THE MIDDLE EAST

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THE MIDDLE EAST

• Mesopotamia,Phoenicia, The Sansanid Empire, The
  Islamic Empire, Asryia, and Israel

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Interaction with other civilizations
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Mesopotamia

• Conquered surrounding peoples to gain resources
• Traded with Lebanon and Syria for wood, Anatolia
  for silver, Egypt for gold, Oman for copper, Iran
  for stones and jewelry
• Trade was conducted through bartering

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Phoenicia

• Waged brutal wars with the Greeks, fighting for
  control of Sicily
• Phoenician trade was based around raw materials,
  foodstuffs, and luxury goods

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Sansanid Empire

• Traded with Byzantine empire, allowing trade to
  flourish along the Silk Road
• Also waged war against the Byzantine empire
• Silk road allowed ideas, innovations, and
  philosophies to spread easily

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Islamic State

• Many Muslims raided Mecca, the city that had
  expelled Muhammad and his followers

• Warred among each other over disagreements as to
  who was the rightful caliph Muslims created an
  empire that encompassed many different peoples
  and cultures, resulting in the diffusion of many
  ideas

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Womens Roles
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Islamic State

• Rural women worked in the fields and tended
  animals
• Urban women lived in seclusion and covered
  completely in public
• Women could own property and remarry

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Israel

• Marriages were arranged by the family and women
  were expected to pay dowries
• If a women was infertile a husband could sire a
  child with her slave
• Women could not inherit land or divorce

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Mesopotamia

• Women raised the children
• Marriages were arranged and polygamy (having more
  than one wife) was allowed
• Women had no political power but could engage in
  trade and own property

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Religion In The Middle East
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• Religion in the Middle East was varied
• It provided the basis for many modern religions
• Many of the religions were polytheistic (more
  than one god)
• Gods and Goddesses were humanlike
• The classical age cave birth to the belief in a
  single god chosen ruler in the Middle East

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Population Growth, Decline, Disease,
Manufacturing, Migration,Agriculture, and
Weaponry in the Middle East
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Mesopotamia

• Population improved when hunter gatherers became
  stationary
• Irrigation helped avoid unpredictable flooding
• City-States contributed to political organization
• Horse drawn Chariots and Siege machinery aided in
  conquest

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Israel

• Groups of caravan herders became an agricultural
  culture
• Philistines occupied parts of Israel and fought
  against them
• Diets and other parts of society were derived
  from their religion

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Assyria

• Wanted to reestablish old claims
• Good Political organization
• Conquest caused population increase
• Use of Armored spear men and four man chariots
  aided in conquests
• Mass deportations kept the population under
  control
• Agriculture was the main source of food
• Destruction caused by attacks from Mesopotamia

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Phoenicia

• Not much agriculture, depended on their monopoly
  of trade for food and raw materials
• Trade routes stretched to the Mediterranean

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Phoenicia (Cont.)

• Expansion due to Frequent invasions by Assyria
  and not enough farm land
• Carthage had 400,000 people by the first
  millennium B.C.E
• Navy was the most important part of the military
• Attacks led to downfall, but Carthage prospered
  for centuries after

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Sasanid Empire

• Defeated The Parthinians
• Established The Sansanid empire
• Arab pastoralists helped defend against the
  Byzantine and were given alliances
• The camel saddle was an efficient addition to the
  circulation of trade

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Sasanid Empire (Cont.)
Sansanid Farmers Pioneered Cotton Sugar
Cane Citrus Trees Eggplants
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Sasanid Empire (Cont.)

• Constant fighting with Byzantine weakened the
  empire
• The Arabs found many followers of Islam and
  soon defeated both the Sasanid shah and obtained
  Byzantine land, then ruling most of the Middle
  East

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Politics in The Middle East
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Mesopotamia

• Mesopotamia lies mostly within modern day Iraq.
• The earliest people of Mesopotamia were the
  Sumerians.
• It was a land of many villages and cities.
• Villages were groups of families living in close
  quarters with one another.

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Mesopotamia (Cont.)

• Mesopotamias cities were linked by mutual
  dependence on agriculture.
• Earliest known urban centers in the Middle East
  were Jericho, and Catal Huyuk
• There were disputes over land, water rights, and
  moveable property.
• Within Mesopotamia, cities were built around
  temples (abundant) and the society was run for
  the most part by priests.

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Mesopotamia (Cont.)

• In the third millennium, king figures emerged,
  that were known as Lugals. They think Lugals came
  about from warfare.
• Palaces were not located in the center of the
  town, temples were.

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Mesopotamia (Cont.)

• In 2350 BCE Sargon was the first king to unite
  cities under one king and capital. (Akkad)
• For uncertain reasons, the Akkadian empire fell
  in 2230.

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Mesopotamia (Cont.)

• Hammurabis Law Code (r. 1792-1750)
• Social Divisions Free, Landowners, Rich
  Dependents Slaves

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Assryia

• King- center of the universe
• Religion large role in society
• Had superior military and technological
  organization

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Israel

• Early leaders Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
• Expansion to Egypt caused massive slavery
  problems
• Philistines 1200 BCE
• Saul- first king- 1020 BCE
• David- second king- r. 1000-960 BCE
• Solomon- son of David- r. 960-920 BCE

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Phonicea

• Keys in politics sea commerce and manufacture
• Merchant families were dominant in society
• Senate- inner circle of heads of 30 or so
  families made crucial decisions

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Sansanid Empire

• Known as guardian of Silk Road
• Mountains and Plateaus were the political
  hinterland and ruled by Shah (king)
• Cities- small, walled-in communities
• Diverse religion (Christian, Buddhist, Janist,
  Zoroastrianism)

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Islam

• Religion based
• No formal organization or hierarchy
• Developed laws to shape social and religious
  life.
• Overall very diverse culture- language,
  appearance, social customs

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Thanks For Listening

• Audra L
• Courtney C
• Megan F
• Kelson M
• Matt H