Overview
- Pre-Islamic Bedouin Society
- Muhammad
- Characteristics of the Faith
Introduction
Split in Religion
- No line of succession
- Sunni vs. Shia
14.2 - The Caliphates
14.2 - Islamic Expansion
REASONS FOR EXPANSION
- Expand the umma,
- Spread the message of Islam,
- Increase Islamic influence in regional affairs
- Gain wealth
PROCESS FOR DEFEATING ENEMIES
- Infantry, or foot soldiers, advanced with bows and arrows and crossbows
- Then cavalry overpowered opponents
- Caliph led troops into battle (head of army)
UNITING CONQUERED PEOPLE
- Tax conquered and unconquered people equally (must convert to Islam)
- Similar rights for all Muslims
- Non-Muslims paid a tax called a jizya
GROUPS OF CONQUERED PEOPLE
- Muslims
- Dhimmi - "Protected Subjects" ...Christians and Jews
- Polytheists
SUMMARY
- Jews and Christians could practice their own beliefs, though faced restrictions
- People who converted often did so because it benefitted them politically, socially, and economically
- Muslims had strong trade connections and access to education
14.3 - Golden Age of Islam
Overview
- Advances in economics, art, literature, and science
- Islam is multicultural (offers many perspectives)
- Vast international trade network
Economics
- Great international merchants and traders
- Religion revered merchants
- Islam did not prohibit wealth and profit
- Unifying language (Arabic)
- Sharia law protected commerce and imposed stiff punishments for theft and dishonesty
- Islamic banks exchanged currencies
- Honored letters of credit known as sakks (modern day checks)
- Pooled resources in investment groups (reduced risk)
Manufacturing
- Guilds
- Set prices, weights and measures, methods of production, and quality standards
Art and Literature
- A result of cultural diversity
CALLIGRAPHY
- Images or pictures were considered idol worship
- Art of elegant handwriting
- Used for decoration
ARABESQUES
- Geometric designs that had plant stems, leaves, flowers and stars
- Used to decorate walls, books, swords, and carpets
Mosques were beautifully decorated with fountains, gardens, and amazing architecture
LITERATURE
- Influenced by religion / Quran
- New types of literature emerged, but religious texts remained the most important
Omar Khayyam
- Persian mathematician and poet
- Author of Rubaiyat
- Wrote epics about warrior-heroes, religious poetry, and love.
- A Thousand and One Nights (aka The Arabian Nights)
- Sinbad the Sailor
- Aladdin and his Lamp
- Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
- The tales reflect the multinational character of the Islamic state
Centers of Learning
BAGHDAD
The House of Wisdom
- Founded by the Abbasid caliph Ma’mun in Baghdad in A.D. 830
- Research center specializing in the translation into Arabic of Greek, Persian, and Indian scientific texts
- Staffed with Christians, Jews, and Muslim scholars to get perspectives from many different cultures
- Sparked advancements in math and science in the Islamic world