The Islamic World

I. Sassanid Empire A.Sassanid kingdom in Iran Arab herders Byzantine Empire 1. Arab herders to east & Byzantine Empire west

2. relations with Byzantines alternated between war & trading 3. times of peace: Byzantine cities & Arab nomads guided trade caravans camel saddle 4. invention of the camel saddle aided Arab traders

B. Religion & Empire Zoroastrianism 1.Sassanid Empire: Zoroastrianism Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Empire: Eastern Orthodox Christianity Eastern Orthodox: believes the Pope is not head of Christian Church, but rather patriarchs - Byzantine use of Greek language - both intolerant of other religions 3.RELIGION replaced citizenship & ethnicity as the paramount factor in people’s identity

II. The Origins of Islam A. The Arabian Peninsula before Muhammad: Bedouins 1.Nomadic caravan traders (Bedouins) brought Arabs into contact with Byzantine & Sassanid empires 2.The nomads were polytheists 3.Mecca was a caravan city in Arabia - Mecca also attracted nomads to worship idols in a shrine Ka’aba called the Ka’aba

B.Muhammad in Mecca MuhammadMecca Khadija 1.The prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca (about 570), grew up as an orphan, & became involved in the caravan trade; married older, wealthier Khadija Allah -in 610 the Prophet had revelations after meditating in a cave for days from Allah (god) 2.The message of Muhammad’s revelations: -there is one god, Allah -submit to Allah’s will

III. The Rise & Fall of the Caliphate (632–1258)

A.The Formation of the Umma hijrah 1.Muhammad & his followers fled from Mecca to Medina in 622 (the hijrah) umma umma: single community of Muslim believers 2.The umma became the core of the Islamic state caliph 3.Muhammad’s father-in-law Abu Bakr became successor (the caliph) of Muhammad - he standardized Islamic religion & the Islamic state Qur’an - he oversaw writing of holy book the Qur’an

 In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.

Uthman 4.Disagreements over caliphs after the 3 rd caliph, Uthman - civil war was fought between supporters of Uthman (the UmmayaAli Ummaya) & those who supported Ali (Muhammad’s son- in-law) Umayyad Caliphate Damascus - Umayyad Caliphate established in 661 (capital: Damascus) 5.Internal political conflict led to rival branches: - Shi’ites supported Ali’s claim to caliphate - Sunnis supported Umayyad Caliphate - 80% of Muslims today are Sunni

The Caliphate Looking at Sunni Islam: the Caliphate 1. Abu Bakr (10-12 AH = CE) 2. Umar (12-23 AH = CE) 3. Uthman (23-35 AH = CE) 4. Ali (35-40 AH = CE) Sunni and Shi’ite Islam divide…for Sunnis: The Umayyad Caliphate (Damascus) The Abbasid Caliphate (Baghdad) The Ottoman Caliphate (Istanbul)

B.The Islamic Conquests, 634–711 1.conquests outside Arabia began in 7 th c. -Arabs took Syria, Egypt, and Sasanid Empire -8 th c.: Tunisia, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, and Sindh (Pakistan) 2.causes of rapid expansion? 3.Arab forces: regular, paid armies kept in military camps

C. Umayyad & Abbasid Caliphates, 661–850 1.Umayyads ruled an Arab empire, NOT a Muslim empire - Mu’awiya moves capital to Damascus - ruled through established Sassanid and Byzantine gov’t - introduced Muslim bureaucrats & Arabic language Moors - overthrown in 750 (“Moors” remained in Spain) Abbas Baghdad 2.Abbas family took over & established Abbasid Caliphate (capital: Baghdad) -held caliphate until 1258

The “Golden Age” of Islam 3.Literature and learning: translation of Greek texts, secular Arab poetry, math & science pump chemistry & perfumery astronomyeye anatomy

The Book of One Thousand and One Nights

D.Political Fragmentation, 850– Abbasid power declined at end of 9 th cen….causes? -vast territory -difficulty of transportation & communications -dissatisfaction of non-Muslim provinces Mamluks 2.In Baghdad, caliphs relied on Turkish slave troops known as Mamluks - Mamluks took control of the caliphate 3.In Spain: Umayyads held power over a society in which Islamic, Roman, German, & Jewish cultures combined

E. Decline, 1050–1258 Seljuk Turks 1.In C. Asia & Middle East: nomadic Seljuk Turks took power Suljuk Sultanate -established Suljuk Sultanate (took Anatolia from Byzantines in 1071 at Manzikert) Saladin 2.Crusades: Muslims united under Sultan Saladin to drive Christians out of Middle East - Mongol invasions of 13 th cen.