Aim: So… The Middle EastDo Now: How does this image reflect the history of the Middle East? The current problems?

Early Middle Eastern Civilizations8000 B.C.E.-600 B.C.E.

Why and how in the Middle East?

● The major river systems (Tigris and Euphrates in mesopotamia and the Nile in Egypt)

Supplied a surplus of food (fish + successful crops)● Allowed people to work on other things => social

hierarchy, specialization ● Encouraged people to stay in one place

Provided means of transportation● trade

o spread of ideas and technologyo economic development

Peoples of the Middle East● Egypt

o Egypt first united by Pharaoh Narmer(A.K.A Menes) in 3100 BCEo Old kingdom (2575-2134 BCE) pyramids of giza and great sphinx

were built, ended with civil waro Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 BCE) ended with invasion be hyksos

armed with chariots and compound bowso New Kingdom (1532-1070 BCE) expanded territory, collapsed due to

internal disorder and invasion ● Mesopotamian peoples

● Sumerians(3500-2350 BCE) => writing system● First empire created by Sargon of Akkad (2200 BCE)● Babylonians (1900-1600 BCE) => known for Hammurabi’s

code● Hittites (1300-1200 BCE) =>introduced chariots and iron● Assyrians (911-612 BCE) =>warlike and cruel towards

conquered peoples

Social Class● King/ Pharaoh at the top (believed to have a connection with the

gods) ● Wealthy (lesser nobles, priests, warriors, merchants)● Farmers/ Artisans● Slaves (people who could not pay debts, POWs)● Women

o Food production required hard labor usually performed by men => women stayed in the house

o Food surplus => more kids => women had to bear and take care of them

o In Mesopotamia, Men could take multiple wives (often done if first wife did not bear children)

o However, women could own property, maintain dowry and even engage in trade, some were things like bakers Royal egyptian women had behind the scene influence in

politics Female pharaoh hatshepsut (1479–1458 BCE)

Religion● Mesopotamia

o Polytheistico King was a representative of the godso The governments built structures such as ziggurats to

appease themo bleak afterlife

● Egypto polytheistico pharaoh believed to be a god sent to earth to maintain ma’at

(order of the universe)o believed that body had to be prepared for afterlife

pyramids book of dead mummification

Technology and Science● Mesopotamia

o Sumerians writing system, cuneiform, in 3300 BCE written on clay tablets Gave rise to Epic of

Gilgamesho base 60 number systemo developed wheelo Skilled in metallurgy, made

bronzeo Hittites who came to power

in 1300 BCE, were first to make the systematic use of iron weapons

o skilled astronomers

● Egypto Hieroglyphics

written on papyrus o Skilled engineerso Learned much about the

human body through mummification

o Skilled astronomers => 365 day calendar

o Hyksos brought chariots and compound bows

Building Empires600 B.C.E. - 600 C.E.

Persian Empire- Persians - 550 -331 BCE - present day Iran, one of the largest empires in world history

- The first dynasty, the Achaemenid was founded by Cyrus, who overthrew the Median king

- By the time of Darius the great, a follower of the Zoroastrian religion, the empire stretched from Turkey and Libya to India. (More than 2 million square miles)

- Under Darius the Royal Road was created, that worked to link the empire.

- Had both a postal service and single currency

Provincial government, with each region ruled by government officials called Satraps.

- Key features: patriarchy, religious toleration, rigid divide of society between warriors, priests, and peasants

Parthian- Achaemenid persians fell to Alexander the Great’s forces in 331 BCE

- 247 BCE, Parthian dynasty arose after rebelling against the the empire of Alexander the Great.

- Parthian Persia: elements of Hellenistic and Persian culture,

-grew wealthy from Silk Road trade.

- Specific goods: Chinese eagerness for horses, Parthians traded Chinese silk to Greeks.

Sassanid Succeeding them was the Sassanid Empire 224-651 Ce

- Shahs grew rich on the Silk Road and from commerce generated by Arab traders.

- Practiced Zoroastrianism- Shah’s fundamentally saw themselves as members of a religious community, schools and law courts were religious.

- Unlike previous rulers they were less tolerant of other religions

- Society revolved around a powerful aristocracy, however unlike in Europe the Sassanid Empire consistently held internal control.

- Occasional conflict with Romans/Byzantines

-Fell to Islamic military expansion in 651 Ce.

