Spread of Islam

3.2 Spread of Islam

By Krista Owen

EQ: How do belief systems influence societies and government?

When Muhammad died in 632 C.E., he left no instructions about who should be the next leader of Islam. Muslims realized that the Islamic state needed a strong leader. Muslim leaders chose a new type of leader called the caliph (KAY•luhf), or "successor."

Expanding Muslim Rule ​

The first four caliphs were close friends or relatives of Muhammad. Their goal was to protect and spread Islam. In 636 C.E., Muslim armies began the conquest of the Persian Sasanian Empire. The empire had existed from about 550 B.C.E. It began at the Euphrates River, near the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, and its territory extended far to the east covering lands that today include modern Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of central Asia​

Multiple Choice

What is the term that means successor?

• caliph

• emperor

• ruler

• king

​Zoroastrianism was the official religion of the Sasanians, but the empire generally practiced religious toleration and many Jews and Christians lived in Sasanian lands. All land trade routes across central Eurasia passed through the empire, and the tax income from trade made the Persians wealthy. Despite this wealth, the Sasanian Empire's constant warfare with the Byzantine Empire to the west had weakened the empire, leaving it vulnerable to attack by the Arab Muslims. It fought the Byzantine Empire for power in the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia.

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When Muslim armies attacked the Persian Sasanian Empire, the king, known as the “King of Kings,” was forced to move to gather resources to fend off invaders. However, the empire fell in 651 C.E. when it was captured by the Arabs. The Sasanian Empire was the last pre-Islamic Persian empire. The Muslim conquerors were Arab, so the territory became known as the Arab Empire. By the 660s C.E., the Arab Empire included all of southwest Asia and northeast Africa.

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​*632 — 634

ABU BAKR, CALIPH FROM (632-634 C.E.)

Spread Islam to all of Arabia; restored peace after death of Muhammad; created code of conduct, or behavior, for war; compiled verses of Quran​

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*​634 — 644

UMAR, CALIPH FROM (634-644 C.E.)

Spread Islam to Syria, Egypt, and Persia; redesigned government; made taxes fairer; built roads and canals; paid soldiers; held census

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Multiple Choice

__ was the first caliph after Muhammad died and restored peace.

• Abu Bakr

• Umar

​*644 — 656

UTHMAN, CALIPH FROM (644-656 C.E.)

Spread Islam into Afghanistan and eastern Mediterranean; organized a navy; improved the government; built more roads, bridges, and canals; distributed text of the Quran

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*656 — 661

ALI, CALIPH FROM (656-661 C.E.)

Reformed tax collection and other government systems; spent much of his rule fighting the governor of Syria​

Multiple Choice

__ built more roads, bridges, and canals; distributed text of the Quran

• Abu Bakr

• Umar

• Uthman

• Ali

​THE UMAYYADS

Expansion continued under new caliphs known as the Umayyads (oo•MY•uhds). The Umayyads governed the Arab Empire from the city of Damascus (duh•MAS•kuhs) in Syria. They ruled from 661 to 750 C.E. Under the Umayyads, Muslim rule extended farther into Asia and Africa.

A century after the death of Muhammad, Muslims had created a large and powerful empire. Arab soldiers were experienced horse riders and warriors and used those skills to fight large armies. They also believed they had a religious duty to spread Islam.

Multiple Choice

Umayyads capital was located in __.

• Makkah

• Medina

• Damascus

​Islam teaches that Christians and Jews are “People of the Book,” people who believe in one God and follow sacred writings. Therefore, many Muslims respect their beliefs and practices. After the Arabs gained control of a region, they usually let Christians and Jews practice their own religions and did not force them to convert to Islam. These groups coexisted in communities. Some Muslim rulers did force non-Muslims to convert, and in other cases non-Muslims had to pay a special tax to the caliphate. As time passed, many of the conquered peoples in the Arab Empire became Muslims and learned the Arab language. The customs of the conquered peoples also influenced the Arab rulers. Eventually, the term Arab meant a speaker of Arabic, not a resident of Arabia.

Multiple Choice

Islam teaches that Christians and Jews are " ______."

• Similar People

• Same as Islam

• Opposite o

• People of the Book

​ISLAMIC SPAIN

Muslim warriors entered Spain from North Africa in the early 700s C.E. They brought their religion, customs, and traditions. Spanish Muslims made the city of Córdoba a center of Islam.

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Spain was home to many of Islam’s greatest thinkers. Ibn Rushd (IH•buhn RUHSHT) practiced law and medicine in Córdoba. He is best known for his writings based on the works of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Ibn Rushd’s work influenced Christian and Jewish thinkers in Europe during the Middle Ages.

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​Muslims in Spain were generally tolerant, or accepting, of other cultures. In some schools, Muslims, Jews, and Christians studied medicine and philosophy together. In particular, the Jewish community in Córdoba flourished.

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Multiple Choice

Spanish Muslims made the city of __ the center of Islam.

