1. Islam

2. Trade  Trade began to prosper in the Arab Empire around 750 under the Abbasid dynasty.  Gold and slaves came from south of the Sahara, gold and ivory from East Africa. India—sandalwood, spices and textiles. China—silk, porcelain. Egypt—grain, Iraq—linens, dates, jewels.

3.  Banking and coin usage developed making exchanges easier.  Islamic cities surpassed the cities of Europe—they were administrative, cultural, and economic centers.

4.  Palaces and mosques were the most impressive buildings. They had public buildings. The bazaar was vital to every Muslim city.

5.  Most people farmed or herded in the empire. Free peasants owned most of the farmland. The wealthy landowner gained large estates while the peasant farmed along the Nile.  Koran teaches that all people are equal to Allah— this has not been true in the Arab empire (rigid class system).  Slavery was widespread in the Arab empire. Islamic law said to treat slaves fairly, and setting them free was considered a good act.

6.  The Koran tells men to treat women respectfully, and they could own and inherit property.  Men dominated in the Arab Empire.  Every woman had a male guardian.  Women were secluded at home and kept from social contacts with men outside their family.

7.  Marriage was arranged.  Men could have up to four wives but they tended to have fewer because of dowry.  The practice of divorce was only extended to men even though women had the right.  Women covered much of their bodies when in public (traditionally Arab not Muslim).

8.  The first few centuries of the Arab Empire scholars read and translated Plato and Aristotle.  The translations were put into the library in Baghdad called the House of Wisdom.

9.  Mathematics texts were brought from India.  Papermaking was brought from China—paper factories established in Baghdad.  Europeans recovered the works of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers through the Muslim world.

10.  Islamic scholars created algebra and they had an observatory where they named stars.  They also perfected the astrolabe used by sailors to determine their location—this instrument allowed Europeans to sail to America.  Medicine was developed as a field of study.