Multinational Institutions● Religion

○ The two major ones were Zoroastrianism and Christianity ○ Christian Byzantine Empire and Zoroastrian Persian -

intolerance towards each other○ Zoroastrianism grew in influence during the Sassanid

Empire○ Forms of Christianity and Zoroastrian spread by travellers

on the Silk Road● Trade Routes

○ Mediterranean Sea○ Indian Ocean Maritime Network - Arab and Persian traders

dominated the Western portion ○ Silk Road○ Goods: Silk, Horses○ Technologies: Stirrups (gave riders greater stability), ships

with triangular lateen sails (allowed travelers to cover long distances at sea)

600 CE - 1450 CE

Origins and Spread of Islam, the Crusades, and the Rise of the Ottoman

Empire

Origins of Islam● Began in the Arabian Peninsula with Muhammad (570 – 632 CE)

● Monotheistic religion, similar to Judaism and Christianity

○ There is one God, Allah

○ Muhammad is the great prophet; messenger for Allah

● Migration to Medina (622 CE) – start of the Islamic calendar

● Due to differing opinions on line of succession after Muhammad’s death, Muslims split into Sunnis and Shi’ites

○ Shi’ites: Believed that the Caliph should be a descendant of Muhammad

■ Believed Ali, Muhammad’s first Cousin, was the Prophet’s rightful heir

○ Sunnis: Believed the Caliph should be chosen by leaders; did not believe the Caliph had to be blood-related

Five Pillars & More Islam● Five Pillars of Islam

○ Shahadah – Declaration of Faith

○ Salah – Prayer

○ Zakat – Charity

○ Sawm – Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan

○ Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca

● Quran: Muslim Holy Book

● Sharia Law: Islamic Code of Law

● Accept Moses and Jesus as prophets; Jews and Christians considered “People of the Book”

Spread of Islam and Islam in Spain● Islam (634 – 711 CE) spread via military conquests

- Jihad: Holy War● Under the Umayyad Dynasty, the Islamic Empire grew and

expanded as far as northern Africa into Spain● The Moors, an Islamic nomadic people from North Africa,

invaded Spain in 711. They moved north, threatening France but were stopped by Charles Martel in 732

● Spanish cities, Toledo, Granada and Seville were greatly influenced by Moorish culture – music, art, and architecture (Alhambra)

● Moors were driven out of Spain in 1492 by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand

Islamic Empire

Crusades (1095 – 1204) ● Pope Urban II called for Christians to stop fighting themselves

and fight Muslims for the Holy Land

● Christians captured Jerusalem was in 1099; but the Muslims regained control in 1187 under Saladin

● 4 crusades during this period

● Violent period which caused intolerance between Christians and Muslims for centuries

● Resulted in failed mission but led to trade, exchange of ideas and and a re-discovery of ancient history

Ottoman Turks (1300 - 1450 CE)● 13th century – the former Islamic Empire was taken over by the

Mongols. Yet, there was a thriving of Islamic culture and achievements in literature, art, mathematics and astronomy.

● 1300 - the Muslim Ottoman Empire, founded by Osman in Eastern Turkey, unified the region and challenged the Byzantine rule.

● 14th century – Ottoman Empire grew○ Went on to conquer Constantinople in 1453, marking the end

of the Byzantine Empire (renamed Istanbul)● Comprised of vast lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the

Caucasus and eastern Europe.● Religiously Tolerant: Christians and Jews were allowed to

practice religions○ Millet System

Global Interactions1450 C.E. - 1750 C.E.

Height of the Ottoman Empire (1510-1580)● Suleiman the Magnificent

o Expanded the empire deep into Eastern Europeo Oversaw the golden age in artistic, literary, and architectural development

● By the 1520s, the Ottoman Empire was the most powerful and best-organized state in either Europe or the Islamic world

● Janissaries-Christian prisoners of war induced to serve as military slaves● Devshirme-Children from Christian villages were recruited to be educated to become

janissaries● Development of guns and cannons greatly improved the strength of the military; as a

result the empire becomes a “gunpowder empire”● Relatively independent of Western influence● Two examples of military technology: the yataghan and zischagge

All Good Things Must Come to an End (1585-1700)

● As the size of the Janissaries corps grew larger, the role of the Turkish cavalry diminished

● The government needed money to pay the Janissaries so it taxed its people

● Then displaced cavalrymen, peasants, and students rebelled● Sultan slowly lost power and the Janissaries slowly gained power● From land grants to tax farming● European influence slowly started to take over Ottoman trade ● Tulip Period (1718-1730)

o The Istanbul elite experimented with European clothing and furniture styles and books

o It’s called the Tulip Period because there was a craze for tulips● Patrona Halil Rebellion- After Sultan Ahmed III abdicated, the

leader of the revolt, Patrona Halil held power for a short time● Showed the world that the Ottoman Empire was declining

Safavid Empire

● In 1502, 16-year old Ismail proclaimed himself shah of Iran and declared that his realm would be devoted to Shi’ite Islam

