Islam. Muhammad through the Abbasids (c CE)

Transcription

1 Islam Muhammad through the Abbasids (c CE)

2 Arabia before Islam Bedouin (nomadic) desert culture Clan loyalties = key to survival Blood feuds Polytheistic religion Herders and caravan traders

3 Arabia before Islam, pt. 2 Town/merchant culture Also clan-centered linked to Bedouin Towns built around oases Main cities = Mecca and Medina (Yathrib) Mecca controlled by Umayyad clan of Quraysh Bedouin tribe Ka ba shrine in Mecca

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5 Arabia before Islam, pt. 3 Status of women in Bedouin society Greater freedom/higher status than in neighboring sedentary societies Status/freedom varied by tribe Divorce, inheritance, control of property still favored men

6 The Life of Muhammad (c CE) Member of Quraysh tribe But not Umayyad clan! Raised as a trader Moved to Mecca, worked for Khadijah Good mediator of disputes

7 Muhammad, pt. 2 Exposed to other monotheistic religions through trade First revelation from angel Gabriel, c. 610 CE Later written down in Qu ran (Koran) Umayyads saw him as threat Fled to Medina in 622 CE Hijra (first year of Islamic calendar!) New religion = Islam submission to one true God, Allah

8 Muhammad, pt. 3 War between Umayyads and Muslims Muhammad s forces won! Returned to Mecca in 629 CE Smashed idols at Ka ba Eventually, most Umayyads converted Died in 632 CE with no successor

9 Why was Islam attractive? Monotheism belonged to no tribe or clan Community of faithful = umma Strong ethical/moral component Dignity and equality of all believers before God (like Christianity?) Social responsibility for poor Belief in afterlife and Last Judgment Freedom of worship for People of the Book

10 The Five Pillars of Islam There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet. Pray 5 times per day, facing Mecca Fast during holy month of Ramadan Zakat - tithe for charity Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca once in life EFFECT: Universal Religion!

11 Sunni vs. Shiite the Origins Leadership crisis after Muhammad s death Two candidates to succeed Prophet Ali Abu Bakr Abu Bakr chosen as caliph Generals expanded reach of Islam into Persian and Byzantine territory in search of war booty

12 Sunni vs. Shiite, pt. 2 Umayyad clan became dominant Umayyads = Muhammad s early enemies! Third caliph was an Umayyad Caliph personally very unpopular - murdered Supporters of Ali declared him caliph Umayyad rejected his claims CIVIL WAR!

13 Sunni vs. Shiite, pt. 3 Ali victorious; tried to be generous Assassinated, 661 CE Ali s second son, Husayn, took up fight, was killed at Karbala in 680 CE SUNNI = Umayyads SHIITES = Followers of Ali/Husayn Husayn shrine in Karbala

14 Umayyad Caliphate ( CE) Spread faith and extended empire Byzantine territories of Syria, western Iraq, Palestine and Egypt by mid-640s CE Defeat of Sassanid (Persian) Empire, 651 CE Central Asia by 8 th c. CE North Africa and Spain by early 8 th c. Domination of Mediterranean Built war fleets by 640 CE to challenge Byzantines Crete, Sicily and Sardinia taken by early 9 th c. Quickest empire-building in history up to that point

15 Early Expansion of Islam

16 Umayyad Caliphate, pt. 2 Early motives for conquest Revenge against non-arab rulers War booty and tribute = CASH NOT REALLY CONVERSION!! Moved capital to Damascus (Syria) Built up bureaucracy But only Arab Muslims were first-class citizens Most subjects of empire were non-muslim

17 Great Mosque - Damascus

18 Umayyad Caliphate, pt. 3 People of the Book = dhimmi Jews and Christians Bible Flexible definition - relaxed to include non-biblical religions Aside from paying taxes, were left to govern themselves and worship freely CULTURALLY TOLERANT

19 Jesus Moses

20 Umayyad Caliphate, pt. 4 Reasons for fall of Caliphate? Overthrown by Abbasids by 750 CE Leader = Abu al-abbas Allies = dissident groups Shiites (still hated Umayyads!) Mawali (non-arab Muslims), still 2 nd -class citizens

21 Abbasid Caliphate ( CE) Once in power, Abbasids rejected Shiite allies as heretics fighting ever since! Built new capital at Baghdad Imperial bureaucracy grew Main advisor = wazir (vizier) Only effective at administering empire and collecting taxes for approx. 100 years Why?

22 Abbasid Palace - Baghdad

23 Abbasid Caliphate, pt. 2 Mass conversions to Islam encouraged for all subjects of Empire War booty no longer distributed Mawali now equal citizens with Arabs Persians came to dominate administration Long distance trade revived Sea routes particularly busy

24 Muslim Traders (by land and sea)

25 Abbasid Caliphate, pt. 3 Status of women? Harem reached zenith Veiling and seclusion of non-slave women (especially urban upper classes) Land-owning elite established

26 Decline of Abbasid Caliphate High peasant tax burden Caliphs neglected public welfare Former provinces of empire broke away Syria and Egypt Buyids of Persia sacked Baghdad (945 CE) Caliphs became puppets of Buyids Buyids took title of sultan ( victorious in Arabic)

27 Abbasid Decline, pt. 2 Seljuk Turks supplanted Buyids in 1055 CE Nomads from central Asia Persecuted Shiites Defeated Byzantines Opened way for settlement of Anatolia by Ottoman Turks Battled Crusaders from Western Europe First Crusade captured Jerusalem, 1099 CE Horrible massacre (even Christians!) Crusaders maintained foothold in Palestine until 1291, but mostly wiped out by Salah-ud-Din (Saladin) in late 12 th c.

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29 Abbasid Decline, pt. 3 Mongol invasions - the coup de grace 1258 CE Baghdad sacked and last Abbasid caliph executed Mongols finally defeated by Mamluks (originally Turkic slaves who ruled Egypt) 1401 CE Baghdad sacked again by Timur (Tamerlane)

30 Mongol Siege of Baghdad

31 Islamic Art and Science Abbasid Caliphate = Golden Age of Islamic culture, despite political turmoil Socrates Early Abbasid period Mosque and palace building flourished Recovery, translation and dissemination of classical texts Transmission of ideas Arabic numerals, chess from India Jews, Christians and Muslims all participated

32 Islamic Art and Science, pt. 2 Persian literature Persian = language of high culture, literature, administration and scholarship Arabic = language of religion, law and natural sciences Rubiyat by Omar Khayyam

33 Islamic Art and Science, pt. 3 Mathematics and science Medicine Skilled astronomers and cartographers

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35 NOW do you recognize it?

36 Abbasid Religious Trends Ulama orthodox scholars of Islam Hostile to non-muslim (classical) ideas Sufis Wandering mystics - personal union with Allah Possible to look beyond illusory realm of senses to find Allah like Buddhism, but still strongly monotheistic Sometimes extreme asceticism Drugs, dancing (dervishes) to induce ecstatic trances Very popular important in diffusion of Islam in S. Asia

37 Whirling Dervish - Sufism

38 Rivals to Abbasids Spain Umayyads (756 CE) Egypt Fatimids ( CE) Shiite Ayyubids ( CE) Salah al-din - Sunni Mamluks ( CE)

39 Fatimid Architecture