Transcript Early Empires of the Middle East

Do Now: What’s the historic
importance of the Middle East?
 “Middle East”
 Euro-Centric name given to describe the land between the
far east and Europe
 Includes North Africa, Maghreb, because of the cultural ties
including Islamic culture and Arabic language.
 Situated between 3 continents making it a historically
important area.
 Oil Reserves
 Trade Routes
 Between North Africa, Middle East, Europe and South and East
Asia.
 Religion
 Judaism, Christianity and Islam
 Early civilizations and ideas
 Iron work, the alphabet, etc.
 Suez Canal– Controlled by
Egypt
 Dardanelles and Bosporus-Controlled by Turkey
(Turkish Straits)
 Mediterranean, Black,
Caspian, Aegean, Red and
Arabian Seas
 Persian Gulf, Gulf of
Oman, Gulf of Aden
Region 1
 Anatolian Plateau
(Turkey) with fertile soil
and enough moisture to
farm—
 Ringed by the Pontic and
Taurus Mountains.
 Large Population
 Center of Ottoman
Empire
Region 2
 Iranian Plateau
 Ringed by Elburz and
Zagros Mountains
 Very Dry
 Small Population
 Birthplace of the Persian
Empire
 Surrounded by important
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bodies of water
Mostly desert
People live in oases (fertile
areas in desert)
Low Population
Lots of Oil and therefore
wealthy nations
Home of Mecca (Muslim
pilgrimage site)
 Rich Soil and plenty of water
 Includes Nile River delta
 Home of Mesopotamia (land
between the rivers) which
was the birthplace of
civilization
 fertile and home of ancient
Egypt and Nubia-Kush
 Predictable floods
 Valley was isolated by deserts.
 Sparsely
populated due to
Sahara and Atlas
Mountains
 Most people live
along
Mediterranean
Coast
 Population near rivers, coasts and oases
 Tigris, Euphrates, Nile
 Sparsely populated due to arid climate
 Most Important Resources
 Lack water
 Have Oil
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 Animation
 Cairo
 Umayyad Caliphate 661-750 CE
 Centered in Damascus, Syria
 Emphasis on Arab culture
 Discrimination toward non-Arab
 Abbasid Caliphate 750-1258
 Caliph was descendent of Muhammad
 Overthrew Umayyad
 New Capital at Baghdad prospered
 Built Hospitals, Mosques, Libraries, Schools, Irrigation
systems, etc.
 Outcome of 500 years= unified Muslim world
 Though Islam and Arabic united the region
 Persian, Greek, Roman, Indian and Egyptian culture was
absorbed into the culture
 Expansion and Development
 Shipping fleets traded
 Goods like Steel and textiles traded for silk and porcelain
 Banks established at trade posts
 Issued credit to merchants
 Educational contributions are numerous
 House of Wisdom in Baghdad 1004 by Caliph Al-Mamun
 1300s Ottomans in Anatolia
 Nomads swept into region led by Osmen Bay
 1453, Mehmed “the Conquerer” captured
Constantinople ending the Byzantine Empire
 Suleiman (1520-1566)- The “Lawgiver”
 Ruled 50 million people
 Height of the Ottoman Empire
Sunni empire
 Sultan– Head of government– Absolute power
 2 groups of officials to help run empire
 Men of Pen—Viziers (Lawyers, judges, mathematicians,
writers)
 Men of the Sword—Janizary Corp (soldiers and body guards)
 Both groups made up of Christian children taken from
conquered lands
 Did not have ties to rival Muslim families/tribes
 Millet—Non-Muslim communities loyal to Sultan
 1500s the Safavids waged war on Ottomans
 Iran
 Safavids Shiite– Ottomans Sunnis
 Abbas the Great 1587-1629 Shah (King)
 European helped him to fight against Ottomans
 Trained in Musketry and Cannonry
 Encouraged trade
 Brought Chinese to Capital
 Shahs ruled till 1979 though the Safavids were gone by 1736