Transcript Literature of the Middle East and Africa

Literature of the Middle
East and Africa
Unit Four: ad300-1900
Mysticism, Morals, and
Magic
Part 1: Persian and Arabic
Literature
Pre-Islamic Persia: 1000BC-AD642
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Aryan Nomads
C.1000BC: Settle in Persia (Iran)
600BC: 1200 years of Zoroastrianism
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Morality = good vs. evil divinities
Military Power
550BC: Cyrus the Great= merciful leader
Creation of roads, coinage, promotion of trade.
490BC: Battle of Marathon: defeated by Greeks
331BC: Alexander the Great conquers Persia
224BC: Native Persians gain control once again
Cyrus the Great 590-530BC
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Achaemenid Dynasty
United a Kingdom
First given the suffix “Great”
Merciful leader
Tomyrus (Queen of the
Massagetae): Lead a battle
which ultimately killed Cyrus.
Had his head dipped in blood
to avenge her son’s death.
Buried in Pasargadae, Iran.
“The Accursed Alexander”
BC356-323
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Crowned: BC336
Tutored by Aristotle
Huge expansion of
Macedonian Empire
Integrated conquered
regions into
Macedonian culture
Death: Probably
disease of some sort
Arabs and the Rise of Islam
AD 570-1258
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Early 600s: Arabic tradition prominent
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Decedents of Abraham
Farmer and traders
Creation of towns: oasis’ and watering holes =
MECCA (Muhammad’s birthplace)
Muhammad = Prophet who spread the new Islamic
faith
By 640: Most of Arabia and Persia had converted to
the Islamic belief.
1200: Islamic empire had reached it’s greatest
expansion
1258: The rise of independent Muslim city-states.
Mohammad the Prophet
AD 570-632
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Founder of Islam or
“Restorer of the
monotheistic religion”
United Arabian tribes with
Medina as its capital
Religious revelations
imparted to him through
visions of Gabriel
Koran describes how one
should lead his life as
Muhammad did.
A Persian Rebirth AD 819-1502
Samanids gain power in Eastern part of
the Islamic Empire
 Major city: Bukhara = rival to Baghdad as
a center of learning
 945: Persians gain control of Baghdad
 1055: Turks take over but continue to
allow Persians some power.
 Turks remained in power until 1502.
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People and Society
Nomads
Nomad = Wanderer
 Desert Nomads: Ancestors were the
Bedouins.
 Tribes a Clans
 Excellent Warriors and survivors.
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The Ruling Class
Theocracy = Government lead by
Religious authority
 10th Century: Political power shifts to
military dictators = emirs, sultans, or shahs
 Usually supported arts and learning
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The Lower Class
Mohammads plight helped the poor
 Under Islam, the poor lived a better life
 Islam: stressed charity and the freeing of
slaves
 Welcomed conquered peoples into Muslim
society
 Converter paid high tax and nonbelievers
paid even more
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Merchants and Traders
Many people grew wealthy as merchants
and traders
 Sold goods at “Bazaars”
 On major trade routes = increased
commerce and the trading of ideas with
those from other cultures
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The Learned Class
Scholars, Scientists, Writers, and Artists.
 Sponsored by powerful rulers
 Rulers believed that science and art were
an important part of their legacy
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Mystics
Dervish = mystic monk
 Lived in schools or communities not unlike
monasteries
 Fakir = traveling dervish
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Lived by begging
Women
Improved under Islam
 Given some rights regarding:
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Marriage
 Family
 Property
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Equal to men in the eyes of Allah
Arts and Culture
Islamic Architecture
Famous for it’s amazing architecture
 Temple = Mosque
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Arched walkways decorated with arabesque
patterns
 Minaret = Tower which the Muezzin used to
call out the times for prayer.
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Dome of the Rock
“Dome of the Rock” Jerusalem
Minaret
Domed roof
Mecca Mosque
Arabesque Carving
Scholarship and Science
Muhammad emphasized learning
 As Islamic empire expanded so did
learning
 Asia flourished as centers for learning
 Religion, Philosophy, Law, and Arabic
grammar
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Literature
Pre-Islam = oral tradition
 Post-Islam = traditions put into writing
 C.653: The writing of the Koran
 8th Century: Golden Age of Literature =
non-fiction: history, philosophy, science,
and biography.
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Persian Literature
Pre-Islam = great works of literature, ie.
“Avesta.”
 Islam into power = all literature in Arabic
 9th c.: Samanids come into power,
literature written in Persian once again
 Sufism: the blending of “the Persian poetic
tradition with the mystical brand of Islam”
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Decorative Art
Mainly abstract art
 Belief that only Allah could create life,
therefore one should not create images of
living creatures.
 Arabesque: symmetrical pattern used to
decorate everything from buildings to
dishes.
 Non-abstract art: Persian miniatures
depicting animals and people in urban
scenes.
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