Golden Age of Islamic Evidence Slides

Evidence 1: The Hajj

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Islam connected the Islamic World and
Afro-Eurasia.

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The Hajj- is one of the five pillars of Islam.
It ask Muslims to make a pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once during their lifetime.

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The Hajj brought religious pilgrims to
Mecca to worship at the Ka’aba every year.

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Merchants, goods and ideas from Around
Afro-Eurasia followed the pilgrimage to
Mecca.

Claim #1

Map of Muslim travel to the Hajj

Historical Claim Part 1: The Islamic Golden Age was caused by the Islamic

World being at the center of Afro-Eurasia.

Claim #1

Evidence 2: Geography

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The Middle East is a Natural land bridge
between Europe, Africa and Asia.

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The Islamic World lies in the middle of
trade routes that stretch from China and
India to Europe.

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After 700 CE, anyone traveling along the
Silk Road, across the Sahara, or sailing
across the Indian Ocean and
Mediterranean would go through parts of
the Islamic World.

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Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid
Dynasty was a major trade hub along with
Cairo and Samarkand.

Map of the Abbasid Caliphate

Abbasid Caliphate

INDIA

Arabian

Sea

EUROPE

AFRICA

ASIA

Mediterranean Sea

Red Sea

Atlantic

Ocean

NORTH
AFRICA

Baghdad

​Historical Claim Part 1: The Islamic Golden Age was caused by the Islamic World being at the center of Afro-Eurasia.

Claim #1

Evidence 3: Trade

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Trade and the Islamic World are tightly
intertwined, because trade is the main way
that Islam spread across the many regions.

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Trade brought wealth and knowledge to
the Islamic World.

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Baghdad during the era was a dazzling
city rivaled only by Hangzhou in Song
China.

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Merchants and good from the Islamic
World also travelled far beyond the
borders of the Islamic World. For example,
Abbasid coins made their way to
Scandinavia and China

Trade Routes and the Islamic World

​Historical Claim Part 1: The Islamic Golden Age was caused by the Islamic World being at the center of Afro-Eurasia.

Claim #1

Historical Claim Part 1: The Islamic World was at the center of

Afro-Eurasia.

Evidence 1:
The Hajj

Once a year, the Hajj brought religious pilgrims to Mecca. It also
brought merchants, goods and ideas to the Islamic World.

Evidence 2:
Geography

The Islamic World is located on a natural land bridge between
Europe, Africa and Asia. After 700 CE, anyone traveling across
the major trade routes of Afro-Eurasia would pass through the
Islamic World. The Islamic worlds capital, Baghdad was,
additionally a centrally located, important trade hub.

Evidence 3:
Trade

Trade and the Islamic World were connected because this is how
Islam spread. Trade brought wealth and ideas to the Islamic
World, and in turn Muslim Merchants spread goods and ideas far
beyond the borders of the Islamic World.

Evidence 1: Papermaking

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Papermaking technology travelled to the Islamic World
from China

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Muslims armies first encountered paper when they reach
Central Asia in the 8th century.

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Over the next 50 years that knowledge spread across the
Islamic World and into Europe.

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The ‘paper revolution” occured in the Islamic World around
the 9th century.

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Paper increased literacy and scholarship.

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Paper also allowed scholars to copy down the ideas
flowing into the region and spread their newfound
knowledge to other areas.

Claim #2

Scholars in the library of
the House of Wisdom in

Baghdad studying

books.

Historical Claim Part 2: The Islamic World being at the center of Afro-Eurasia brought

goods and ideas from across the known world.

Claim #2

Evidence 2: Ancient Greek and Roman Texts

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Islamic Scholars embraced the ideas of Greek and Roman
philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato.

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They translated many of the ancient texts into Arabic,
thus preserving and reinterpreting the knowledge about
science, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, medicine, etc.

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In the 9th century the Abbasid caliph gained permission
of the Byzantine emperor for scholars to collect and
translate ancient text from the Byzantine empire.

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Unlike Christian scholars at the time who viewed much of
the ancient knowledge as against God because it
contradicted religious teachings. Islamic Scholars did not
see any contradiction between ancient ideas and their
beliefs. This made them much more willing to accept and
advance the ideas of the ancient philosophers.

