Ch. 2, Sec. 2 Notes – Islamic Empires

1. Ch. 2, Sec. 2 Notes – Islamic Empires

2. The Caliph • When Muhammad died in 632 A.D., conflicts over who should be his successor erupted • Caliph = successor to the Messenger of God • First four caliphs all had direct ties to Muhammad

3. The Spread of Islam • Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law and first caliph, put down a rebellion and began to invade Syria until he died in 634 A.D. • By 661 A.D., the Islamic empire included all of Arabia, Persia, Palestine, and Egypt

4. Why did Islam spread so quickly? • Arabs were skilled fighters on horse, camelback • Many fought to spread the Islam • “People of the Book” policy allowed Christians, Jews to freely practice as long as they pay the tax • Muslims encouraged and attracted people to accept Islam, learn Arabic

5. Islamic Dynasties • Umayyad dynasty ruled from 661 to 750 A.C.E. – Their capital was Damascus, Syria • Umayyads lost power in 750 A.C.E. after angering many Persians • Abbasid dynasty next took power, ruling until 1258 A.C.E. • The Abbasids ruled from Baghdad and devoted much of their time to trade, scholarship, and the arts

6. Sunnis & Shiites • The quarrel over who should succeed Muhammad eventually split Islam • Shiites (also known as the Shi’a) thought that the caliph should be descendants of Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law and the fourth caliph • Sunnis accepted the Umayyad dynasty’s rule even though they did not always agree with them • Most Muslims today are Sunni; most Shiites can be found in Iran or Iraq

8. Muslims in Spain • Muslims reached Spain from North Africa, bringing their religion, customs, and culture • Córdoba was the capital • Córdoba became world famous a center of learning

9. Other Islamic Empires • For more than 200 years, Seljuk Turks of Central Asia took over Iran, Turkey, and even Baghdad from the Abbasids • The Ottomans sacked Constantinople, ending over 1,000 years of the Byzantine Empire • During the 1500s, the Moguls created a Muslim empire in India