Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

1. 7 Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

2. The Spread of Islamic Civilization • The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid Eras • An Age of Learning and Artistic Refinements • The Coming of Islam to South Asia • The Spread of Islam to Southeast Asia

4. The Abbasid Empire at Its Peak

5. Historical Forces: Keep in mind • Cultural identity is a powerful force in world history • Shared identity- sense of purpose • Historians understand the power of religion in how it shapes cultural behavior, not how it impacts God or gods • The emerging identify of Islam would be a revolutionary and globalizing force in terms of how it shaped the behavior of dozens of very different cultures- beginning with the Arabs in the 7th century

6. The Big Picture: The First Century of Islam • Uniting the Arab peoples under the empowering identity of Islam, Arab people rapidly united the Arabian peninsula and neighboring peoples • Under The Umayyad Caliphate, Arab rule extended from The Atlantic Ocean to India, with converts to Islam and “people of the book not integrated into the new empire • A clan of Arabs tracing their lineage back to Muhammad’s protective uncle al-Abbas gains control of Empire by 750 CE (128 AH) Abbasids • Center moved from Damascus to Baghdad

7. The Big Picture: Islams Expansion from 750-1500 • Islam reached distant cultures in the Old World Web • Conquests of peoples who accepted Islam • Trade by Muslim merchants • Missionary activities- Sufis… • Islam shaped distant cultures • Converts • Religious movements in other religions- reaction • Islam was shaped by the cultures where it spread • Islam has no Pope or central Orthodox authority

8. The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid Eras • Abbasid empire weakened, 9th-13th centuries • Peasant revolts • Al-Mahdi (775-785) • Attempt to mend split between Shia and Sunni • Division continued- Still today- major division within Islam • Succession not secure- continuing vexing problem within Islamic state

9. The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid Eras • Imperial Extravagance and Succession Disputes • Civil wars become more regular • Persian advisors have growing influence- Caliph becomes a pawn of advisors • Rise of slave body guards- these forces have growing influence over Caliph • High taxes and agrarian revolts • Slaves and the imperial harem surround court with palace intrigue

10. Nomadic Incursions and the Eclipse of Caliphal Power • Former provinces threaten Abbasids • Buyids, Persia • Take Baghdad, 945 • Sultans (Arab “victorious”) • Seljuk Turks • 1055, defeat Buyids • Sunnis • Shi'a purges • Defeat Byzantines, Egypt • Islamic Empire controlled by non-Arabs

11. The Impact of the Christian Crusades • 1096, western European Christian knights • Small Christian kingdoms established • European conquerors bring back aspects of Islamic culture to Europe • Sparks many important movements that would generate Europe’s rise to world power • Saladin retakes lands • Last in 1291

12. An Age of Learning and Artistic Refinements • Urban growth • Cosmopolitan- open to influences from different religions/ regions • Not closed or xenophobic • Merchants thrive • Fusing of Persian and Arab culture in literature

13. The Spread of Islam,10th-16th Centuries

14. Achievements in the Sciences • Math • Build on Greek work- algebra, geometry trigonometry • Chemistry • Cartography- maps would support European discoveries in 15th century • Medicine

15. Religious Trends and the New Push for Expansion • Sufis • Mysticism- Mevlana- Turkish Muslim mystic • Religious differences insignificant • Sufi’s believe in achieving an estatic connection to Allah (God) often through movement- Whirling dervishes • Other Sufi groups seek connection with God in different types of dance- Egyptian Sufis • Sufis are throughout Islamic world- a moderate force

16. Seven Advices of Mevlana Rumi • 1. In generosity and helping others, be like a river. • 2. In compassion and grace be like the sun. • 3. In concealing others' faults, be like the night. • 4. In anger and fury be like one who is dead. • 5. In modesty and humility, be like the earth. • 6. In tolerance, be like a sea. • 7. Either exist as you are, or be as you look.

