Islamic Civilization Chapter 6 Section 3

Prosperity in the Islamic World Extensive trading network that included the Islamic world, China, India, and Byzantium Imports to the empire - slaves, gold, ivory (Africa) silk, porcelain (China), sandalwood, spices (SE Asia, India) Produced within – grain, linens, dates, precious stones, and textiles

The Role of Cities Baghdad known as the City of Peace – was the greatest city in the empire and one of the greatest in the world Cairo and Damascus as well All three were centers for administrative, cultural, and economic activities Cordoba – capital of Umayyad Spain

The Role of Cities Islamic cities had distinct appearances Bazaars Urban buildings for government officials Mosques for worship Public buildings, public baths, and bazaars Bazaars covered markets where goods from various regions were sold They had inspectors for mostly sanitary and safety reasons Also had shops, laundries and bath houses

The Importance of Farming Arab Empire more urban than other areas of the world The majority of the people lived as farmers or herders At first small farmers (peasants) owned the land, later on it was wealthy land owners (sound familiar?) Lands owned by states were farmed by slave labor River valleys most remained independent

Islamic Society Being a Muslim means more than worshipping Allah Life must be lived according to Allah’s teachings in the Quran Quran is compiled in 635 All of life’s questions are dictated and answered through Islamic teachings

Social Structure In Islam all people are equal in the eyes of Allah Sound great on paper, hard to put into practice Upper class well defined and had more than merchants and farmers Slaves no where near equal – most coming from Africa and non-Muslim populations (a Muslim can’t be a slave) Slaves served in the army (most were freed) Female slaves used as domestic servants Slaves must be treated fairly – good act to free them (Charity)

The Role of Women Quran grants spiritual and social equality to women Could earn money, own and inherit property Women had different duties than men Women have a male guardian Arranged marriages Men could have up to 4 wives – didn’t happen often because a dowry a gift of money or property, had to be paid to the brides

The Role of Women Could enter into a marriage freely and could divorce under certain circumstances Adultery is forbidden Some older customs override the freedom afforded to Muslim women Covering of almost all body parts is widely accepted, but not dictated by the Quran rather traditional Arab customs Even though they had restrictions, they had more freedom that most women during that time period

The Culture of Islam Chapter 6 Section 4

Preservation of Knowledge Aware of other ancient civilizations like Greece Important Greek works were translated into Arabic Read and studied by Muslim scholars kept in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad Made easier by making paper Paper factories were established in Baghdad followed by booksellers and libraries Thanks to the Arabic translations Greek works survived and were translated into Latin for the western world

Philosophy, Science, and History Ibn-Rushad – lived in Cordoba and wrote commentaries on most of Aristotle’s surviving works “Arabic” system of numbers was acquired from India - includes the use of zero Algebra can be credited to an Arab mathematician Observatory in Baghdad used to study positions of stars Knew the Earth was round and named several stars Perfected the astrolabe an instrument used by sailors to determine their location using the stars and planets

Philosophy, Science, and History Ibn Sina Wrote a medical encyclopedia that’s translated into Latin Becomes basic medical textbook for medieval Europe Ibn-Khaldun Historian – most famous work Muqaddimah (Introduction to History) Argues that civilizations go through cycles (birth, growth, decay) Looked for scientific basis for political and social factors that determine history

Literature Quran – greatest literary work Most famous Middle Eastern literature Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam and The 1001 Nights (Arabian Nights) Arabian Nights’ author is unknown Consists of folktales, fables, romances, with some supernatural Early ones were passed down orally and written down later

Art and Architecture Islamic art is a blend of Arab, Turkish, and Persian cultures Muslim mosques have the best art Great Mosque of Samarra It is a minaret – tower where the muezzin (crier) calls Muslims to prayer 5 times a day Mosque in Cordoba – still in immaculate condition

Art and Architecture Palaces are just a glorious as the mosques Alhambra in Granada, Spain – palace is adorned with arabesques – repeated geometric patterns No paintings of Muhammad Not forbidden in the Quran Warnings in Hadith against imitating of God through creating pictures of human beings No people in early Islamic religious art