THE FIRST TRANS-REGIONAL CIVILIZATION ISLAM THE FIRST TRANS-REGIONAL CIVILIZATION

POST CLASSICAL ARABIA Romans (Byzantines) and Persians had client kingdoms in area Active in long-distance over land trade Trade from Damascus to Mecca/Medina to Yemen Trade across desert to Persian Gulf and along coast Part of Red Sea trade system; links between Yemen and Abyssinia Trade includes gold, frankincense and myrrh Religion was polytheistic Groups of Jews in Arabia; Monophysite Christians in cities

THE ORGANIZATION OF ISLAM The umma Organized a cohesive community called umma in Medina Led commercial venture Sometimes launched raids against Mecca caravans Helped the poor and needy

ISLAMIC LAW: SHARIA The sharia Emerged during the centuries after Muhammad Detailed guidance on proper behavior in almost every aspect of life Drew laws, precepts from the Quran Drew traditions from Arabic culture, Hadith Through the sharia, Islam became a religion and a way of life

EXPANSION OF ISLAM Dar al Islam The expansion of Islam 633-637, seized Byzantine Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia 640s, conquered Egypt and north Africa 651, toppled Sassanid dynasty 711-718, conquered the Hindu kingdom of Sind, Iberia, NW Africa Success due to weakness of enemies, vigor of Islam Dar al Islam The Islamic world where the Sharia is in force, Islam dominates Dar el Harb is the land of the unbelievers, or non-Muslims The Shia and Sunnis The Sunnis ("traditionalists") accepted legitimacy of early caliphs Were Arab as opposed to Islamic Did not feel caliphs had to be related to Muhammad The Shia sect supported Ali (last caliph and son in law of Muhammad) A refuge for non-Arab converts, poor; followers in Iraq, Iran Felt caliphs should be directly related to Muhammad Two sects struggled over succession; produced a civil war, murder

UMAYYAD DYNASTY The Umayyad dynasty (661-750 C.E.) New caliph won civil war; murdered Ali; established dynasty Established capital city at Damascus in Syria Ruled for the interests of Arabian military aristocracy Policy toward conquered peoples Dhimmis were the conquered Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians Levied jizya (head tax) on those who did not convert to Islam Even the converts did not enjoy wealth, position of authority

UMAYYAD DECLINE Umayyad decline Caliphs became alienated from Arabs by early 8th century By the mid-century, faced strong resistance of the Shia faction The discontent of conquered peoples also increased Umayyad family slaughtered; only one son escaped to Spain Formed breakaway Umayyad Dynasty in Spain

ABBASID DYNASTY Abu al-Abbas The Abbasid dynasty (750-1258 C.E.) A descendant of Muhammad's uncle; allied with Shias and non-Arab Muslims Seized control of Persia and Mesopotamia during 740s Shattered Umayyad forces at a battle in 750; annihilated the Umayyad clan The Abbasid dynasty (750-1258 C.E.) Showed no special favor to Arab military aristocracy Empire still growing, but not initiated by the central government Abbasid administration Relied heavily on Persians, Persian techniques of statecraft Central authority ruled from the court at Baghdad, newly built city Governors ruled provinces; Ulama, qadis (judges) ruled local areas Harun al-Rashid (786-809 C.E.) Represented the high point of the dynasty Baghdad became metropolis, center for commerce, industry, and culture

ABBASID DECLINE Abbasid decline Struggle for succession between Harun's sons led to civil war Governors built their own power bases, regional dynasties Local military commanders took title of Sultan Popular uprisings and peasant rebellions weakened the dynasty A Persian noble seized control of Baghdad in 945 Later, the Seljuk Turks controlled the imperial family

AN URBAN CIVILIZATION Arab Urban History Pre-Islamic Arabs were both urban, bedouin Mecca, Medina, Yemeni cities, cities of Palmyra, Arab Petropolis Center of the city was a market place often shared with religious center Cities designed with human-environment interaction in mind Nomads came to city to trade, city often settled by whole tribes Arabs had settled in cities in Syria, Iraq, Jordan Arabic cities linked to wider world through merchants, trade Arab cities exposed to Jews, Persians, Monophysites, Sabeans Monophysite Christians Believed in a single (mono) nature of Christ—divine (his human nature was fused into his divine nature. Sabean Group of Arabians who lived in Southern Arabia (Yemen) Some of their religious practices were incorporated into Islam.

