1 / 27

Territory

Territory. Mesopotamia North Africa Spain Crete, Sicily, and Sardinia Northwest India Dominated eastern Mediterranean Sea Capital at Damascus. Islamic Expansion. Subjects. Only Muslim Arabs first-class citizens and shared in booty

Download Presentation

Territory

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Territory • Mesopotamia • North Africa • Spain • Crete, Sicily, and Sardinia • Northwest India • Dominated eastern Mediterranean Sea • Capital at Damascus

  2. Islamic Expansion

  3. Subjects • Only Muslim Arabs first-class citizens and shared in booty • Local populations converted to Islam (Mawali). What was motivation? • Non-Arab Muslims- discrimination • Number of conversions during Umayyad low • Dhimmis- “People of the Book.”

  4. Family and Gender • Islam under Muhammad stressed family and equality of women • Women had some freedom under Umayyads- pursued wide range of occupations • Rising Arab urbanization = decline of women’s rights • Persian custom of seclusion / harem

  5. Decline and Fall • Umayyad became soft and corrupt due to increasing wealth and power • Warrior lifestyle declined • Decadent living sparked revolts • Indian frontier - warrior settlers revolted under banner of Abbasid party - aided by Shi’ites and Mawali • 750 CE victory over Umayyads

  6. Decline and Fall • Umayyads wiped out • Grandson of Umayyad caliph escaped to Spain- founded Caliphate of Cordoba

  7. The Abbasids • Abbasids turned on Shi’ite allies • Built centralized state- absolute power • Capital at Baghdad • Bureaucracy under Wazir • Royal executioner - intimidation • Revenues in form of tribute and taxes • Abbasids grew less powerful at distance

  8. The Abbasids • Caliphs placed themselves above Islamic law • Rulers called themselves “Shadow of god on Earth” Divine rule? • Caliphs became remote from people • Practice of dividing booty discarded • New emphasis on conversions

  9. The Abbasids • Mawali gained equality with Arab Muslims • Persians became powerful force in Abbasid court

  10. Commerce and Urbanization • Wealth and status of merchant and landlord class grew • Muslims and Tang China became engines behind revival of world trade • Technology - Arab Dhows & lateen (triangular) sails • Business partnerships between Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

  11. The Astrolabe

  12. Commerce and Urbanization • Increase in handicraft production (furniture, carpets, glass, etc) • Guild associations formed • Wealthy landed elite formed called Ayan • Many farmers were tenants, sharecroppers, or migrant laborers • Towns flourished despite political instability A shop in a bazaar

  13. Slavery • Unskilled labor done by slaves - some brutality • Slaves could gain freedom and/or serve in positions of power • Most drudge labor slaves were Zanj slaves (non-Muslim Africans) • Beautiful / educated slaves prized • Slave women had more freedom than Muslim women Zanj Slaves

  14. Slavery • Caliph had up to 4,000 slave concubines • Most slaves from Balkans, Central Asia, and Sudanic Africa • Word “slave” derived from “Slav” A caliph and his concubine

  15. Women • Women increasingly subjugated to men (harem / veil) • Women from lower classes worked to help support family • Rich women had no outlets • Marriage age at puberty (legal age= 9) Purdah: wearing of the veil and seclusion

  16. Islamic Culture • Muslims influenced by conquered peoples • Islamic technological advances • Despite decline of Abbasids, professional classes expanded (towns) • Persian culture dominated Abbasid court • Persian court and cultural language • Poetry - Rubiyat- Omar Khayyam The Rubiyat

  17. Religious Trends • Religious scholars (ulama) became increasingly reactionary • Sufi movement- wandering mystics- factor in spread of Islam Whirling Dervish – Sufi whirls himself into trance-like state

  18. Abbasid Decline • Shi’ite revolts plagued Abbasids • Decadent living strained revenues • Problem of succession • Court intrigue- wives, concubines, ministers, eunuchs, etc • Increasing influence of Persian ministers over caliphs

  19. Abbasid Decline • Harun al-Rashid – most famous caliph • Rashid’s death resulted in civil wars over succession • Successors created bodyguard of slave mercenaries - Turks (70,000) • Turks became power behind throne- murdered and replaced caliphs.

  20. Abbasid Decline • Turkish mercenaries became violent force in Muslim society- source of constant riots • Expense of putting down Turks, paying other mercenary forces, construction projects caused financial crisis • Villages placed under rule of mercenaries in lieu of payment A Turkish warrior

  21. Abbasid Decline • Pillaging led to destruction / abandonment of villages • Irrigation structure collapsed • Peasants fled, died, or turned to banditry • Loss of territory as regions split from Abbasid rule • Buyids of Persia (breakaway region) captured Baghdad- caliphs became puppets (945 CE)

  22. Seljuk Turks • Buyid control broken in 1055 by Seljuk Turks • Turkish military rulers ran empire in name of caliphs • Turks crushed Byzantine army and opened Anatolian Peninsula to settlement • Crusades

  23. End of the Caliphate • Mongol assaults on Muslim Persia by Chinggis Khan • Hulegu Khan (grandson) completed conquest of Baghdad in 1258 • Last Abbasid caliph executed • Mongols turned back by Mameluk Turks (rulers of Egypt) • Islamic center of gravity shifted to Cairo Islam Islamic Civilization

More Related