● Persian Cultureo Persian emerged as the second language of Islamo Iranian scholars and writers read Persian

● Hidden Imam: a descendant of Ali who disappeared in the ninth centuryo Doctrine states that all temporal rulers are stand-ins for the Hidden Imam

● Shi’ism also affected psychological lifeo Preachers recited woeful tales to weeping believerso Elaborate street processions

● Women were seldom seen in public● Style of dress: complete coverage of arms, legs, and hair for

both sexes● Isfahan became the capital in 1598

Collapse of the Safavid Empire

● Silk was the mainstay of the empire’s foreign trade● The manufacturing sector was neither large nor productive● Women and girls did most of the work● Paying troops became more difficult● Shah realized that his military needed to adopt firearms to hold

off the Ottomans and Uzbeks● Warriors weren’t willing to trade in their bow and arrows● Inflation caused by spread cheap silver● Mismanagement of the silk monopoly

Industrialization and Global Integration

1750 C.E. - 1900 C.E.

1750 CE - 1900 CEThe Ottoman Empire had passed its peak and was composed of

most of the Middle East along with Northern Africa and Southeast Europe during this time.

The great empire was on the verge of decline as it wasn’t able to hold onto its distant territories in Northern Africa and Arabia.-The Saud Family took control of many Arabian tribes as they spread Wahhabism or Islamic Fundamentalism

-Napoleon invades Egypt and is forced out by 1801 which allows Mohommed Ali to come to power in Egypt

Egypt

-Muhammed Ali tries to build up the Egyptian economy and military so that Egypt can be less dependent from the Ottoman Sultan.

-Imported European advisers and technicians to help build cotton mills, shipyards, weapons factories, and other industries in an attempt to industrialize.

-Ali imposes high tariffs to encourage domestic industrialization and forces peasantry to grow wheat and cotton, which were a major Egyptian export at this time that they used to fund their industrialization

-Britain was threatened by Egypt's growing economy and they did not want a powerful country in the way of the Suez Canal, which was the closest route from Europe to Asia. When Egypt when to war with the Ottoman Empire in 1839, Britain forced Ali to get rid of import duties for free trade.

-Egyptian goods could not compete with cheaper British goods so they became dependent on Britain as they began importing manufactured goods and exporting raw cotton.

Ottoman Empire tries to reform-Sultan Selim III’s modernization plan included standard taxation, European-style

military, and reinstitution of control over provincial governors. Janissaries in Serbia hold an uprising against these reforms that is eventually crushed. It leads to Serbia breaking away from the ottoman empire and opposition force Selim to abandon reforms by 1806.

-Mahmud II gains support of Janissaries and Ulama but faces the problem of opposition in Greece so he gets help from Egyptian army. Mahmud also reorganized military and financial institutions by dissolving janissaries and taking away power from Ulama.

-Ottoman troops loyalty falls apart and Egyptian army takes control of Istanbul so Europe gets involved to free the Ottomans.

-Modernization continues with Abdul Mejid, who creates the Tanzimat, which guaranteed political rights for men and opened Western military training schools. French becomes popular.

-Crimean War (1853-1856) was fought between Russia and the Ottoman Empire over territorial and religious disputes. Clash between modern and traditional weaponry/warfare. Ottomans survive only with British and French aid. Brings up “Eastern Question” and the Ottoman Empire as the “sick man of Europe.”

Ottoman Decline-Ottoman Empire had serious economic problems including: declining agricultural

venues, large debts to foreign nations, widespread corruption, and inflation as imports widely exceed export.

-Solution is proposed by Elites to be sticking to European models so an Imperial bank was created, gold coins were minted tied to the pound, and factories opened in urban areas.

-1860-1880 marked a large migration of people into urban areas, including Europeans who had extraterritoriality meaning they were safe from Ottoman law.

-Young Turks or Ottomans come to power in 1860’s and 1870’s with goal of Westernization to make extraterritoriality seem obsolete. Create a constitutional monarchy and reform under tanzimat and spread idea of turkification.

-European nations had an incredible influence in the ottoman empire by 1900. Their loans and aid allowed them to control tax collection, mining, railroads, and some industry. They also claimed to be protectors of religious minorities.

-Ottomans’ attempt to Westernize fails and by 1900 they are largely influenced and dependent on the west. This allows nationalism to rise in the distant parts of their empire, which ultimately allows them to break away in the case of Egypt and the European nations in the north.

Modernization on Religion and the Role of Women

-At first, there was a lot of religious persecution, especially of the Orthodox Christians in the European part of the empire.

-Westernization took away the tax on non-muslims and gave legal protections to muslims, christians, and jews alike

-The power of the Ulama was significantly decreased and religion became less apparent in education by the end of this period.

