Southwest Asia – History
Chapter 18 – Lesson 2
Why it matters: Southwest Asia has played a
large role in human history. The world’s
earliest civilization developed here, and three
major religions were born. Great empires that
arose in the region grew to cover parts of
three continents.
Questions you should be able to
answer when we’re done……
What are some of the most important
advancements that occurred in Southwest
Asia in ancient times?
What present day issues facing Southwest Asia
have their roots in ancient times?
Vocab we’ll Learn today:
Polytheism
Millennium
Monotheism
Text Resource: Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Fertile Area between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
(Present Day Iraq).
Staying in one place…
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Sumerians
Babylonians
Irrigation
Pyramids
Mathematics
Astronomy
Government
Cuniform
• Epic of Gilgamesh
• Shaped later civilizations in Greece, Rome and
the West
Birthplace of Religions
Ancient times – Polytheism
During second millennium B.C…….Monotheism
(Millennium is a period of 1000 years).
2000 B.C. – Isrealites – Judaism
30 A.D. – Jesus – Christianity
600’s A.D. – Muhammad – Islam
All are Monotheistic
All regard Abraham as the messenger of God
who first taught Monotheism.
Mono = One
Theism = Belief in god or gods
Islam
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Announced by Muhammad in Mecca
5 pillars of Islam (see next slide)
Muhammad’s successors – Caliphs
Arab armies began spreading the religion
though military conquest, as well as scholars,
religious pilgrims, and Arab traders.
5 Pillars of Islam
• Promising faith to God and accepting
Muhammad as God’s prophet
• Praying 5 times daily
• Fasting during Ramadan
• Aiding the poor and unfortunate
• Pilgrimage to Mecca
Islam Expands
• By 800 A.D. - all of
Southwest Asia and part of
Turkey.
• Extended into Most of
Spain and Portugal
• Across Northern Africa.
• Later expanded to Eastern
African and Central Asia
Islamic Society
• Rich in knowledge, skills, ideas.
• Great works of architecture
• Centers of learning.
1100’s + 1200’s
• Crusaders from Western Europe set up
Christian states along Southwest Asia’s Med.
Coast.
• Muslim’s regained some of these areas, but in
other parts their control weakened.
Mongol Empire
• 1200’s Persia (Iran) & Mesopotamia (Iraq)
• Led by the grandson of Genghis Khan
• Result – Islamic world fragmented. (for a
while)
Ottoman Empire
• Muslim tribes who began
building an empire on the
Anatolian Peninsula in the
early 1200’s.
• By mid 1300’s, empire
included much of western
SW Asia and parts of SE
Europe and N. Africa.
• Reached the peak of its
power in the 1500’s
The Ottoman Empire was being called the “Sick man of
Europe” and Great Britain, France and Russia were all
“waiting for it to die”
WWI
• Allies
– Great Britain
– France
– Russia
• Central Powers
– Germany
– Austria-Hungary
– The Ottoman Empire
joined with the Central
Powers….
Decline of the Ottoman Empire
• Lost areas in in Africa and Europe through wars,
treaties, revolutions.
• On the side of the Central Powers in WWI (the
losing side).
• Result of the war – empire dissolved.
• Modern day Turkey founded on the Anatolian
Peninsula.
Mandates…..
• After WWI, Britain and
France divided the empires
territories into Mandates…
• New boundaries did not
respect ethnic, religious,
political or historical
divisions.
• Caused resentment toward
the European colonial
powers.
• Between 1930 – 1971
country after country won
independence.
Palestine……
• Area roughly same as
historic Israel.
• Most of modern
population = Muslim
Arabs
Arabs & Jews
• By the mid 1940’s – Iraq, Jordan, Syria and
Lebanon had been established as independent
countries.
• The fate of Palestine was still undecided – and
it created a dilemma for GB.
– Two groups claimed it as a homeland
• Arabs
• Jews
Two groups – one spot
• Arabs had lived in Palestine for
centuries.
• Many people could trace their
ancestry to the earliest settlers.
• Jews had historical
ties to Palestine.
• Ancestors had
migrated to this
region beginning
around 1900 B.C. –
the Hebrews.
• Their ancient
kingdom was
defeated, and many
Jews migrated to
other places
The Jews
• By the late 1800’s there were about 10 million Jews
scattered throughout the world
• They faced discrimination and were persecuted.