• Cordoba

• Granada

​A Jewish scholar in Spain, Solomon ben Gabirol, wrote philosophy and poetry. His most famous book of philosophy, The Well of Life, shows the influence of the Greek philosophers. The book was translated from Arabic into Latin and influenced many philosophers in Christian Europe.

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Another Jewish thinker called Moses Maimonides (my•MAHN•ih•deez) had to leave Spain at a very young age because it was conquered by an intolerant Muslim group. He later became a physician in the Muslim royal court in Egypt and wrote philosophy and a collection of Jewish laws. Maimonides wrote in 1190 that there are limits to the human mind—a boundary that the mind cannot cross.

​ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Muslim architecture can still be found in many parts of Spain today. The high interior arches, decorative columns, and bright colors of this late-700s C.E. hall are all details of Muslim design.

Muslim architecture can still be found in many parts of Spain. The high interior arches, decorative columns, and bright colors are details of Muslim design. La Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain, is an example of Islamic architecture. The building was originally a church. Then it became a mosque, and today it is once again a church. Elements of the site’s Islamic past remain. The building has over 800 columns made from decorative stones including onyx, jasper, granite, and marble.

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​Elements of Spain’s Islamic past can be found in the architecture of its buildings, such as in the Alhambra. Some characteristics of Islamic architecture include courtyards, columns, arches, domes, and the repetition of geometric patterns.

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Open Ended

Name one feature about the Muslim architecture.

​PREACHERS AND TRADERS

​Some Muslims used preaching to win followers to their religion. A group called Sufis (SOO•feez) won followers by teaching Islam. Sufis were effective as missionaries. They encouraged a personal and emotional approach to Islam above mastering the rules and laws of the religion. They combined local and Islamic traditions and inspired common people to convert.

Muslim merchants built trading posts throughout Southeast Asia and taught Islam to the people there. Today, the country of Indonesia (ihn•duh•NEE•zhuh) has more Muslims than any other nation in the world.

Some Muslim merchants crossed the Sahara to trade with powerful kingdoms in West Africa. In the 1300s, the West African city of Timbuktu (tihm•buhk•TOO) became a leading center of Muslim culture and learning.

Multiple Choice

What country has more Muslims than any other country?

• Mecca

• Medina

• Jerusalem

• Indonesia

DIVISION AND GROWTH

While Arab Muslims created an empire, rival groups within Islam argued about who had the right to succeed Muhammad as caliph. Muslims divided into two groups, the Sunni (SU•nee) and the Shia (SHEE•ah). This split still divides Muslims today. Most Muslims are Sunni. Shia Muslims, however, make up most of the populations in present-day Iran and Iraq.

The Shia believed that Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, was his rightful heir and that all future caliphs had to be Ali’s descendants. According to the Shia, the Umayyad caliphs in Damascus had no right to rule. The Sunni, who outnumbered the Shia, disagreed. They recognized the Umayyad caliphs as rightful rulers, though they did not always agree with their actions.

The Shia and the Sunni agreed on the major principles of Islam, such as one God, the Quran as Islam’s holy book, and the Five Pillars of Islam. In other ways, the two groups developed different religious practices and customs.

Fill in the Blank

Muslims divided into two groups, the ___ and Shia, because they disagreed on who should be the right to succeed as Muhammad's caliph.

A NEW DYNASTY

During the 700s C.E., opposition to the Umayyad caliphs grew. Many non-Arab Muslims were angry that Arab Muslims had the best jobs and paid lower taxes. Discontent was especially strong in Mesopotamia and Persia, where Shia Islam was popular.

About 750 C.E., the Shia Muslims rebelled and won support from other Muslims throughout the empire. They overthrew the Umayyads, and the Abbasid (uh•BA•suhd) dynasty came to power. Abbasid caliphs ruled  the Arab Empire until 1258.

The Abbasids focused on improving trade and culture. They built a new capital city, Baghdad, on the Tigris River. Its location, which was east of the old Umayyad capital of Damascus, benefited from trade routes that connected the Mediterranean Sea to East Asia. The location of the new capital also increased Persian influence and encouraged a blending of cultures within Muslim civilization to the east.

Abbasid rulers often tolerated the cultural differences that existed among the people in their empire. In addition, the cultures that the caliphate had conquered also influenced Islam. Now all Muslims, not just Arabs, could hold offices in the government and military. The Abbasids valued Persian culture especially, and brought many Persian influences into their empire. The Persian custom of women wearing modest dress and concealing their faces with a veil was adopted or maintained by many Muslims in the Abbasid Empire. Similarly, some Christians and Jews living under Abbasid rule converted to Islam and changed their names to reflect the Arabic language spoken throughout the empire.​

Multiple Choice

__ overthrew the Umayyads

• Abbasid

• Damascus

• Persians

​SITE OF ENCOUNTER: BAGHDAD

Baghdad was located at the crossroads of trade routes that linked Africa, Europe, and Asia. By the mid-800s C.E., the city had become a center of trade, learning, and culture. Abbasid caliphs rebuilt roads to connect major Persian cities in the eastern part of the empire. These roads improved trade.

