1. The Early Middle Ages (ca. 600-900)

2. The Early Middle Ages
How can we compare and contrast Islam with Christianity and Judaism?
How can we compare and contrast the Islamic world, the Byzantine Empire, and western Europe?

3. Islam The Arabian Peninsula Desert Home of the Arabs
No centralized authority
Pastoral nomads
Loyal to tribes

4. Islam Arabian Religion Animistic, pagan Mecca
Commercial, religious center
Ka’ba
Ka’ba

5. Islam Muhammad (570-632) Involved in Meccan caravan trade Pious
Night of Power (ca. 610)  Prophet of Islam
Muhammad visited by Gabriel

6. Islam Islam on the Rise Converts  UMMAH
Overall response to Prophet was negative
Flight of Muhammad
Invited to Medina
Hijrah (622)
Gained power base, subdued enemies

7. Islam The Return to Mecca Ummah wanted to see city converted
March on Mecca (630)
Muhammad, 10,000 men
Offer made to city, accepted by religious leaders
Muhammad entered city, cleansed Ka’ba
March on Mecca

8. Islam
Questions?

9. Islam The Quran Muhammad’s revelations Significant teachings
Absolute monotheism
Jesus: “apostle”
“People of the Book”
Judgment  Paradise, Hell

10. Islam
The Five Pillars
“There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet”
Prayer
Ramadan
Alms levy
Pilgrimage

11. Islam
Islamic Conquests ( )

12. Islam Why the Successful Conquest? Arabs were fighters!
Exhausted opponents
Tolerated, relied on service of other monotheists

13. Islam The Caliphate Muhammad died 632 CALIPHS Prophet’s successors
First were early converts, from his inner circle (Rashidun)
Office: political, religious

14. Islam

15. Islam The Great Civilization Sophisticated, advanced
Access to classical learning
Books, libraries
Contributed to science and math
MOSQUES

16. Islam Dome of the Rock (687-692)
Tribute to Islam’s triumph in Jerusalem
Erected on sacred site
Domed octagon

17. Islam

18. Islam Status of Women First convert: Khadijah (d. 620) In the Quran
Men superior to women
Infanticide banned
Polygyny permitted
Some inheritance rights
Khadijah

19. Islam
Questions?

20. The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire
Remnants of Eastern Roman Empire
Constantinople survived
Strong army, navy
“GREEK FIRE”

21. The Byzantine Empire
Greek Fire

22. Virgin and Child between Sts. Theodore and George,
The Byzantine Empire
The Iconoclastic Controversy
Emperor ordered destruction of icons (726)
Iconoclasts vs. iconodules
Iconoclasm condemned at Nicaea II (787)
Iconoclasm resurged, condemned for good 843
Virgin and Child between Sts. Theodore and George,
6th or early 7th cent.

23. The Byzantine Empire
Questions?

24. The Rise of the West The West during the Early Middle Ages
Italy, British Isles, Spain, Kingdom of the Franks
Traits of West
Impoverished, fragmented
Roman cities were shadows of antiquity
Disintegrated infrastructure
Yet West came to dominate the world!

25. The Rise of the West Kingdom of the Franks Dominant in Western Europe
Unified by 700
Catholic
Ruled by Merovingians

26. The Rise of the West The Carolingians CHARLES MARTEL (d. 741)
Frankish statesman
Halted Muslim advance at Tours (732-33)
Family deposed last Merovingian king
Allied with papacy
Battle of Poitiers

27. The Rise of the West Charlemagne (r. 768-814) Devoutly Christian
Promoted education
His government
Ruled “by God’s will”
Local rule: counts
Missi dominici

28. The Rise of the West Emperor Charlemagne
Pope in trouble, fled to Charlemagne
Pope returned to Rome with Frankish escort
Charlemagne followed, crowned “augustus” (800)
Emperor Charlemagne and “new” Roman Empire?

29. The Rise of the West The Empire’s Disintegration Divided into three
Centralized government vanished
Foreign invasion, fragmentation  collapse (late 9th cent.)

30. The Rise of the West
Questions?

31. The Early Middle Ages
How can we compare and contrast Islam with Christianity and Judaism?
How can we compare and contrast the Islamic world, the Byzantine Empire, and western Europe?