CHAPTER 7:
ABBASID DECLINE AND THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
SPREAD OF ISLAM: EARLY HISTORY
SPREAD OF ISLAM: ABBASID DYNASTY
THE LATE ABBASID ERA
Mansur--- Bagdad
As early as the third Abbasid Caliph, al-Mahdi (775-785),
issues related to the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate were
apparent.
 Somewhat typical pattern:
 Caliph abandons frugal ways of predecessors
 Caliph does NOT establish clear pattern of succession
 Hadi --- terrible ruler
In many cases, wives/concubines became involved in the
various palace intrigues associated with the succession crises.
THE LATE ABBASID ERA
Harun al-Rashid (786-809) ascended to the
throne after the death of al-Mahdi (and the
poisoning of his eldest son)
Harun al-Rashid enjoyed the sumptuous palace
living
Barmakids make most of the decisions
Emissaries sent in the 9th century were dazzled
with the splendor of Baghdad
HARUN AL-RASHID
Power of Royal Advisors grew throughout the rule of
Harun al-Rashid.
Caliphs became pawns in the factional royal court
battles…
Upon al-Rashid’s death, full-scale civil war broke out
amongst those vying for power.
While al-Ma’mum (813-833) was the victor…what he
did next truly changed the nature of the Caliphate…
SLAVE ARMIES
Al-Ma’mum was convinced to conscript thousands of
mostly Turkic-speaking slaves as his personal
bodyguards.
As the number eclipsed 70,000 the slave regiment
became a power center, in its own right.
By 846, they had murdered the reigning caliph, and in the
coming decades would murder at least four more
ABBASID DECLINE
Caliphs struggle to control the Slave Regiments
Some Caliphs want to move capital away from Baghdad
turmoil
Increased spending
New irrigation…
Old irrigation and public works fall into disrepair
Spiraling taxation/pillaging, etc…
Abandonment of some of the earlier provinces of the
empire.
LATE ABBASID DECLINE…WOMEN
The Harem and the Veil
are the twin emblems of
women’s increasing
subjugation to men and
confinement.
The Abbasid court created
the concept of the Harem
for the Caliphate.
FURTHER ABBASID DECLINE
The Abbasids were losing territory quickly…
Egypt (Fatimids) and Syria break away from Abbasid rule
Spain becomes an independent Umayyad state
In once-provincial areas of the Islamic Caliphate,
independent kingdoms had arose to challenge the Abbasids
In 945, the Buyids of Persia invade and capture Baghdad.
Caliphs became puppets controlled by families, like the Buyids.
Buyid leaders took the title of “sultan” meaning “victorious” in
Arabic, which will designate Muslim rulers.
THE SELJUKS
By 1055, the Buyid control over the Caliphate was broken
In 1055, Central Asian Nomadic warriors known as the Seljuk Turks
ruled over the Abbasid lands.
 Staunch Sunnis…kick Shia’s out of governmental positions
 Resisted the Byzantines who were taking advantage of Muslim
disunity
SELJUK TURKS
Defeat of the
Byzantines led to
the settlement of
Asia Minor which
would eventually
become the seat of
the Ottoman Empire
THE CRUSADES
Knights from Western Europe launched
crusades to capture portions of the
Islamic world that made up the Holy
Land of Biblical times.
Muslim divisions and the element of
surprise made the first Crusade a
Christian success.
1099: Christian knights took Jerusalem.
 Muslim and Jewish inhabitants were
massacred
THE CRUSADES
For the next two centuries, Europeans would mount in
excess of 8 crusades.
Varying degrees of success
When Muslim were united under powerful rule like Salahud-Din (Saladin) they re-conquer most of the lands they
lost.
The last crusader kingdom fell in Acre in 1291
THIRD CRUSADE GETS ACRE, BUT THEN THE EUROPEANS
LOSE IT!
IMPACT OF CRUSADES
The Crusaders’ experiences in the Eastern Mediterranean
intensified European “borrowing” from the Muslim world.
Through increased cultural contacts, Europeans began to
recover much of the Greek learning lost during the waves of
nomadic invasions after the fall of the Roman Empire
Food products
rice, coffee, sherbet, dates, apricots, lemons, sugar, spices such as
ginger, melons, rhubarb and dates.
Household goods
mirrors, carpets, cotton cloth for clothing, ships compasses, writing
paper, wheelbarrows, mattresses and shawls.
New ideas
chess, Arabic figures 0 to 9, pain killing drugs, algebra, irrigation,
chemistry, the colour scarlet, water wheels and water clocks
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Even though the caliphate was steeped in political turmoil, the
Muslim Empire still experienced growth and prosperity until late
in the Abbasid era.
