Presentation Transcript

1. History of The Middle East

   The Rise of Islam
2. A New Religion: Islam Muhammad (570-632 CE) Founder of Islam Born in Mecca (Arabian Peninsula) Believed to be final prophet of the one true god Received revelations (Gabriel) Monotheistic (Allah) Revelations Became Muslim Holy Text - Quran Shared prophets from Jewish and Christian Belief Systems (Abraham considered first Muslim) Understood as unalterable word of god Umma Community based solely on their acceptance of Islam Ethnicity, politics, etc did not affect identity
3. Muslim Law: Shari’a Muhammad left no written set of laws Quran provided only limited divine ordinances Following Muhammad’s death Muslims followed Sunna (tradition) as way to conduct themselves Hadith – stories of Muhammad’s words remembered by followers were used to add to Muslim law (Shari’a) Shari’a envisions an umma in which all Muslims are brothers and sisters and follow the same moral values.
4. The Five Pillars of Islam Belief that there is only one god and Muhammad is his messenger (Shahada) Prayer five times a day facing Mecca (Salat) Fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan (Sawm) Paying Alms (Zakat) Making the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during one’s lifetime (Hajj)
5. Spread and Division of Islam Disputes over Succession Sunnis – “People of Tradition and Community” – believed leaders following Muhammad had been selected properly Shi’ites – “The Party of Ali” – believed relatives of Muhammad were rightful successors
6. Division of Islam
7. The Unifying Force of Islam: Muslim Empires Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates Caliph – PoliticalRuler of Muslim Empire “Successor”
8. The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs Umayyad Caliphate 661-750 CE Capital located at Damascus Territory expanded greatly through conquest (largest in world) Conversions to Islam began slowly Non-Muslims paid a tax, but could practice their religions About 10% population were Islamic converts by 750 Converts had lower status than other Muslims Abbasid Caliphate 750-1258 CE Provided equality for all Muslims Sophisticated Bureaucracy created Learning and Cultural Studies Encouraged Baghdad became capital  Flourishing cultural urban center (The Arabian Nights) Urban Muslims abandoned kinship and ethnic identities, referred to as part of the Umma instead Acceleration of conversions to Islam peaked mid 9th century – Was officially encouraged by Abbasids
9. Baghdad: The Jewel of The World
10. Trade in The Muslim World Location of the Muslim Empires Gave Them Advantages In Trade by Land Caravans were used to move goods & people over land Controlled Sea Routes Between Europe and Asia Tolerance of Abbasid Empire helped foster trade Superior goods manufactured by Muslim Artisans/Manufacturers Ideas and Goods From Muslim Empires Greatly Affected Europe and Asia
11. Trade in The Muslim World
12. Decline of Muslim Caliphates Islamic faith does not include a centralized religious hierarchy (e.g. – pope, priests, etc) Size of empire became too large for Abbasids to control Competing Caliphs appeared (Spain, Tunisia, Egypt) Turkish slaves (Seljuk) hired by Abbasids to help control large empire – eventually they gained control over Abbasid Caliphs, installed a Seljuk sultan Invading Mongols killed the last Abbasid Caliph in 1258
13. The Ottoman Empire Osman founded empire on strength of Turkish nomad army located in Anatolia. Captured Constantinople of Byzantine Empire in 1453, renamed Istanbul Egypt and Syria conquered 1516 and 1517. Port Cities of Tunisia, Algeria voluntarily also joined empire Fought several wars w/ Christian Eastern Europe in attempts to expand the empire Strength focused on new weapons, guns, cannons, large land army Janissaries – Christian slaves educated as boys in Islamic Turkish schools (converted) – became the standing army of the empire Longest lasting Muslim Empire 14th-20th centuries
14. The Ottomans Capture Constantinople
15. The Safavid Empire Muslim Empire located in present day Iran (Persia) Required Shi’ite sect of Islam become state religion Conflictsw/ Ottoman Empire erupted because of differing beliefs about Islam Many times alliedw/ European nations who feared Ottoman power Repressed Sunnis from Afghanistan eventually rebelled and overthrew the Shah Shi’ism and Persian identity persists in Iran today
16. Muslim Empires: 15th Century
17. The Promises of WWI WWI alliances Allied powers (triple entente) France G. Britain Russia Central powers Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire and Arab Nationalist Revolts
18. The Aftermath of WWI Sykes-Picot Agreement Secret Agreement to partition Middle East btwn. Brit & French following WWI Mandate System Decision to divide Ottoman Empire into European Colonial Spheres of Influence Reactions in Egypt, Iraq & Syria Political and open revolt occurred, called for self-determination Arab Nationalist groups formed in 1920’s and 30’s – link to today
19. T.E. Lawrence: A Prophetic Warning The people of England have been led in Mesopotamia into a trap into which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honor. They have been tricked into it by steady withholding of information. Things have been far worse than we have been told, our administration more bloody and inefficient than the public knows. It's a disgrace to our imperial record and may soon be too inflamed for any ordinary cure. We are today not far from a disaster.
20. Modern Conflict: Arab and Jewish Nationalism Zionism Movement devoted to rebuilding a Jewish State in Palestine Balfour Declaration British advocated idea of setting up a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine Simultaneously promised Arabs their own kingdoms in former Ottoman Empire Interwar population growth resulted for both Arabs and Jews UN plan (1947) Divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab States Jews Accepted but Arabs believed whole of Palestine was rightfully theirs