1. Why did Islam spread so quickly?
632–750 CE

2. Arabia at the Dawn of Islam
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Major Arabian Tribes at Dawn of Islam

3. Expanse of the Umayyad Caliphate
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Right image retrieved from
Umayyad Caliphate in 750 CE
Roman Empire in 117 CE

4. Expansion of the Early Caliphates
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5. Persia 644 CE – Persia Sassanid Empire falls
Prisoners and slaves 1st to convert
Converts could avoid tax
Similar religion
Islam picks up a few things from the Persians
Merchants found religion friendly to commerce
Continuity
20% still don’t convert
People never change language like many other places

6. Why did Islam Spread so quickly?
Historical Question
Why did Islam Spread so quickly?

7. Document 4

8. What do we already know about this? Islam appeals to lower castes
India
What do we already know about this?
Islam appeals to lower castes
Upward mobility
20% to 25% convert
Centuries of Muslim rule does not change this
Hinduism is so different from Islam
Sufi made the most sense to them

9. Document 4

10. Byzantine Empire weak because of wars/plague
Anatolia
Byzantine Empire weak because of wars/plague
Fighting Persian Sassanid Empire
Region not culturally homogeneous
Many Turks living in empire
Monotheism already practiced
Christianity, Jewish and Islam similar
Sufi similar enough to Turkish native beliefs
Women given higher status in this sect

11. Document 4

12. Interior of Africa You will get this in tonight’s Crash Course
In a nutshell is spreads through trade not conquest

13. Document 4

14. Spain Conquered by Arab and Berbers (early 700s CE)
Europe in Dark Ages
Muslim Spain is Awesome
1000 CE – start of trouble in paradise
300 years of internal wars
Muslims removed in 1492