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Section 2: The Arab Empire and Its Successors. Shortly after Muhammad’s death, some of his closest followers chose Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s father-in-law) to be their leader. In 632 Abu Bakr was named caliph ( successor ) to Muhammad. Section 2 (continued).
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Section 2: The Arab Empire and Its Successors • Shortly after Muhammad’s death, some of his closest followers chose Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s father-in-law) to be their leader. • In 632 Abu Bakr was named caliph (successor) to Muhammad.
Section 2 (continued) • Under his leadership, the Islamic world began to grow • He overcame military efforts by the early Makkans to defeat his movement • The Quran permitted jihad, or “struggle in the way of God”. • Holy War- It means the legal, compulsory, communal effort to expand the territories ruled by Muslims at the expense of territories ruled by non-Muslims • The Muslims expanded their territory into parts of the Byzantine Empire north Africa, and the Persian Empire.
Section 2 (continued) • When Abu Bakr died, he had no clear successor. • In 656, Ali (Muhammad’s son-in-law) was chosen to be caliph, but he was assassinated. • Conquered Christians and Jews (called “People of the Book” by Muslims) were able to practice their religion but were required to pay a special tax.
The Umayyads • In 661, Mu’awiyah became caliph. • He established the Umayyad dynasty by making the office of caliph, called the caliphate, hereditary. • He moved the capital from Madinah to Damascus in Syria.
Section 2 (continued) • The Arabs conquered the Berbers in North Africaand crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to occupy Spain. • In 732, Arab forces were defeated at the Battle of Tours in Gaul (France) thus halting Arab expansion into Europe.
Section 2 (continued) • In 680, a revolt in present-day Iraq led by Hussein (2nd son of Ali)-son in-law of Muhammad) failed. • This struggle led to a split in Islam: • The Shia Muslims accepted only the descendants of Ali as the true rulers of Islam. • The Sunni Muslims accepted the Umayyads as rulers.
The Abbasid Dynasty • Abu al-Abbas (a descendant of Muhammad’s uncle) overthrew the Umayyad dynasty in 750, and set up the Abbasid dynastyw/ the capital at Baghdad (Iraq). • Eventually, rulers in the provinces began to establish their own dynasties.
Seljuk Turks and the Crusades • In 1055, the Seljuk Turks from central Asia captured Baghdad and took command of the empire. • Their leader was known as the sultan (“holder of power”).
Section 2 (continued) • In 1071, the Byzantines lost control of the Anatolian Peninsula to the Turks. • The Byzantine emperor Alexius I asked the Christian countries of Europe for help.
Section 2 (continued) • A series of Crusades by European Christians against the Muslims began in 1096.
Section 2 • At first, the Christians won many battles. • In 1187 ,however, Saladin (a new Muslim ruler) invaded the kingdom of Jerusalem and defeated the Christian forces there
The Mongols • The Mongols swept out of the Gobi desert region in the early 13th century to control much of the known world. • Beginning with leader Genghis Khan, the Mongols conquered most of Asia from China to the Red Sea.
Section 2 (continued) • The Mongols destroyed Baghdad in 1258. • Schools, libraries, mosques (Muslim houses of worship), and palaces were burned to the ground. • Eventually some Mongol rulers converted to Islam, and the Mongol empire split into separate kingdoms.
Section 2 (continued) • The new center of Islamic civilization became Cairo, in Egypt.