Image from an Arabic

translation of the Greek text.

Showing the Greek philosopher
Socrates speaking with his pupils

Historical Claim Part 2: The Islamic World being at the center of Afro-Eurasia brought goods and ideas from across the known world.

Claim #2

Evidence 3: Brahmi and Hindu Numerals

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Brahmi numerals originated in the 3rd century
BCE during the Mauryan Empire in India.

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Hindu numerals are descended from Brahmi
numerals. They are a set of 10 symbols that
represent amounts in a decimal number system.

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They originated from India in the 6th and 7th
century.

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Brought back to the Islamic World in the 8th
century by conquering armies and merchants.

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Hindu scholars were also welcomed into the
scholarly community in Baghdad under the
Abbasid rule.

Chart marks the
development of

numerals throughout

history.

Historical Claim Part 2: The Islamic World being at the center of Afro-Eurasia brought goods and ideas from across the known world.

Evidence 1: The House of Wisdom

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The House of Wisdom was a renowned center of
scholarship in Baghdad.

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It was a private library of Abbasid Caliphs.

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It was a magnet for scholars and intellectuals from
around Afro-Eurasia, and from many different
religious traditions.

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Scholars from radically different cultural traditions
drew on sources from across the known world to
combine and improve their collective knowledge.

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Many of the advances mentioned in the following
slides came out of the House of Wisdom.

Claim #3

Depiction of the House of
Wisdom. Note the books

in the background.

Historical Claim Part 3: Islamic Scholars advanced the knowledge they gained

and spread these advancements back across Afro-Eurasia.

Claim #3

Evidence 2: Innovations in Mathematics

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Arabic numerals developed out of the Hindu numerals, the 10
symbol decimal system made it easier to crunch numbers.

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Greek mathematics theories were translated into Arabic.

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Muhamad Al-Khawarizmi (780-850)
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Credited with introducing the Hindu-Arabic numeral
system.

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Translated major Greek and Indian works on math and
astronomy.

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Credited with the invention of algebra, which developed
out of a desire to improve Indian and Chinese problem
solving methods.

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Algebra created an abstract mathematical language
that is still used today.

Muhammad

Al-Khwarizm & the

Hindu-Arabic Numerals

he created.

Historical Claim Part 3: Islamic Scholars advanced the knowledge they gained and spread these advancements back across Afro-Eurasia.

Claim #3

Evidence 3: Innovations in Medicine

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Muslim physicians developed theory that disease transmitted through
tiny airborne organisms, precursor to the study of germs.

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Muslim hospitals were the foundation of the modern hopital.

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Al-Razi (865-925
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Developed method of experimental medicine and improved
knowledge of infectious diseases like smallpox and measles.

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Ibn al-Haytham (965-1040)
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Theory of optics stated that human vision comes from the
passive reception by the eyes of light rays reflected off objects.

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Mansur Ibn Illyas (1380-1422)
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Wrote a history of medicine in the Islaimc World.

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Improved through autopsies the Greek physician Galen’s
teachings on anatomy, including better models of the skeletal
system, nerves, veins and arteries.

Mansur’s Anatomy

included sketches that

improved on Greek

ideas about the body

Historical Claim Part 3: Islamic Scholars advanced the knowledge they gained and spread these advancements back across Afro-Eurasia.

Claim #3

Evidence 4: Innovations in Astronomy

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Astronomy was a particular interest to Islamic Scholars
in the Abbasid Dynasty.

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Islamic Scholars studied the work of the Greek
astronomer Ptolemy, which they translated into Arabic.

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Islamic Scholars questioned Ptolemy’s theory about a
geocentric (earth centered) universe.

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Ibn al-Haytham (965-1040)
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Discoveries about optics helped with the
development of the first telescope.

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Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
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Challenged Ptolemy’s theory of planetary motion
and developed the first accurate explanation of
the continuous movement of planets.

Islamic Scholars

studying Astronomy

Historical Claim Part 3: Islamic Scholars advanced the knowledge they gained and spread these advancements back across Afro-Eurasia.