17. Religious Trends and the New Push for Expansion • A reaction to mystical and foreign influence on Islam • Fear of foreign influence impacting faith • Islamic expansion as well as invasions like the Crusades increased religious insecurity • Ulama- religious scholars propose the absolute authority of the Quran – fundamentalism • Attempt to limit impact of Greek philosophy and mystical movements like Sufism • Crusades supported this movement • Inward movement of Islam would weaken cultural vitality and power

18. New Waves of Nomadic Invasions and the End of the Caliphate • Mongols • Chinggis Khan • Hulegu • 1258, Baghdad falls • Last Abbasid killed • Burned library of Baghdad • Last Abbasid killed- Baghdad does not recover • Center of Islamic world moves westward to Cairo Mamluks- Turkic slaves who came to rule Egypt

19. The Coming of Islam to South Asia • By 1200, Muslims rule much of north, central India • Conflict between two different systems • Hindu religion v. Muslim monotheism • Muslim egalitarianism v. Indian caste system • Hindu spiritual worship and idols v. Doctrinare and exclusive faith- rigid • Today- India has the second largest Muslim population in the world- Pakistan has the third and Bangladesh has the fourth largest (missing in your text!)

20. Modern States with a Sizable Muslim Population

21. Political Divisions and the First Muslim Invasions of India • First as traders, 8th century • Attacks lead to invasion (Umayyad period) • Muhammad ibn Qasim • Umayyad general • Takes Sind, Indus valleys • Indians treated as dhimmi (people of the book) • Example of flexibility of faith to deal with new situation

22. Early Islam in India

23. Indian Influences on Islamic Civilization • Science, math, medicine, music, astronomy • India influences Arab • Arabic numbers are actually from India • Zero and decimal system would make it to Europe by the 13th century • Ideas on science and medicine would fuse with Greek influence on Islamic culture • Dynamic and growing cultures gain power and influence as they build by fusing cultures- Human web

24. From Booty to Empire: The Second Wave of Muslim Invasions • 10th century, Turkish dynasty established in Afghanistan • Mahmud of Ghazni • Begins invasion of India • Muhammad of Ghur • Persian • State in Indus valley • Thence to Bengal • forms state at Delhi • Delhi sultanate rules for 300 years

25. Patterns of Conversion • Converts especially among Buddhists, lower castes, untouchables • Also, conversion to escape taxes • Buddhists and Hindus where the faith had drifted from more orthodox beliefs of those faiths • Muslims fleeing Mongols, 13th, 14th centuries • Religious migration- a safe haven for Muslims

26. Islamic Challenge andHindu Revival: Islam’s Impact on Hinduism • Bhakti • Devotional cults • Emotional approach- ecstatic movement like Sufism- Feeling religion • Caste distinctions dissolved • Shiva, Vishnu, Kali especially • Mira Bai (Hindu), Kabir (Muslim), • Songs in regional languages

27. Kabir O servant, where do thou seek me? Lo! I am beside thee. I am neither in temple or mosque; Neither am I in rite and ceromonies, nor yoga and renunciation.

28. Stand-off: The Muslim Presence in India at the End of the Sultanate Period • Brahmins v. ulama • Separate communities • Polarization of population between increasingly orthodox Hindus and Muslims • Despite large numbers of Muslims, Indian Hindus were most resistant to conversion • Sikhism develops in the 15th Century • Blends aspects of Hinduism and Islam into a religion- 20 million Sikhs today 5th largest world religion

29. The Spread of Islam toSoutheast Asia • Power of less orthodox Muslim Sufi missionaries • Islam “hops” via missionaries and merchants through islands of present Indonesia (Largest Islamic population in the world today) • Trading Contacts and Conversion • Trading leads to peaceful conversion • Resistant pockets of Buddhism and Hinduism

30. The Spread of Islam in Southeast Asia

31. Conclusion • Islamic faith conducted an amazing synthesis of old world cultures • Islamic faith was able to adapt and have an impact on a huge region of the world- a global faith • Spread to all corners of the Old World Web • Cultural perspective adopted by distant cultures • Islam came to take different forms in different lands