Ch 7 Abbasid Decline and Spread of Islam

I. Excess and Decline Abbasid caliphs lived extremely lavishly Concubines, wives and courtiers Succession was a problem Al Mahdi’s son was poisoned 1 year after his death Solved with Harun al-Rashid ( ) 1001 Arabian Nights His death resulted in civil war Issues with slave armies

II. Breakdown and Decline Women lost rights Harem Slaves who could only win freedom with sons Protected by Eunuchs Arabs and non-Arabs Veil Slave women did not have to wear a veil Rich women No careers Poor Women Clothing, silk and rug production

II. Breakdown and Decline Slave armies were used during civil wars Extravagant building projects High taxes Irrigation fell apart Shi’ites caused rebellions

II. Breakdown and decline Invaders Buyids (945 AD) Persian invaders Captured Baghdad Sultans (victorious) Seljuk Turks (1055 AD) 200 years Sunnis who purged Shi’ites Came to rule the Ottoman empire

III. Crusades Catholic invasions to free Jerusalem (Holy Land) from the Muslims Encouraged by Byzantium Pope Urban II Series of 8 crusades 1 st most successful 3 rd - Muslims united under Saladin Ended with King Richard the Lion Hearted and Saladin making peace Most were failures Helped revive classical culture lost to the west Brought desire to trade with Middle East

III. Crusades

IV. Learning and Prosperity Town life grew Wealth in trade grew Art flourished Tapestry/Rugs Mosque grew Literature Persian replaces Arabic Illuminate text Poetry Shah-Nama (Book of Kings)- Firdwasi History book اسلامي

IV. Learning and Prosperity Science and Math Improved Greek Algebra and Geometry Trigonometry Sine, cosine and tangent Objective experimentation Al-Biruni: calculated specific mass of 18 minerals Astronomical tables Star maps Medicine Map Making

V. End of Abbasid Caliphate Was divided early on due to Succession Mongols Chinggis Khan (1220s) aka Ghengis Khan Raided Eastern provinces Hulegu Chinggis’s grandson Took Baghdad in 1258 (ended Abbasid rule) Pushed west and was defeated by the Mamluks of Egypt Cairo becomes Islam capital

V. End of Abbasid Caliphate

VI. Islam spreads to Asia Main region of spread was India Inevitable encounters Encountered some problems Did not spread easily and resulted in violence Islam is open socially while Hinduism is not Islam is strict religiously and Hinduism is flexible

VI. Islam spreads to Asia 1 st invasion (711 AD) Effects were not enduring Result of trade and Indian attacks on Arab ships General Muhammad ibn Qasim Umayyad 17 years old No real effect Treated as Dhimili Indian culture had more influence Did not add much territory

VI. Islam spreads to Asia 2 nd Invasion (962 AD) Turkish Slave dynasty Pushed to Afghanistan and into the Indus Valley Mahmud of Ghazni pushed raiding and conquest 3 rd ruler of dynasty Pushed deep into India Pursuit of wealth Muhammad of Ghur Succeeded Mahmud and conquered central India Qutb-ud-din Aibak Slave lieutenant took over after Muhammad’s assassination

VI. Islam spreads to Asia Indian converts Separated Arabs and Hindus Muslims put themselves into the top of the caste system Some gave themselves divine rule Most Muslims assimilated themselves into Arab society

VI. Islam spreads to Asia Hindus couldn’t assimilate Islam Used cults to make their religion more desirable Bhaktic Kabir and Mira Bai Gurus and mystics Islam tried to accommodate these differences Conversion did not happen frequently

VI. Islam spreads to Asia Southeast Asia Spread to Sumatra, and Strait of Malacca and Malaya Spread through trade Sufi Mystics spread Islam Mixed mysticism and Islam Allowed for pre-Islam belief More flexible