4 developments define postclassical
centuries
1.
2.
3.
4.
Islamic civilization spread politically and
culturally into Asia, Europe and Africa
Civilizations expanded into new world
regions
The great world religions gained
adherent from peoples once following
local belief structures
The creation of a world network linking
many of the individual civilizations
Chapter 6, 7, & 8
Political

Difference between the terms Arab and
Islam
◦ They do not mean the same thing
 1st
Global Civilization
◦ What do you think this means???
 Very unique development of an empire that
expanded throughout the known world.
 Centralization as well as a unifying factor of Religion
 Spread very fast
In the beginning

Arab Peninsula
◦ Bedouin Societies  Nomadic
 Herders
◦ Trade routs
◦ Clan/family ties
Video
Clan Life

A way to survive in a VERY harsh
environment
◦ Subsistence living
 Water  constant struggle
◦ Kin related. So Families made up the Clan
◦ Survival depended on cooperation, support and
loyalty.
◦ If you were kicked
out of your clan you
would most likely DIE
Tribes
Clans were smaller family groups
 Larger Tribal groups would come together
in times of hardship and war

◦ They usually didn’t get along
Family
Clan
Family
Clan
Family
Clan
Family
Clan
Tribe
Family
Clan
Just a word on Culture

Clans would feud with each other
◦ Could last for hundreds of years
Revenge is a major part of the culture
 Culture of Violence

◦ In order to survive you must win
Power Organization

Unlike prehistory nomads, there is a great
variation of wealth and power
◦ Even within the clan
Shaykhs
Warriors (and their families)
Slave families

This way of political life begins to change
with Mohammad
◦ He brings the clans together under one
unifying thing  Islam
 Not easy or done quickly
 Most believe in the 5 pillars
 Where they diverge is in who should lead
The Life of Muhammad


“The hardships of Muhammad’s early life
underscores the importance of Clan ties in
the Arabian world”
Muhammad
◦ Born into a prominent clan of the Quraysh Tribe
◦ Educated with the clan to be a merchant
 During his caravan travels he met Christians and Jews
◦ He was aware of the Monotheistic traditions
developing
◦ c. 610 He started receiving messages from Allah
through the angel Gabriel
Muhammad as a Political Leader
Muhammad settled disputes in Medina
making it a stronger community
 Umayyad didn’t like this because it
threatened their trade
 They attack Muhammad and his followers
 After victory Muhammad was able to
travel back to Mecca to the Kaa’ba
 Proved to be strong both as a man and a
religion

Something to bring us together

Islam gave a common identity to the Arab
world
◦ Umma community of Faithful
 This would rise above old tribal and clan
boundaries

The Qur’an and Muhammad’s teachings
would be incorporated into laws
ISLAM
Tribe
Clans
Tribe
Clans
Tribe
Clans
Tribe
Clans
BUT. . .

After Muhammad’s death many of the
tribes renounced the faith and tried to
return to old ways
◦ The split
◦ New leaders needed to be found and then
they had to force those who left to return
 This was a more Arab empire in the beginning
Issue of Succession

After Muhammad’s death:
◦ They had to decide on a Caliph to be the
political and religion successor
 1st
Four Caliph
1. Abu Bakr Expansion by the armies begin
2. Omar  Captures Jerusalem
3. Othman Captures N. Africa, Turkey,
Afghanistan
4. Ali Conflict between Sunni and Shia
The Split
Shi’a: The successor should be a member
of Muhammad’s family
 Sunni: The successor should be the
strongest

◦ Umayyads
Umayyad Dynasty

Mu’awiya
◦ Opponent of Ali
◦ Beginning of the Umayyad Line
◦ Moved the capital to Damascus

Arab conquest that began during the search
for a successor continued
◦ They wanted booty: that means riches

Didn’t worry so much about conversion
◦ Have to share the booty
◦ Dhimmi: people of the book

Damascus becomes the political center
Umayyad decline

They began to move away from the simple,
frugal life that Muhammad taught
◦ Were very centered around family ties and
nothing else

Abbasids began to grow angry and wanted
power
◦ Used the Mawali (non Arab Muslims) and Shi’a to
help them gain the power
◦ Come to dinner
◦ Reject those that helped them after they took
power
The Abbasids
Moved the Capital from Damascus
 to Baghdad
 Created a very large Bureaucracy

◦ Headed by the Vizier
Who are the Abbasids
 3rd Abbasid
Caliph was al Mahdi
◦ Major love of luxury which caused a lot of
corruption
◦ Failed to fix the whole succession problem
 Son assassinated

Most Famous Abbasid Caliph was Harun
al-Rashid
◦ 1000 and 1 Nights
◦ Depended on Persian advisors
 How does this cause problems later on
Death of al Rashid
 1st
civil war over succession
◦ End of the real power of the Caliph
◦ Caliph felt they needed personal guards
 Turks  became the power center
 Personal armies (70,000)
 Started killing the Caliph they were supposed to protect

All this fighting took a lot of money
◦ Ran out
◦ General destruction everywhere
Slow decline
Splinter dynasties created own kingdoms
and began to fight for power
 Buyids of Persia take Baghdad in 945

◦ Shi’a
◦ Buyids were the Sultan
 These were the true rulers and the Caliph was just
a figure head

Seljuk Turks defeat the Buyids in 1055
◦ Purged the Shi’a during this time
What impact did the Crusades have
on the Islamic empire?








The Muslims were not as affected as the Christians culturally
by the crusades
The Muslims received Greek learning that was recovered by
the Christians
Christians took over small kingdoms temporarily, but
Muslims under Saladin reclaimed them
Muslims developed a more negative view of the Christians
Europeans borrowed ideas from the Muslims
Italian merchants stayed after crusades diffusing the Arabian
economic system
First crusades was most successful due to elements of
surprise and lack of political unity
Much of the holy land was captured and divided into
Christian kingdoms
◦ It will change back and forth
Islam in Asia

As stated earlier people who made their
way into India stayed and were assimilated
◦ Due to the flexibility of Indian Culture

Muslims enter
◦ First time Indians met with a civilization as
sophisticated as their own
◦ Due to trade
Africa
Africa

Really large and spread-out
◦ Causes a lot of diversity
◦ Some places were considered “states” and
others were not
Stateless Societies
Organized around kinship or other forms
of obligation
 Lack the concentration of political power
and authority
 Can grow very large

◦ Usually ruled by counsel or family group
 There was little concentration of authority
Difficulties
Resist external pressures
 Mobilize for warfare
 Organize large building projects
 Create stable conditions for long distance
trade


Why was this so difficult?????
Common Elements

Even though they were so diverse there
were some commonalities
◦ Linguistic Base  Bantu
 Understanding
◦ Animism
 Nature, animals, magic
Nubia and Ethiopia
Ghana
Mali
Songhay
Central African States
Swahili States