Arabic Empire and Urban Growth Islam as a culture requires mosque, merchant: very urban in outlook Capital moved from Mecca to Damascus by Umayyads Arabs founded military cities on edges of desert to rule empire As empire grew, needed something more permanent Abbasids moved capital from Damascus, Kufa to Baghdad Other designed for purpose cities include Fez, Cairo, Tunis Increasing agricultural production contributed to growth of cities Cities: centers for administration, industry, trade, education, faith Many different ethnic minorities settled in Muslim cities (quarters) Mosque at center surrounded by suk, square, in decreasing social order

CHANGED ECONOMICS Merchants, pilgrims, travelers exchanged foods across empire The exchange and spread of food and industrial crops Indian plants traveled to other lands of the empire Staple crops: sugarcane, rice, new varieties of sorghum and wheat Vegetables: spinach, artichokes, eggplants Fruits: oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, coconuts, watermelons, mangoes Industrial crops: cotton, indigo, henna Effects of new crops Increased varieties and quantities of food Industrial crops became the basis for a thriving textile industry Foodstuffs increased health, populations of cities Agricultural experimentation Numerous agricultural manuals Agricultural methods and techniques improved Improved irrigation

A VAST TRADE ZONE Camels and caravans Overland desert trade traveled mostly by camel caravan Caravanserais (motel, corrals) in Islamic cities Trading goods usually luxury in nature Maritime trade based on technological borrowing Arab, Persian mariners borrowed Compass from the Chinese Lateen sail from southeast Asian, Indian mariners Astrolabe from the Hellenistic mariners Organization and dominance of trade In North Africa across Sahara, down Nile, SW Asia, to India Eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabia Gulf down coasts Many cities grew rich from trade Entrepreneurs often pooled their resources in group investments Different kinds of joint endeavors Banks Operated on large scale and provided extensive services Letters of credit, or sakk, functioned as bank checks Exchange of Ideas included Islam, technology, culture

ISLAMIC TRADE

OTHER ISLAMIC REGIONS Al-Andalus Islamic Spain, conquered by Muslim Berbers Claimed independence from the Abbasid dynasty Participated in commercial life of the larger Islamic world Products of al-Andalus enjoyed a reputation for excellence Cordoba was a center of learning, commerce, architecture After death of Abd al Rahman III broke up into petty kingdoms A unique blended culture Arab, Latin, German, Islamic, Christian, Jewish Very tolerant and integrated society Warred for 700 years with Christian kingdoms in north

MUSLIM SPAIN

OTHER ISLAMIC REGIONS North Africa Central Asia Strong followers of Shia, broke with Abbassids Berbers followed many puritanical Shia like movements Eventually Fatimids conquered Egypt, formed rival caliphate Central Asia Largely Turkish, Persian and Islamic but not Arabic Tended to be distant from Baghdad and more tolerant Integrated into trans-Eurasian trade network

MUSLIM CENTRAL ASIA

WOMEN’S CHANGING STATUS Pre-Islamic Arab Women Arabs as nomads allowed women many rights Women often poets, tribe leaders Some evidence of matrilineal tribes The Quran and women Quran enhanced rights, security of women Forced husbands to honor contracts, love women Allowed women to own property, protected from exploitation What produced the change Foreign Contacts changed the perspective Adopted veiling from Mesopotamia, Persia Isolation from India through purdah, harem Muslim rights for women Often weaken through Hadith, traditions Often reduced, ignored Patriarch beliefs reinforced by conquest Yet Quran, sharia also reinforced male domination Role of Hadith, Arab traditions reinforced male domination

IMAGE OF WOMEN

ISLAMIC CULTURAL TRADITION Quran, sharia were main sources to formulate moral guidelines Constant struggle between what is Arabic and what is Islamic Use of Arabic script as only language of Islam strengthened trend Persians, Turks, Indians, and Africans struggled for acceptance Promotion of Islamic values Ulama, qadis, and missionaries were main agents Education also promoted Islamic values Sufis Islamic mystics, effective missionaries Encouraged devotion by singing, dancing Led ascetic, holy lives, won respect Encouraged followers to revere Allah in own ways Tolerated those who associated Allah with other beliefs The hajj The Kaa'ba became the symbol of Islamic cultural unity Pilgrims helped to spread Islamic beliefs and values

ISLAM & OTHER CONTACTS Persian influence on Islam Turkish influences After Arabs most prominent of Muslims, resisted Arabization Cultural traditions often borrowed heavily by Islam Became early followers of Shia Government and regionalism Many advisors (vizer is Persian word) to Caliphs were Persian Cultured, diplomatic language of Abbassid court became Persian Literary achievements Omar Khayyam was greatest of Medieval Muslim poets The Arabian Nights largely in a Persian style Turkish influences Central Asian nomads converted to Islam, developed literary culture Invaded SW Asia and made caliphate dependent on Turkish nomads Formed military might, leadership of late Abbassid state Indian Influences Purdah and harem borrowed from Hindus "Hindi numerals," which Europeans called "Arabic numerals" Greek Influences Muslims philosophers especially liked Plato and Aristotle; Greek math Effort of harmonizing two traditions met resistance from Sufis