Early Abbasid caliphs chose to use some of the wealth they obtained through trade to make Baghdad a center of learning. They sent Muslim scholars to Greece, Rome, Persia, and India to bring back writings about medicine, science, and beliefs about the way people should live. To promote learning, the early caliphs established an academy of scholars who would translate these texts into Arabic.

The achievements that were made under Abbasid rule have led historians to call the period the Golden Age of Islam. As the Abbasid empire fell apart in the 1200s, caliphs placed less emphasis on learning.

Multiple Choice

Abbasid sent scholars to bring back writings about medicine, science, and beliefs about the way people should live. This period became know as ___ of Islam.

• The Golden Age

• Site of Encounter

WHO ARE THE SELJUK TURKS?

The Abbasids developed a rich culture, but they could not hold their empire together. Over time, many territories broke free from Abbasid rule. In Egypt and Spain, the Muslims set up their own caliphs. Rival rulers took over much of Persia. By the 1000s, the Abbasids ruled little more than the area around Baghdad.

Around this time, the Seljuk Turks of central Asia began moving into Abbasid territory. The Seljuk Turks were nomads and great warriors. In 1055, the Seljuks seized Baghdad. They took control of the government and army but allowed the Abbasid caliph to manage religious matters. The Seljuk ruler called himself sultan (SUHL•tuhn), or "holder of power."

For 200 years, Seljuk sultans ruled with the Abbasid caliphs. Then, in the 1200s, people from central Asia, known as the Mongols, swept into the empire. In 1258 they stormed into Baghdad. There, the Mongols burned buildings and killed more than 50,000 people. This fierce attack brought an end to the Arab Empire.​

Multiple Choice

Seljuk Turks were nomads and great warriors. In _, they seized Baghdad.

• 1055

• 1200's

• 1258

​Three Muslim Empires

​After the Arab Empire ended, other Muslim groups created their own empires. These empires included the Ottoman Empire based in what is now Turkey, the Safavid (sah•FAH•weed) Empire in Persia, and the Mughal Empire in India.

THE OTTOMANS

During the late 1200s, Turkish clans settled part of Asia Minor. They called themselves Ottoman Turks, after their leader named Osman. The Ottomans conquered much of the Byzantine Empire. In 1453, the Ottoman ruler Mehmet II, known as “the Conqueror,” seized the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. The Ottomans renamed the city Istanbul and made it their capital.

The Ottomans then pushed into southeastern Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa. The Ottomans controlled much of the Mediterranean region until the late 1500s.

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Multiple Choice

Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople in 1453 and renamed it __.

• Bagdad

• Istanbul

• Cairo

​The Ottoman leader was called a sultan, like the leader of the Seljuks. The most famous Ottoman sultan was Suleiman I (SOO•luh•mahn). He ruled during the 1500s. He was called "The Lawgiver" because he organized Ottoman laws. Suleiman also built many schools and mosques throughout the empire.

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SULEIMAN I (1494–1566)

At the age of 26, Suleiman I became the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. His reign is known as the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. Often referred to as “Suleiman the Magnificent,” he achieved many military successes and expanded the territory of the empire. Suleiman was responsible for the empire’s greatest achievements in law, art, architecture, and literature.

Open Ended

Name one fact about Suleiman I.

​HOW DID THE OTTOMANS RULE?

Because their empire was so large, the Ottomans ruled many peoples who practiced many religions. Islam was the empire’s official religion, and Muslims enjoyed special privileges. The government passed different laws for non-Muslims. For example, non-Muslims had to pay a special tax. In return, they were free to practice their religion. Under Suleiman, the military strength and unity of the Ottoman Empire prevented European powers from colonizing or conquering lands under Turkish control. After Suleiman, the Ottoman Empire began to break down. It lost lands to the Europeans. The empire finally crumbled in the early 1900s.

​THE SAFAVIDS

In 1501, a Shia leader named Ismail proclaimed himself shah, or king, of Persia. Ismail founded the Safavid dynasty, which ruled Persia until the 1700s. During this period, Persian spread as a language of culture and trade. Urdu, a language spoken in Pakistan today, is partly based on Persian.

INDIA'S MUGHAL EMPIRE

During the 1500s, the Mughals (MOO•guhlz) set up a Muslim empire in India. Under Akbar (AHK•bar), the Mughal empire prospered. He allowed people to practice their religions. Later Mughal rulers, however, persecuted Hindus and Sikhs (SIHKS or SEEKS).

Sikhs practice the religion of Sikhism, which arose in the 1500s. The Sikhs believe in one God. They rely on one holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, and honor a line of teachers descending from Guru Nanak, their founder. Today, Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion.​

Fill in the Blank

In 1501, a Shia leader named Ismail proclaimed himself __, or king, of Persia.

Fill in the Blank

Today, Sikhism is the world's __-largest religion.​