 Declining Revenue
 Deteriorating conditions in the countryside/town life
Expansion of the professional classes
Muslim/Jewish/Christian entrepreneurs amass great fortunes
supplying cities with staples (grain/barley), essentials (cotton,
woolen textiles for clothing), and luxury items.
Long-Distance trade flourishes
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Artists and Artisans benefit
Mosques and palaces became more ornate.
Tapestries and rugs from Persia were in great
demand from Europe to China.
Persian becomes the language of “high culture.”
 Arabic remains language of religion, law, and
natural sciences
 Persian was language of literary expression,
administration, and scholarship.
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Persian writers in the Abbasid era write on many subjects from love
affairs, to statecraft, to incidents from everyday life.
Blend of mystical and commonplace.
Not only did Muslims revive Greco-Roman scientific traditions…they
developed their own theories as well!
 Major corrections to algebraic and geometric theories
 Advances in trigonometry
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Great advances in
chemistry and astronomy.
Cairo: best hospitals in
the world
Muslim traders introduce
techniques like
papermaking and silkweaving that was
developed in China.
Development of
cartography
AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT
Contradictory trends in Islamic Civilization
Social strife and political divisions
Vs
Expanded trading links and intellectual creativity
This was felt in the religious world, as well…
A resurgence of mysticism
Vs
Orthodox religious scholars become wary of non-Islamic
ideas and scientific thinking (crusades)
RELIGIOUS CONTRADICTIONS
Orthodox religious scholars felt that the revival of GrecoRoman philosophical traditions would erode the absolute
authority of the Qur’an
Sufi movement…
Sufis are wandering mystics who sought a personal union with
Allah
A reaction against the abstract divinity of the Qur’an
Sufis gain reputations as healers and miracle workers…gain
sizeable followings
Some led militant bands that spread Islam to nonbelievers
THE END OF THE CALIPHATE
By the 10th and 11th centuries, the Abbasid
Caliphate was compromised by many different
factions
In the early 13th century, the Mongols, united
under Chinggis Khan became a powerful force in
Asia, smashing through Turko-Persian kingdoms to
the east of Baghdad by 1220 CE.
THE END OF THE CALIPHATE
Genghis dies before conquest of
the Islamic Heartlands, but his
grandson, Hulegu renewed the
assault on the Islamic lands in the
1250s.
By 1258, the Abbasid capital of
Baghdad was taken by the
Mongols
THE END OF THE CALIPHATE
The 37th and last Abbasid Caliph was put to death by the
Mongols.
The Mongol advance was stopped by the Mamluks, or
Turkic Slaves who ruled Egypt.
In 1401, Baghdad suffers from another capture and
round of pillaging by the forces of Tamerlane.
Baghdad’s glory becomes supplanted by Cairo to
the west and Istanbul to the North
THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
ISLAM’S ARRIVAL IN SOUTH ASIA
India through the Gupta Empire had been a
crossroads of migration for Central Asian
nomads seeking refuge
Generally, those people were accepted,
and assimilated into Indian Society.
The arrival of the Muslims in the 7th Century
CE, will alter that.
THE HINDU/ISLAM MIX
India…Hinduism
India…Islam
Open, tolerant, and
inclusive of varying forms
of religious devotion.
Based on doctrines,
practices (specific) and
exclusive worship of a
single god.
Search of union with
spiritual source of all
creation.
Social system structured on
the caste system
Highly egalitarian in the
sight of god.
Religious practices are
mandatory and obvious
THE HINDU/ISLAM MIX
Early centuries were characterized by violent conflict.
 However, a good deal of trade and religious interchange.
 In time, peaceful interactions became the norm
There were contacts via traders in the Indian Ocean Trade network as early as
711 CE
Indian overlords who took over land in South Asia brought little change to most
inhabitants of the Indian Subcontinent.
 Many people welcomed the Arabs because they promised lighter taxation and religious
tolerance
EARLY MUSLIM ENCOUNTERS IN INDIA
Muslim leaders decided to treat Hindus and Buddhists as the dhimmi,
or “people of the book” even though they had no connection to the
Bible.
 This meant that Hindus and Buddhists had to pay the tax on non-believers, they
enjoyed the freedom to worship as they pleased.
Little effort was put towards conversion, so most people remained
Hindu or Buddhist.
INDIAN/MUSLIM CULTURAL DIFFUSION
Muslims inherit the Indian scientific learning, which rivaled the Greeks
as the most advanced in the world.
Arabic numerals originated in India
Indian learning was transferred to Baghdad in the age of the
Abbasids.
 Indian doctors, scientists, etc.
Muslims adopt Indian styles of dress, food, and ride on elephants as
the Hindu rajas (kings) did.
