Muslim+Empire

Muslim Empire


 * __How did the death of Muhammad lead to the Expansion of Islam?__**

Muhammad's died in 632 CE and he had left no rules as to how or who would maintain power. **Abu Bakr** would become the first caliph (religious leader) after Muhammad's death with relatively no dissent from the people. The **Ridda Wars** began after attacks on Mecca.


 * __What were the motivations for Islamic conquest?__**

It was believed by earlier leaders that Islamic conquest would aid in keeping the war hungry bedouin tribes in check. The promise that they would be able to keep part of the conquest provided the incentive for the warriors. These battles were essentially spreading Islam and would become known as __jihads.__


 * __How were the Umayyads able to defeat their adversaries?__**

The Sasanian Empire was weak. Attempts to protect their borders were futile as the armies were very weak. Muslim forces took the capital city. In 651, control of the empire completely shifted to the Muslims. The Byzantine Empire would not fall to conquest but rather through Muslim appeal, took over some of the area of the empire.
 * __What caused the major division in Islam?__**

In 656, violence broke out. Uthman, the third caliph was murdered. Ali became the next caliph. **Mu'awiya,** the Umayyad leader was made caliph in Jerusalem, meanwhile Ali had already been made caliph. The **Sunni's** supported the Umayyads meanwhile the **Shi'a** supported Ali. The split occured over who should succeed.


 * __What was the extent of the Islamic Empire under the Umayyads?__**

Mecca was still the holy city but **Damascus** in Syria was the political center for the Umayyads. By the early 700s, the Umayyads had territory ranging from Spain to the steppes of central Asia. This empire was built faster than the Roman Empire


 * __How were people of the book treated under the Umayyads?__**

Converts had to pay property taxes. However the Umayyads were respectful and tolerant of the religions of the people of the book.


 * __Explain gender structures under the Umayyads__.**

In the religion, women and men were equal. However women were never allowed to lead prayer. It is my belief that this is still true today.


 * __What factors led to the decline of the Umayyads?__**

The Umayyads fell to rebellion and division within the Empire. Many of the Umayyad family were killed to end the possibility of a successor.

Civilization/Nation/Group: Abbasid Empire Time Period: 600- 1300 CE
 * ** E ** || During the Abbasid era, expansion and growth became common
 * the Afro-Eurasian trading network was revived (fell during Han Dynasty)
 * __Dhows__**-** ** sailing vessels with triangular sails. It was small and ** had two masts, wooden plank, wooden hulls, small design made it easy to travel, fast, people that used them traveled with the monsoon winds
 * Merchants and landlords became wealthy; would travel and work all day; brought the empire wealth and supplied the empire with goods
 * The profits made in trading were invested into commercial enterprises
 * Taxes rose; caused destruction of some villages ||
 * ** S ** || Merchants and landlords were significantly richer than peasants and slaves.
 * Artisans were poor despite their hard work and their ability to produce valued goods ; praised for their art
 * Slaves worked as servants in wealthy and aristocratic families; aided the caliph and his advisors; were able to buy or gain their freedom if they did enough work
 * __Ayan__**-**longtime landlords
 * Peasants did not own land, worked as tenants. Similar to share cropping.
 * Women were bound to the house; sometimes used as slaves and could gain freedom if they had healthy sons ||
 * ** P ** || Abbasid rulers adopted the luxurious lifestyles the Umayyads had before them
 * Caliphs sat on jewel-encrusted thrones. Very totalitarian like.
 * __Wazir__ was chief administrator of the caliph's inner council and was leader of the bureaucrats
 * The Abbasid were able to collect tax from all their subjects in the empire
 * __Al-Mahdi (775-785)__- caliph that led to the fall of the Abbbasid Empire
 * __Harun al-Rashid (786-809)__- caliph right after the death of al-Mahdi's son died
 * __Buyids__**-** invaded the Abbasid Empire; Baghdad captured; took the name **Sultan,** ruled the Muslims and the caliphs
 * __Seljuk Turks__ ** invaded the Buyids, ruled the remaining empire, took the names of the caliphs, and were Sunnis- wanted to get rid of the Shi’a **
 * ** The Christians tried to gain control of Jerusalem- 8 crusades **
 * __Saladin__ (this reminded me of the movie, the Kingdom) led an army and reunited most of the lands taken by the crusades
 * __Fall of Acre 1291__ Christians lost their kingdoms ||
 * ** I ** || Because trading was revived, the Abbasids were able to interact with different civilizations.
 * Dhows and merchants connected the world by trade
 * Afro-Eurasian trading network was reestablished ||
 * ** R ** || Unlike in the Umayyad era, people were encouraged to join the Islamic faith.
 * Money wasn’t longer divided among the religion's followers.
 * People were encouraged to convert to Islam
 * Converts were considered equal to those who were raised with it
 * People converted because of the benefits ||
 * ** I ** || Advances in mathematics and science preserved the knowledge of civilizations before them.
 * Saved the Greek writing of medicine, geometry, algebra, anatomy, astronomy
 * In India they learned the Indian number system; developed the Arabic number system- still used today
 * Persian literature was admired
 * Muslims edited Greek mathematic theories ||
 * = T = || Technology became more advanced as the empire expanded.
 * Establishments- windmills; rest houses; water pumps
 * The damascene sword was a highly praised sword
 * Mosques and palaces became larger and more elaborate. ||

-These societies were small as there was not power centralized government controling a large area of land and vast amount of people. Below is a map showing the area of the vast empire.
 * __Stateless Society__**
 * some African cultures had rulers who controlled through a hierarchy
 * the form of governing varied but usually it was done by families
 * with a gov't so small, there were no needs for taxes.
 * they settled village disputes
 * the community would remain considerably stable.
 * These villages would settle political disputes by the creation of
 * Mobilization for war was dificult and so was the funding for public projects.
 * __Songhai Kingdom:__**
 * Mali began to collapse, the people of Songhay dominated middle areas of Niger Valley
 * the borders were eventually extended by Muhammad the Great