• Fearing the increasing oppression many began to
emigrate – believing that the only way to solve the
problem of oppression was to return to the
homeland – Palestine – to create a country with their
own government.
• Zionists – First groups arrived in 1882. By 1914 there
were almost 85,000.
• Zionists put pressure on GB and other nations
to support their plan for an independent
homeland.
• 1917 – British Govt issued the Balfour
Declaration – it stated Britain's support for the
creation of a Jewish national home in
Palestine without violating the rights of Arabs
living there.
Balfour Declaration
• “His Majesty’s Government view
with favor the establishment in
Palestine of a national home for
the Jewish people, and will use
their best endeavors to facilitate
the achievement of this object., it
being clearly understood that
nothing shall be done which may
prejudice the civil and religious
rights of existing non-Jewish
communities in Palestine, or the
rights and political status enjoyed
by Jews in any other country”
Reaction
• Arabs were shocked and
upset
– They had been led to believe
that all Arabs would have selfdetermination and Palestine
would become part of a
larger independent Arab
country.
• Great Britain continued to
play both sides
– Sent representatives to the
Arabs to tell the their goal
was still self-determination
– Still supported The creation
of a Jewish homeland
• As Britain searched for a way to
solve the problem, the struggle
between the Jews and Arabs in
Palestine became increasingly
violent.
• As Jewish immigration increased,
the Arabs felt more and more
threatened
• Finally, the Arabs revolted by
boycotting Jewish business and
burning bridges and crops, the
Jews retaliated and people on
both sides were killed
Meanwhile…..
in the rest of the world
• Hitler came to power in Germany and began
to persecute the Jews.
• Thousands MORE fled to Palestine.
• 1933 – 85,000 Jews in Palestine
• 1939 – 445,000 Jews in Palestine
• More tension between
Britain, the Jews and the
Arabs
• Britain decided to limit
Jewish immigration leaving
Jews stranded in Germany
and other parts of Europe.
• The Jewish response in
Palestine was guerrilla
warfare against the British.
After WWII
• Nearly 6 million Jews had died in Nazi
concentration camps
• Thousands of survivors had no place to go.
• There was a worldwide outpouring of support
for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Status of Palestine after WWII
• 70% of Palestine's population was
ARAB.
• Opposed to a Jewish state in their
country.
• “Why should they give up their
land because of what the Nazis
had done?”
• As the call for a Jewish homeland
grew, Arab countries formed the
ARAB LEAGUE and announced
support for the Arabs in Palestine
(Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, TransJordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Yemen)
Great Britain Bails….
• 1947 – GB figured out that it couldn’t find a
solution to the problem
• It withdrew from Palestine and turned the
problem over to the United Nations.
Creation of Israel
- part I
• The UN special committee
recommended that
Palestine be portioned into
two states – one Arab and
one Jewish.
• Jerusalem – sacred to Jews,
Christians and Muslims
would be designated an
“International City”.
• The Jews accepted but the
Arabs were Furious
Why were the Arabs upset?
• The Jews would get
more than ½ the total
land even though they
had less than 1/3 the
people.
• Much of the coast fell
within the Jewish state
(The Arabs got the
upland and desert).
Results….
• Arabs warned that dividing Palestine would
result in war but the UN voted to approve the
division.
• May 1948 – New independent state of Israel
was announced.
• Neighboring Arab countries attacked within
HOURS.
• By the end of the 1948 war,
Israel controlled almost ¾ of
Palestine – including half of
Jerusalem.
• Jordan and Egypt divided
the rest of Palestine
between them.
• The Palestinians were left
with no country at all.
Conflict Continues
• 1967 War Israel captured: West Bank, East
Jerusalem, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, Golan
Heights.
• Israel withdrew from Sinai in 1982
• Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
• Conflict continues today.
Recap……
• Both Jews and Palestinians wanted the land of
Palestine
• Great Britain made promises to both groups
• Support for the Jews grew after WWII
• Britain gave up and tossed it back to the UN
• The UN decided to create Israel
• The Arabs attacked and LOST the war
• Palestinians were left with no country at all.
Not the only conflicts…
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Civil wars: Lebanon, Afghanistan, Yemen.
Kurds in many countries
Revolution in Iran – 1970’s.