Muslims also adopt and infuse Indian architectural styles
MOVE TOWARDS EMPIRE…
Early interactions did little to add territory to the Muslim Empire, and
in some cases, lost territory
BUT, in 962 CE, a Turkish slave dynasty seized power in Afghanistan.
 Their third ruler, Mahmud of Ghazni, began two CENTURIES of Muslim raiding and
conquest in Northern India
Throughout the 11th century, Mahmud defeated one confederation of
Hindu princes after another in the name of Islam.
The efforts of Mahmud of
Ghazni were continued by
Muhammad of Ghur
 Assassinated in 1206
A slave lieutenant seizes
power…Qutb-ud-din Aibak
THE DELHI SULTANATE
A new Muslim empire was
proclaimed with the capital at Delhi,
along the Jumna river on the Gengetic
Plain.
For the next 300 years, a succession
of dynasties known as the Delhi
Sultante (literally, princes of the
heartland) ruled North and Central
India
THE DELHI SULTANATE
This was a period of clashing
control between the sultanate
princes themselves, as well as
Mongol and Turkic invaders.
MAPS OF DELHI SULTANATE
OVER TIME
CONVERSION
Carriers of the new faith on the subcontinent were often merchants and Sufi mystics
 Sufis shared many characteristics with Indian gurus and wandering ascetics.
 Belief in magical healing powers
 Accepted lower-caste and outcaste groups into Islamic faith
Most Muslims were NOT from the Indo-Gangetic centers of the Delhi Sultanate,
indicating low forced conversions
CONVERSION
Most conversions came from low-caste or Buddhist groups.
 Buddhism became largely debased as a result of corrupt practices
Buddhist temples and monasteries became lucrative targets for raids, etc.
Many lower-caste, untouchables, animistic tribes, and Buddhists were attracted to
the egalitarian nature of Islam
ACCOMMODATION
Hindus were convinced that Muslims would soon be absorbed by the
superior religions and more sophisticated cultures of India
 Many things pointed that way!
 Muslim princes adopted regal styles
 Muslim rulers claim divine descent
 Muslim rulers mint coins with Hindu images
Muslim communities also became socially divided along Caste lines
 Violation of the original tenets of Islam!
ISLAM IN SOUTH ASIA AT THE END OF THE SULTANATE
Attempts to fuse Hinduism and Islam soon were recognized as impossible.
Brahmans soon denounce Muslim leaders, etc.
 Muslims respond by strengthening their unity within the Indian Muslim community
After centuries of political domination though, South Asia remained one of the
least converted and integrated of all the areas Islam reached.
SOUTHEAST
ASIA
IMPORTANCE
Southeast Asia was CRITICAL to
the connection of trade from
Chinese ports to Indian vessels
along the Indian Ocean Trade
network
SOUTHEAST ASIAN CONTRIBUTION
Aromatic woods from rainforests
of Borneo and Sumatra
Spices: cloves, nutmeg from
Indonesia
From 8th Century onward, coastal
trade in India became
dominated by Muslims
SE ASIA
As a result, elements of Islam
began to filter into the southeast
Asian region
The collapse of the Shrivijaya
trading empire (Buddhist) in the
13th century opened the door for
the widespread introduction of
Islam
SE ASIA
Trading contacts paved the way
for conversion
 NOT conquest and force
Muslim ships also carry Sufis to
the various parts of SE Asia
Conversion begins in Sumatra,
then across the Strait of Malacca
to Malaya
SE ASIA
Muslims impressed SE Asians by telling them how much of the world had already been
converted
MALACCA
Mainland conversion was centered on
Malacca, a powerful trading city
Spreads to east Sumatra and to
DEMAK on the north coast of Java
From there, spread to the Celebes
and then the Spice Islands, then to
Mindanao and Southern Philippines
THE SPICE ISLAND(S)
CONVERSION
Trading was the key to conversion.
Regulation of commonality in Muslim laws was
good to regulate business.
Conversion linked centers culturally, and
economically to Indian merchants and ports in
India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean
SE ASIAN ISLAM
Some areas (like Central Java)
saw conversion take longer than
others
Because it was spread primarily
by Sufis, SE Asian Islam was more
dynamic than orthodox Islam
 Hindu-Buddhist dynasties contested its
spread
 Infused with mythical strains
 Tolerated animist, Hindu, and Buddhist
beliefs and rituals.
 Magical powers
Mainland Southeast Asia did
NOT see wholesale conversion,
and remained largely Buddhist
WOMEN IN SE ASIAN ISLAMIC SOCIETY
Women retained a strong position in the family and the community
 Trading in local and regional markets was dominated by small-scale female merchants
 As in Western Sumatra, lineage and inheritance was traced through female lines
Many cultural elements were blended from SE Asian Culture with Muslim Culture.
Minangkabau
women carrying
food in procession.