and Architecture • Blend of Arab, Turkish and Persian • Repetitive geometric ornamentation • Islamic literature • Rumi- embraced Sufism • Omar Khayyam- Rubaiyat & Tales from 1001 nights • Historical writings • Travel logs