Building a Muslim Empire
Can it be done after the death of
Muhammad?
Early Challenges to Islam
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Muhammad dies without naming a
successor
Eventually the community agrees to Abu
Bakr- Muhammad’s father-in-law and early
convert to Islam, should be the first
caliph, or successor to Muhammad.
Bakr tells the faithful, “If you worship
Muhammad, Muhammad is dead. If you
worship God, God is alive.”
Arabs Unite under Islam
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Some Arabs refuse to
follow Abu and withdraw
their loyalty to Islam.
Battles between tribes
begin but Abu is able to
reunite the Muslims.
Now they begin military
campaigns to convert
the remaining Arab
tribes to Islam.
Early Victories
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Byzantines and Persians (2 great empires)
fighting for control of Arab lands.
But now with the Arabs united they
conquer parts of the Byzantine empire and
defeat the Persians.
The Arabs take over Palestine and
Jerusalem.
Divisions emerge within Islam
Sunni
Believe any good
Muslim could lead the
community. Later
compromise that the
leader should come
from Muhammad’s
tribe. The successor is
called a caliph. This
compromise group is
the majority of Muslims
today. 90%
Shiite
Believed that
Muhammad’s son-inlaw, Ali, should be his
successor. He and his
wife are divinely
inspired religious
leaders. 10%
I need to
know
this!!
What divides them?
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Same
Believe in the same
God.
Look to the Quran for
guidance.
Follow the Pillars of
Islam.
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Different
Religious practiceamount of prayer
Law- Sunnis more
liberal and want
leaders to be elected
Daily life- marriage
rules and inheritance
Another group- Sufis
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Sufis- Muslim mystics
who sought communion
with God through
meditation, fasting and
other rituals.
Carried the faith to
remote villages.
Whirling dervishes dance
as a form of prayer.
Let’s watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AglGJYby_pQ
Umayyad Caliphs Build an Empire
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After death of Ali, a Meccan clan sets up
the Umayyad caliphate- a dynasty of Sunni
caliphs that will rule the Muslim empire
until 750.
Many conquests from Spain to India.
Expanding the Muslim Empire
 Conquer
N. Africa
 711- conquer Spain
 731- parts of France
 Fail to take over the Byzantine
capital of Constantinople.
Reasons for Muslim Success
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Persian and Byzantine
empires weakening.
Muslims seen as
liberators from older
harsh empires.
Bold fighting methods
with the camel and
horse cavalry.
Muslim armies had a
desire to glorify their
religion.
Conquered People Are Treated
Fairly
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Taxed non-Muslims
Christians, Jews allowed to practice their own
faith and follow their own laws.
Jews and Christians play key roles as officials,
doctors and translators.
But they urged Arab settlers to separate
themselves and this created an Arab upperclass.
People liked the idea that there was equality of
all believers, regardless of race, gender, class
and wealth
Decline of the Umayyad Caliphate
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Problems
Had to adapt from
desert living to ruling
large cities.
Arabs given more
privileges
Problems between rich
and poor
Lavish lifestyle of the
caliphs
Rise of the Abbasids
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Discontented Muslims
find a leader in Abu
al-Abbas.
Captures Damascus
Kills Umayyad family
He then founded the
Abbasid dynasty
which lasts until 1258.
Changes
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Dynasty based on equality of all Muslims
Stopped military conquests
Discrimination of non-Arab Muslims ended
Encouraged learning
Capital moved to Baghdad
Baghdad- the new capital
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Walls formed a circle with
the palace in the middle
Big in size and wealth
Many markets, gardens
and mosques.
Domes and minaretsslender towers of the
mosques loomed overhead
5 times a day they climb to
the tops of the minarets
and call the faithful to
prayer.
Muslim culture in Spain
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One surviving
member of the
Umayyad family goes
to Spain and starts an
independent Muslim
state
Tolerant of other
religions
The fortified palace of
Alhambra built
Muslim Empire Declines
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Power fading in Egypt and elsewhere
Shiite’s coming to power in places
Invasions leading to chaos
Seljuk Turks take control
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Moving in from central Asia
Seljuk sultan- ruler controls
Baghdad
Conflicts develop and
prevent Christian pilgrims
from traveling to Jerusalem
This leads to the first
Crusade
Now it’s the Mongols
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1216 the Mongols and
Genghis Khan move
across SW Asia
1258 Baghdad burned
and looted
Mongols would later
adopt Islam