Chapter 11Section 1

The Rise of Islam

Arabian Peninsula 1,400 miles north-south along the Red Sea 1,250 miles east-west Mostly desert – an occasional oasis

a fertile spot in the desert where underground spring comes to the surface

Early Inhabitants Nomads called Bedouins – herders used

camels (ships of the desert) for travel Divided into clans Worshiped hundreds of gods & spirits

Believed they resided in natural objects Known for their hospitality to travelers

Founding of Islam Muhammad – born Mecca – 570 Orphaned at 6 Worked as camel driver 25 married Khadija – wealthy

older widow women Marriage produced two sons and

four daughters

Muhammad Age 40 – believed the angel

Gabriel spoke to him & ordered him to preach the word of Allah – the one true God

Muhammad’s early preaching Mecca’s rulers opposed to Muhammad’s

teachings Many pilgrims came to visit the Kaaba – small

stone building that housed statues of the Arabs 360 gods—plus Black Stone

No pilgrims = no money for local merchants 622 Muhammad & followers travel from

Mecca to Medina – the Hijra – the first year of the Muslim calendar

Islam = “submission to the will of God”

Followers of Islam – called Muslims means “one who submits”

Won many converts in Medina—preached that all people were to submit to Allah—seen as a prophet and political leader

630 leads an army that captures Mecca – destroys the statues of idols in Kaaba

632 – Muhammad dies but by then most of the Bedouins had converted to Islam

Quran Abu-Bakr – elected Caliph (means

successor to Muhammad) writes down the words of Muhammad into the Quran – the holy book of Islam Contains 114 chapters – suras – same as New

Testament Written in Arabic – the only language allowed in

worship

Quran Arranged according to length not subject Only the Quran written in Arabic is

considered to be the true words of Muhammad

Arabic became the common language of all Muslims

Islamic social teaching found in the Hadith, collection of traditional sayings and acts of Muhammad

Quran States that people are responsible for their

own actions Day of Judgement for all Muslims Everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah Islam is based on strict monotheism Muslims must meet five obligations known

as the 5 Pillars of Islam

Jews & Christians Muhammad said that the Torah & Bible

contained partial revelations from God Abraham, Moses, David & Jesus all prophets

Jews & Christians are “People of the Book” Superior to idol worshippers Tolerated in early Muslim society

Islam – A way of Life Sharia – system of law that regulates the

moral conduct, family life, business practices, government & other aspects of a Muslim community

Does not separate matters from criminal or civil law

Islam – A way of Life Islam – religion & way of life

Must show temperance, humility, justice, tolerance, generosity, courage, & obedience to authority

Muslim men could have up to 4 wives but only if he treated them all equally

Could not marry non-believers

Islam – A way of Life Forbidden to eat pork or drink alcoholic

beverages—gambling and money lending forbidden

Permitted slavery but couldn’t enslave other Muslims

Believes in Jihad – fighting to defend or spread the faith (tongue, heart, the hand, sword) Warriors sins forgiven & receives rewards in

heaven (72 virgins—Paradise)

Islamic religious practices No religious images No elaborate ceremonies No formal priesthood – mullahs – learned men in

the Islamic faith & law Muslims worship in Mosques

Men & women do not worship together Friday holy day of worship Called to worship by muezzin at prescribed times

throughout the day

Status of Women Women had greater protection under the

law in early Muslim societies Can not kill baby daughters Can inherit property Had to freely consent to marriage--divorce Must obey husband, care for children,

manage household

Muslim Women Will begin practice of veiling and secluding

them within the home (Harems—separate part of Muslim household reserved for wives, concubines, and female servants)

More restrictions on women as Islam developed

Spread of Islam Spread of Islam will be rapid throughout the

Middle East—Arabs united for first time People converted because of message was

clear and simple One God, equality of all believers, no need

for clergy or church Corruption of Byzantine and Persian

Empires

Split in Islam

Caused by dispute over Muhammad’s successor

Sunni believed caliph should be chosen by leaders of Muslim community—not a religious authority

Shiites (Shia) believed true successors (Imam, would be the political and religious leader of the community of believers) to the “Prophet” were descendants of Muhammad’s daughter and son-in-law (Fatima and Ali)

Spread of Islam

By the 9th century Islam included North Africa, Spain, Middle East, and Egypt

The term Dar Al-Islam, “world of Islam” was the conception that all areas ruled by Muslim Caliphs belonged to a larger Islamic world—appearance of one culture or state

Made Islam a whole way of life—Islamic kingdoms everywhere ruled by the same set of laws (sharia)—fostered trade and commerce

Development of Sufism Developed in Baghdad, a mystic Islamic

movement—Allah could be reached through movement and song (“whirling dervish”)

Men and women wore a coarse wool robe called a suf

Taught that individuals could find salvation through fasting, prayer, and meditation

Played role in spreading Islam in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia

