Islam and the Islamic Empires

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Islam and the Islamic Empires
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Islam?An Abrahamic Religion

• Muslims are strict monotheists.
• They believe in the Judeo- Christian God,
  which they call Allah.
• Muslims believe that the Torah and the Bible,
  like the Quran, is the word of God.

Peoples of the Book
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The Prophetic Tradition
Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Jesus
Muhammad
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Some Definitions

• ISLAM The Yoke or submission to the will of
  God
• MUHAMMAD The prophet of Islam
• MUSLIM A follower if Islam
• ARAB An ethnic/linguistic group centered on the
  Arabian peninsula, with members throughout the
  Middle East and North Africa. Majority are
  Muslim, minority are Christian.
• ARABIC The language of Arabs and of the Qur'an

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Arabia in the Sixth Century

• Most Arabs were Bedouins nomadic people of the
  desert
• A tribal society constant wars between clans
• Mecca was a major caravan city
• The majority of Arabs were polytheists
• Idols of gods contained in the Kaaba

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The Prophet Muhammad 570-632

• Born in Mecca , orphaned at an early age
• Raised by his uncle
• Worked for a camel caravan company
• Married his bossKhadija
• At age 39, in the year 609, he received a
  revelation from Allah (God) during the month of
  Ramadan
• His mission to reveal the Quran to the people
  created tension between Muhammads monotheism and
  the polytheism of the people of Mecca

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The Birth of Islam

• Muhammad received his first revelation from
  the angel Gabriel in the Cave of Hira in 609.
  The rest were revealed over the next 23 years,
  and compiled after his death as the Quran
• 622 ? Hegira (flight) ? Muhammad flees Mecca
  for Medina. The beginning of the
  Muslim calendar
• After a long and bloody war, Muhammad defeats
  the Meccans, purifies the Kaaba and establishes
  Islam as the major religion of Arabia

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The Quran

• Muslims believe it contains the word of God.
• 114 suras (chapters).
• In the name of Allah, the compassionate,
  the merciful.
• Written in Arabic.

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The Five Pillars of Islam
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1. The Shahada

• The testimony.
• The declaration of faith

There is no god worthy of worship except God,
andMuhammad is HisMessenger or Prophet.
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2. The Salat

• The mandatory prayers performed 5 times a
  day dawn noon late
  afternoon sunset before going
  to bed
• Wash before praying.
• Face Mecca and use a prayer rug.

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2. The Salat

• The call to prayer by the muezzin in the
  minaret.
• Pray in the mosque on Friday.

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3. The Zakat

• Almsgiving (charitable donations).
• Muslims believe that all things belong to
  God.
• Zakat means both purification and growth.
• About 2.5 of your income.

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4. The Sawm

• Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
• Considered a method of self- purification.
• No eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset
  during Ramadan.

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5. The Hajj

• The pilgrimage to Mecca.
• Must be done at least once in a Muslims
  lifetime.
• 2-3 million Muslims make the pilgrimage
  every year.

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5. The Hajj

• Those who complete the pilgrimage can add
  the title hajji to their name.

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Other Islamic Religious Practices and Traditions

• Up to four wives allowed at once.
• No alcohol or pork.
• No gambling.
• The Hadith (traditions) account of the deeds and
  sayings of Muhammad
• Sharia ? body of Islamic law to
  regulate daily living.
• Three holiest cities in Islam Mecca,
  Medina, Jerusalem.

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Death of the Prophet

• Muhammad died in 632 and rose into heaven from a
  holy rock (where Jews believe Abraham prepared
  the sacrifice of his son) in Jerusalem. On the
  site Muslims built a mosque called the Dome of
  the Rock.

DOME OF THE ROCK, Jerusalem
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The Dar al-Islam
The Worldof Islam
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Essential Question
Why was Islam able to spread so quickly and
convert so many to the new religion?
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The Spread of Islam

• Easy to learn and practice.
• No priesthood.
• Teaches equality.
• Non-Muslims, who were Peoples of the Book,
  were allowed religious freedom, but paid
  additional taxes.
• Easily portable ? nomads trade routes.
• Jihad (Holy War) against pagans and other
  non-believers (infidels).

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Countries with the Largest Muslim Population
1. Indonesia 183,000,000 6. Iran 62,000,000
2. Pakistan 134,000,000 7. Egypt 59,000,000
3. India 121,000,000 8. Nigeria 53,000,000
4. Bangladesh 114,000,000 9. Algeria 31,000,000
5. Turkey 66,000,000 10. Morocco 29,000,000
Arabs make up only 20 of the total Muslim
population of the world.
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Spread of Islam
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The Islamic Caliphate

• After the death of Muhammad, caliphs (leaders)
  controlled the Muslim world.
• Most famous caliphates the Umayyad dynasty and
  the Abbasid dynasty.
• Umayyad capital city Damascus (in Syria).
  Abbasid capital Baghdad (in Iraq).

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Battle of Tours, 732 ce

• Muslims expand across North Africa, into Spain
• Islam threatens to take over Christian Europe!!!
• Battle of Tours, 732 ce
• Charles Martel, king of the Franks, defeats the
  Muslims, which stops their expansion into Europe

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Sunnis vs. Shiites

• Sunnis
• The caliph may be elected from the Muslim
  community.
• Shiites (Shia)
• The caliph must be a descendant of the family of
  Muhammad
• Muhammads son-in-law, Ali is assassinated in 651
• The Shia Ali (partisans of Ali) have never
  accepted the rule of the succeeding Sunni caliphs
• The Shia are a minority in the Muslim
  world(10-15 worldwide, but 39 in Middle East)
  a majority only in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and
  Azerbaijan

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The Rise of Islamic Empires in the Middle East,
Europe, and India
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The Rise of The Ottoman Empire
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The Rise of the Ottoman Turks

• Under Osman Bey (1258-1326) the Ottomans, a
  semi-nomadic Turkic people created an empire that
  would expand rapidly and survive until 1923.
• They expanded the empire into the Balkans, where
  young Christian boys became slaves of the Sultan
  and served as Janissaries.
• In 1453 Under Sultan Mehmet II,(1451-1481) they
  besieged and conquered Constantinople, (renamed
  Istanbul) which ended the Christian Byzantine
  Empire.