Iraq invaded Iran in 1980 (8 year war)
Iraq annexed Kuwait – First Gulf War
US invasion of Afghanistan (response to 9/11)
2nd Gulf War (Saddam Hussein)
Democratic movements in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria
Why?
• Islamists consider Islam to be a POLITICAL
system as well as a religion.
• Oil Reserves
• Ethnic differences.
Example: 1979 - Revolution
• Prior to 1979, Iran had a
pro-western leader (The
Shah).
• The people revolted –
the shah fled.
• Ayatollah Khomeini set
up a new government
and declared an Islamic
republic.
• Immediately tried to get rid
of all Western influences
– Westerners forced to leave
– Alcohol outlawed
– Women back to wearing the
chadors
• New leader was a Shiite
Muslim, and called on
Muslims everywhere to
overthrow their
governments and establish
Shiite Islamic republics. This
was particularly powerful to
Shiites who lived in
countries run by Sunni
Muslims where Shiites were
an oppressed minority.
• This was one reason Iraq
attacked Iran in 1980.
• Split the Island into two.
• Some Greek Cypriots
wanted to unite with
Greece
• 1974 – Turkey sent troops
to prevent that union.
• Turkey declared the
northeastern part of Cyprus
independent in 1983.
• Most other countries don’t
recognize this.
•
Picture (2008) Turkish people gather on
Ledra Street during opening ceremony of
the Lokmaci crossing point in Nicosia,
Cyprus, on Thursday. The crossing point
has symbolized the decades-old division of
the Mediterranean island.
Another Example
Civil War – 1960’s
Cyprus
Question 1
How did the shift from hunting and gathering to
agriculture affect the way of life of early
peoples?
A) Their way of life became nomadic
B) Their way of life focused more on hunting
C) Their way of life began to be less settled and
more insecure
D) Their way of life began to be more settled an
villages began to appear
Question 2
In what way are the religions of Islam, Judaism,
and Christianity alike?
A) They began in 2000 B.C..
B) They are monotheistic
C) They are polytheistic
D) They regard Job as the messenger of God.
Question 3
What people conquered Mesopotamia and
Persia in the A.D. 1200’s?
A) Muslims
B) Babylonians
C) Ottomans
D) Mongols
Question 4
Following WWI, how did Britain and France divide
the territory of the former Ottoman Empire?
A) By setting boundaries based on historical
divisions
B) By creating boundaries that ignored ethic
backgrounds
C) By creating boundaries based on population
distribution
D) By creating boundaries based on religious
divisions
Question 5
What event triggered the first Persian Gulf War
in the 1990’s?
A) Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait
B) Iraq’s invasion of Iran
C) U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan
D) Israel’s capture of the West Bank
Question 6
What change began to take place in
Mesopotamia around 10,000 years ago?
Question 7
What are some ways in which Islam was spread?
Question 8
How did the political boundaries of the former
Ottoman Empire territories cause problems
later?
Question 9
What are the roots of the conflict between
Arabs and Jews in the region?
Question 10
Who are the Kurds, and why are they involved in
conflict?
Question 11
What event in Europe helped spur the creation
of a Jewish state in Southwest Asia
Define:
Polytheism
Millennium
Monotheism
Unofficial Vocab
• Secular – without religious influence
• Shah – Ruler (like a king)
• Ayatollah – religious leader
More Unofficial Vocab
• Mandate – Land to be governed by an outside power on behalf of
the League of Nations until it was ready for independence
• Zionist – Jews who believed that the only way to solve the problem
of oppression was by returning to the place they perceived as their
homeland .
• Self-determination – the right to decide your own political
future
So……
What are some of the most important
advancements that occurred in Southwest
Asia in ancient times?
What present day issues facing Southwest Asia
have their roots in ancient times?
Intriguing Person:
Ataturk – father of the Turks
• Kemal was a young
army officer who began
a movement to
establish Turkey as an
independent republic.
• 1923 Kemal overthrew
the Sultan and was
elected president of the
new republic.
Changes…..
• Sweeping Political and Social
reforms were needed for Turkey
to survive…..
• Broke bond with Islam – Religious
leaders were no longer involved
in government
• Outlawed the fez (brimless flattopped hat) and discouraged the
veil for women.
• Women could now vote and hold
office
• Everyone was encouraged to
attend school.