ACHIEVEMENTS In architecture used domes and arches in

Byzantine style Distinguishing feature is the minaret,

slender towers on mosques

LITERATURE Greatest work of Islamic literature is the

Quran Other works included poems Firdawsi wrote the masterpiece Shah-

namah or King’s Book of Kings Omar Khayyam was a famous poet,

scholar and astronomer who wrote The Rubaiyat

LITERATURE Storytelling was prized in Arabia Most famous collection is titled The

Thousand and One Nights Group of tales narrated by the fictional

princess, Scheherezade

PHILOSOPHY Like Christian thinkers Muslim scholars tried to

harmonize Greek ideas about reason with religious beliefs based on divine revelation

Ibn Rushd or Averroes put all knowledge to the test of reason—influenced Christian thinkers in Europe

Ibn Khaldun set standards for the scientific study of history—studied causes of events

MATHEMATICS Greatest mathematician was al-Khwarizmi

whose work pioneered the study of algebra

MEDICINE/PUBLIC HEALTH Muslims made remarkable advances in these fields Early emergency rooms—government set up hospitals

(separate wards for women) Muhammad al Razi wrote many medical books and

pioneered studies on measles and smallpox He stressed treating the mind as well as the body

Ibn Sina or Avicenna wrote Canon on Medicine which was huge encyclopedia about diagnosis and treatment of disease

Physicians and pharmacist had to pass test before practicing

CALIPHATE Abu Bakr led for two years—sent out military

expeditions, collected taxes, dealt with tribes on behalf of the entire community

Three successors to Bakr were–Umar, Uthman and Ali which made the caliphate an institution

Uthman will be assassinated—accused of nepotism, using his position to put his family in powerful and lucrative jobs

UMAYYAD DYNASTY (661 CE) Civil war erupted after Ali became caliph Ali eventually assassinated and the Umayyad clan took

control and set up Umayyad Dynasty Moved the capital of Islamic state from Medina to

Damascus in Syria Transformed the caliphate into a hereditary monarchy Conquered Syria, Egypt, Persia, Byzantine territory in

West Asia, North Africa, and Spain

UMAYYAD DYNASTY Military skills, commitment to Islam, and the

promise of blunder made them successful Bureaucratic structure set up in which local

administrators governed the conquered areas All cultures were tolerated as long as they

obeyed the rules of Islam, paid their taxes, and did not revolt

Arabic became the language of administration, business, law, and trade

UMAYYAD DYNASTY Constant conflict with Shiites (Shia) due to Ali

(Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law) Ali had been designated as Imam or leader in

community prayer and thus Muhammad’s designated successor

Quran offered no solution to issue—Umayyad’s were Sunni so they believed the caliph had political and military leadership but not Muhammad’s religious authority

UMAYYAD DYNASTY Constant discontent and rebellions based

on religious opposition Shiites condemned Umayyads as worldly

and sensual rulers

ABBASID DYNASTY (750 CE—1258 CE)

In 750 CE, Abu’ al-Abbas won general recognition as caliph after leading rebellion

The Abbasid caliphs will found the city of Baghdad and make it the capital (second largest city in world at this time)

Greatest city in Islam—flourishing trade, artistic, and scientific center

New heroes in Abbasid society were judges, merchants, and government officials

ABBASID DYNASTY All Muslims, regardless of ethnic

background, could now hold both civil and military offices

Opened Islamic culture to the influences of the civilizations that the Arabs had conquered

Arabs began to intermarry with people that they had conquered

ABBASID DYNASTY Harun al-Rashid was best known caliph

and whose reign is commonly referred to as the “Golden Age” of Abbasid caliphate

After his death civil war between sons Vast wealth gave rise to financial corruption Abbasid caliphs undermined their own

ruling power

ABBASID DYNASTY Life of luxury enjoyed by caliph and his

court in Baghdad was contrary to the strict moral code of Islam

Divorce was common, caliphs had hundreds of concubines in harems, alcohol was consumed in public etc.

Caliphs relied on Persian and Turks to run government and military

ABBASID DYNASTY Muslim world became politically divided Two common bonds held the world of Islam

together—the Quran and the use of Arabic

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Also known as the Eastern Roman Empire until officially

renamed Byzantine Empire Greek in language, Roman in jurisprudence, and

Christian in culture Politically, it was distinguished by the twin rule of church

and state, and culturally, it observed a form of Christianity called Greek or Eastern Orthodoxy

Along with the Muslims, the Byzantines became preservers of the wisdom of the ancient world

ORIGINS OF BYZANTINE EMPIRE

New capital built by Constantine which was constructed on the Bosporus ( the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmora) and Christianity legalized

Very easy to defend (hard to breech defenses and shorter frontier with Europe) and excellent location to Eastern trade routes

CONSTANTINOPLE Probably survived due to its impregnable

defenses—at the Golden Horn, or waterway, on the northern side, a chain was hung in the water to prevent entrance of foreign ships

