Transcript The Spread of Islam

Post-Classical Period
600-1450
Fall of
Classic
Civilizations
Rise
Of
Major Belief
Systems
Classical Period ends with
decline of urban areas. Why?
•
•
•
•
Devastating plagues
Invasions
Decline of Ag. Production
Political & economic
decentralization
Urban Revival during PostClassical Age. Why?
• End of invasions
• Availability of safe/reliable
transport
• Rise of commerce and warmer
temps. between 800-1300
• Increased ag. production =
rising pop.
• Great availability of labor
Spread of Religions
• Buddhism
• Christianity
• Islam
Why successfully spread?
• Emphasized
spiritual life
• Stressed
importance of
divine powers
• Emphasized
internal
devotion
• Offers hope
through
afterlife
•Helped those in
need (poor,
hungry,
oppressed)
The Spread
of Islam
Origins of Islam
• Why was the
Arabian Peninsula
both a likely and
unlikely place to
start a religion???
Likely
•Strategic
location
Unlikely
•Geography –
desert
•People –
Located bwn 3
–Bedouins
continents &
–Tribal
major
waterways
–No unity
Changes during Late
Classical Period
•Towns
and
Cities
emerge
*
*
*
*
•Prominent
role of
Arab
Merchants
•Growth
of Arabic
language
•Materialistic
culture emerges
Literacy and
Education
increases
•Fall of Rome
Islam as a “Unifier”
• Distinctly Arabic
• Ended feuding tribes
• Source of Authority
• Equality and a moral code
• Trade and profit making
Islamic Expansion
Why conquest?
*Unity gave confidence
*Valuable lands/trade/money
*Drought in Arabia
*Seek Converts
First Commanded by Muhammad
Followed by the first Caliphs
Why was it successful?
• Quick, Agile Army
• Weak Surrounding Empires
• Taxing policies insured
loyalty and revenue
Umayyad Dynasty
661-750
• Capital moved to
Damascus
• Favoritism toward Arabs
• Second wave of
conquest/expansion:
W. India to Spain
• Caliph = religious
leader; family = advisors
Abbasids Dynasty
750-945
• Capital = Baghdad
• Tolerance towards nonArabs
• Consolidated Empire
• Caliph = Absolute ruler;
Vizier headed complex
bureaucracy
• Global Network of Trade;
Baghdad = major trade city
• Baghdad = center of Islamic
Golden Age
Problems within the
Empire
1. Issues of Succession
*After the death of
Muhammad
*Rightful heir?
Division Emerges
Sunnis
Shi’is (Shiite)
Forward
Fundamentalists
Majority
Minority
Anyone can
Claim to be direct
assume role of
descendants to
caliph
Muhammad-Only
they can be caliph
2. Empire
grew too big
• Rebellious governors
• Ruling a diverse people
• End of Arabian
dominance
RESULTS:
• By 1000 Abbasids were crumbling
• Other cultural influences takeover
Arabs
• Persians, Turks, Mongols
• Arabian Political Islamic Cultural
Dynamism
Dominance
Complete the following Analogy
What the birth and growth of Islam (Idea) did
for the Arabs (people)…
_____________________ (Idea) did for
the__________________(people) because
they both
____________________________________
____________________________________