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Constantinople becomes Instanbul

• Churches like Haghia Sophia were transformed into
  mosques, though many Christian features remain.

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Ottoman rule

• In the conquered territories, the Turks faced
  hostile populations of Jews, Catholics, Orthodox
  Christians and even Muslims.
• The Turks allowed everyone to practice whatever
  religion they wanted as long as they paid taxes.
• They managed a vast, culturally diverse empire
  through the Janissary Army and Civil Service.

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Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566)

• Empire at its peak, included the Balkans, Greece,
  Syria, Egypt and Iraq.
• In 1529 he attacked Vienna, the capital of the
  Habsburg Empire
• He had many challenges
• Mostly from the Safavid Empire (the Shiite
  Persians)

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How Did Ottomans Exercise Power?

• Center of Power in Istanbulthe Topkapi Saray
• A fortress, sanctuary, and shrine
• Laid out by Mehmed II
• Outer walls and inner walls with Inner palace in
  deep interiorpalace housed treasury, a library,
  and the sultans pavillion
• Inner court closed to all but state officials
  visitors confined to outer court
• Around the edges, secret hideaway spots for the
  Sultans harem

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Ottoman Power

• Topkapi Palace housed 10 mosques, 14 bathhouses,
  2 hospitals, 2,000 women and 4,000 horses
• Sultan housed in sacred spaces with relics of the
  prophet Muhammad controlled the institutions
  and sacred places related to Sunni Islam
• Externallylaw code, tolerance, military power,
  still profited from spice trade, tribute from
  Europeans
• Internallypalace often ruled by eunuchs and
  concubines, as well as sultans mother, but more
  rational than many Europeans believed

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Safavid Empire

• Created by the young Shah Ismail (1501-1524).
• Ismail established Twelver Shiism as the state
  religion (belief that twelfth imam would be the
  leader of all Islam.
• Defeated by the Ottomans at the battle of
  Chaldiran in 1514
• Like Ottomans, benefitted from trade across
  Eurasia
• Ruled through a hereditary class of fighters
  the Qizilbash

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Shah Abbas

• Expanded the Safavid Empire from 1588-1629
• Created capital at Isfahan
• Won gains in the caucuses and central Asia,
  expelled the Portuguese from Hormuz
• Insisted that everyone practice Shiite version
  of Islam left no room for religious pluralism
  even though most people they governed were not
  originally Shiites

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The Mughal Empire

• Babur, claiming descent from Chinggis Khan,
  started to conquer India in 1523 and took Delhi
  in 1526.
• He founded a ruling dynasty known as the Mughal,
  the Persian word for Mongols

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Early Mughal Rulers Babur (1483-1530)
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Early Mughal Rulers Humayun Baburs Son
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Legacy of Humayun (1508-1556)

• Faced many obstacles-mostly from brothers
• Consolidated Rule
• Interested in Science and Astrology
• Died falling down stairs from library carrying
  books
• PictureHumayun with Babur

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Akbar Humayuns Son (1556-1605)

• Created a centralized state
• He encouraged art and architecture.
• Continued to expand the Empire into Gujarat and
  Bengal
• encouraged toleration of Hindus

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Akbars Palace Fatehpur Sikri
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Jahangir (1569-1627

• Ruled from 1605-1627 after father-Akbar-died
• Very well educated, spoke 4 languages
• He had little interest in India
• Emphasized Sunni Islam
• He married a Persian Nur Jahan and let her run
  the country she had been a widow in his court
• More interested in drinking and smoking opium
  than ruling

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Nur Jahan Power Behind the Throne

• Persian gave positions in government to all her
  male relatives
• Tough ruler
• Good businesswomanencouraged trade and
  industry-manufactured perfume, cosmetics
• Owned ships she used for commercial endeavors
• Wrote poetry under the name Makhifi

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Shah Jahan

• Jahangirs son
• Basically imprisoned Nur Jahan until she died
  (she had backed his brother)
• He ruled from 1628-1657.
• Built the Peacock throne and the Taj Majal.
• Built the Taj Majal as a monument to his wife
  when she died in childbirth in 1631.

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Peacock Throne
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Taj Majal
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Rebellion of Aurangzeb

• Defeats Father - Shah Jahan in 1658 and becomes
  emperor.
• Ruled until 1707.
• He actively tries to conquer all of India and got
  most of it except the South.

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Rule of Aurangzib

• Aurangzib (1659-1707) was an ardent Muslim and he
  prohibited the Hindu religion and destroyed the
  Hindu temples.
• In 1679 he imposed a special tax on non-Muslims
  and created an Islamic moral police that tried to
  enforce orthodoxy.
• He also required all women to marry
• By his death there was much turmoil.

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The Islamic empires

• Though these were powerful empires why did they
  decline?
• One reason was they spent a lot of money fighting
  wars
• Spent enormous sums on monumental architecture to
  display power
• Power Superficially external visible Real
  power Hidden in inner quarters
• Worked well when tolerant mostly not
• Resisted new developments in western technology
  and science
• Saw trade very differently from Europeans.