CONSTANTINOPLE A system of cisterns freed the city from dependence on

water pipelines that could be cut off in times of attack Military was small but well-trained and equipped—

soldiering was hereditary—officers appointed by the emperor

Calvary equipped with stirrups (Eurasian invention) Byzantine navy used Greek Fire (unknown ingredients) Bureau of Barbarians served as a CIA type organization

BYZANTINE CISTERN

HIPPODROME

CHRISTIAN CHURCHES Roman Catholic Church was led by the pope—

has control over bishops, monks, and doctrine Eastern Orthodox Church (Greek) was led by a

patriarch who had no such comparable authority Byzantine emperors recognized no papal

directives from Rome and the emperors themselves regulated church structure

Church and state ruled cooperatively in the East

CHRISTIAN CHURCH SPLIT (The Great Schism)

One factor that separated Eastern and Western churches was monasticism--religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work

Holy men and monks sought to follow Christ by fasting, celibacy, prayer, and separation from the world

First developed in the East (influence of Eastern religions (Buddhism etc.)

Other issues included the Eastern church spoke Greek and Roman church Latin—when to celebrate Easter

CHRISTIAN CHURCH SPLIT In 700s and 800s another controversy emerged

over iconoclasm– or prohibition of veneration of sacred pictures or images called icons (form of idolatry)

726 CE Byzantine emperor Leo III issued a decree that all images and paintings be removed from the churches (iconoclasts)

Church council in 787 CE declared iconoclasm a heresy—Byzantine leaders finally agreed to it

CHRISTIAN CHURCH SPLIT Clerical celibacy: The western church

demanded celibacy of bishops and clerics at all levels. Clergymen may and do marry in the eastern church.

Facial hair: Western clergymen could shave or not shave as they chose. Eastern clerics could not shave

CHRISTIAN CHURCH SPLIT other sore spots included, (1) the use of Latin

rather than Greek in worship, (2) the type of bread (unleavened bread in west) used in communion, (3) the west's encouragement of fasting on Saturday, (4) the west's eating of meat from strangled animals(5) the west's forbidding of the singing of the choral Alleluia during Lent (eastern churches rejoice during Lent while western church mourn).

THE GREAT SCHISM In 1054 the two churches finally split over the

issue of the nature of the Trinity, or the concept of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit which had been established by Nicene Creed 325

Pope Leo IX excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerularius who in turn excommunicated the Pope

EMPEROR JUSTINIAN and EMPRESS THEODORA (527-565 C.E.)

Byzantine Empire reached its greatest height under the leadership of Justinian and his wife Theodora, who took an active part in governing with her husband (Nika riots)

Theodora ruled with her husband for 19 years until her death by cancer

Together she and Justinian rebuilt and reformed Constantinople, building bridges and aqueducts, and more than 25 churches including the Hagia Sophia

EMPRESS THEODORA Theodora used her power to close brothels, crack down

on forced prostitution, she opened a convent where ex-prostitutes could support themselves

made rape punishable by death, forbade killing wives for committing adultery, also expanded the rights of women in divorce and property ownership.

She also forbade the exposure of infants, and gave mothers some guardianship rights over children

she converted to Monophysite Christianity (they believed that Christ was divine, not half human and half divine)

JUSTINIAN’S CODE Also known as Corpus Juris Civilis (“Body of Civil Law”) Made up of three parts—Codex 12 books (Codes),

Digest 50 books (Pandects), and Institutes (first year law students)

Monumental work preserved the Roman legal heritage and integrated the numerous and conflicting laws that had been observed in the Roman Empire

Body of civil law is the legal foundation for nearly every modern European country

JUSTINIAN’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Recovered lost Roman lands in the west—lands quickly lost (outbreak of plague)

reign contributed to the lasting influence of classical culture as well as forming Constantinople and Byzantine commercial interests and culture into an enduring entity lasting until 1453

BYZANTINE SOCIETY Society was highly regulated and

hierarchical Trade organized in guilds that controlled

prices, quality, output, and surplus Emperor had monopolies in minting,

armaments, and silk (Justinian started with silkworms smuggled from China)

BYZANTINE SOCIETY Money lending was legal but also regulated

(8% ceiling on interest) Idleness was a crime and taverns closed by

eight to prevent drunkenness Church and government provided free

medical and hospital care Lacked order of succession which caused

usurpations and assassinations

BYZANTINE SOCIETY 88 emperors from Constantine I to XI, 13 took to

the monastery while 30 died violently Wealth of empire derived from trade and

manufacturing Constantinople’s location gave it control of the

trade routes between Russia and the Mediterranean, and between Europe, Asia, and Africa

BYZANTINE SOCIETY Byzantines became master craftsmen In 12th and 13 centuries craftsmen from all

over Europe went to Constantinople to learn how to work with marble, enamel, precious metals, and gems; how to make chalices; how to decorate manuscripts; and how to make mosaics

Agriculture was a small part of economy

BYZANTINE SOCIETY One of Byzantine’s most profound impacts

can be found through the spreading of Roman culture to Russia