-Reform was oriented towards men and women continued to have little political participation and educative opportunities

-New industrial jobs were not open to women and secularization caused property to be transferred from islamic to state law, where women had no standing.

-Ultimately, secularization occurred in the Ottoman Empire but the roles of women was not changed from its traditional standing.

Accelerating Global Change and

Realignments1900 C.E. -present

-The Ottoman Empire, although once one of the most powerful and largest empires in the world, fell behind economically, technologically, and militarily by the late 19th century

-The Young Turks were a group who advocated centralized ruling and plotted to overthrow the sultan of the Empire and establish a constitution in the early 1900s

-The Young Turks signed a secret alliance with Germany in 1914 and expelled the Armenians during the war

-Britain promised the Arabs independence of present-day Syria, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula to lead an Arab revolt against the Turks (Hussein-McMahon Correspondence)

-Britain also signed the Sykes-Picot agreement with France in May 1916, which divided up the Ottoman Empire into British and French controlled areas

-In 1922, a fierce general called Mustafa Kemal “Ataturk” came to power in Turkey, and rapidly modernized and westernized the country

Collapse of the Ottoman Empire

● Iran○ Reza Khan gets rid of the Qajar Dynasty and takes control of Iran in 1921,

effectively starting the Pahlavi Dynasty○ The U.S. CIA helped Reza Khan’s son, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, retain his

throne in 1953 in the face of a coup○ Mohammed Mossadeq became the Prime Minister of Iran in 1951, only to be

overthrown by a CIA coup in 1953 known as Operation TP AJAX○ Shah Reza Pahlavi was overthrown in the Iranian evolution of 1979, where

Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile and came to power as the fundamentalist leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran

○ Ayatollah Khomeini was succeeded by Ali Khameini after his death on June 4, 1989

● Saudi Arabia○ Saudi Arabia became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under Abd al-Aziz ibn

Sa’ud in 1932○ Saudi Arabia boycotted oil to Western nations in 1973 in retaliation of

supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War

Arising leaders and nations

● Egypt○ The Muslim Brotherhood was formed by Hasan al-Banna in Egypt as an Islamic

Revivalist Movement based on Islamic Fundamentalism in 1928○ Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt overthrew the monarchy and came to power in 1952○ Anwar Sadat became the President of Egypt following Nasser’s death in 1970○ However, he was assassinated on October 6, 1981 by fundamentalist army officers

● Israel○ In the Balfour Declaration of 1917, Zionists were supported by the British in the

establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine○ On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion announced the creation of independent Israel,

but the newly born country was attacked by Arab countries the day after○ Arab-Israeli conflicts over British-controlled Palestine

■ War of Independence (1948), The Suez War (1956), The Six Day War (1967), and The Yom Kippur War (1973)

○ At the Camp David Accords of 1978, Egypt and Israel signed an agreement that established peaceful relations. In the agreement, Egypt recognized Israel as a state while Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt

● Iraq○ Saddam Hussein became the president of Iraq in 1979○ On September 22, 1980, Iraq invaded Iran due to border skirmishes and rights to

the Shatt al-Arab waterway○ A cease-fire ended the Iran-Iraq war in 1988○ In 2003, U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam

Hussein in Operation Iraqi Freedom

● Focus was shifted towards weapons of mass destruction

● Countries are now looking to develop nuclear weapons or to import them

● Chemical weapons were also of interest

● Advanced oil drilling technology

● Ever since oil was discovered in this area, foreign powers who receive their oil

from the Middle East have worked towards developing more efficient drilling

equipment

● Horizontal drilling technique

● New drills that can change direction underground

Technology

● Women Todayo More traditionalist countries still restrict women, some are

more strict than others Example: Countries such as Iran still require women to

wear a veil covering their hair

o Modernized countries give women more rights, freedom and opportunity Today, women in these countries have social statuses

almost equivalent to that of Western women However, certain areas are still dominated by men

● ex: The majority of Turkey’s government consists of males

Women in the Middle East

Bibliography ● Bulliet, Richard W. The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,

1997. Print.

● "Global Connections: The Middle East" PBS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/timeline/text/index.html>.

● McCannon, John. Barron's AP World History. Hauppauge, NY: Barrons Educational Series, 2012. Print.

● "MIDDLE EAST 1750-1914." Hinzman's AP World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://www.hinzmansapworldhistory.com/middle-east-1750-1914.html>.

● "Muhammad". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 13 May. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396226/Muhammad/251799/Muhammad-and-the-Quran>.

● "Ottoman Empire (1301-1922)." BBC News. BBC, 4 Sept. 2009. Web. 10 May 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml>.