The First Global Civilization: The Rise and Spread of Islam

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The First Global CivilizationThe Rise and
Spread of Islam
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• The Arabian Peninsula is a crossroads of three
  continents Africa, Europe, and Asia
• Only small areas of the peninsula can support
  agriculture, the rest is a desert
• Inhabited by nomadic Arab herders
• Nomads were called Bedouins and were organized
  into tribes and clans
• Clans provided security and support in the harsh
  conditions
• Eventually these clans became the core of armies
  who would build a huge empire in the 600 and
  700s.
• Bedouins ideals of courage, loyalty, and warrior
  skills would become part of the Islamic way of
  life

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• By the 600s many Arabs had chosen to settle in
  the oasis or market towns
• Larger towns developed on the western coast of
  Arabia and were market towns for local, regional,
  and long-distance trade good
• By 600 Arabia was connected with all the major
  trade routes of the ancient world
• They used caravan routes, had north to south
  trade, and were part of the Silk Roads
• Transported spices and incense from Yemen to the
  west. They also carried information and ideals in
  addition to products!

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• By 600 cities such as Petra and Palmyra had
  become prosperous trading centers
• The city of Mecca became a very important trade
  stop
• Caravan stopped in Mecca and brought religious
  pilgrims who came to worship at an ancient shrine
  in the city, Kaaba
• Associated this house of worship with Abraham, a
  believer in one God. Over the years , they had
  introduced the worship of many gods and spirits
  in the place. The Kaaba contained 360 idols
  brought by many tribes.
• God Allah in Arabic

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• The belief in one god was not new to Arabs, many
  Jews and Christians had practiced their religion
  in the area
• Muhammad was born into a powerful Meccan family
• Muhammad came into this mix around 570 CE
• Orphaned at the age of six he was raised by his
  uncle. He received little schooling and began
  working in caravan trade as a young man
• He became a trader and business manager for
  Khadijah, a wealthy businesswoman
• When he turned 25 he married Khadijah
• He worked on the caravan routes and came into
  contact with Judaism and Christianity

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• Muhammad took a lot of interest in religion and
  spent much time alone in prayer and meditation
• At 40,Muhammads life changed overnight when a
  voice called to him while he meditated in a cave
  outside of Mecca
• According to Muslim belief the voice was the
  angel Gabriel who told Muhammad that he was a
  messenger of God What shall I proclaim? Asked
  Muhammad the voice answered
• Proclaim! In the name of they Lord and Cherisher,
  who created man out of a mere clot of congealed
  blood. Proclaim! And thy Lord is most bountiful.
  He who taught (the use of) pen taught man that
  which he knew not

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Clans

• Clans fought for possession of watering place and
  grazing lands (rivalries). Survival depended on
  cooperation within clan. Could end up in battle
  over mere insults.
• Mecca and Medina were extensions of the tribal
  culture and their populations were linked by
  kinship to Bedouins. Mecca was found by the
  Umayyad clan of the Quraysh Bedouin tribe.
• Women enjoyed greater freedoms, played economic
  role (milking camels to weaving), traced descents
  via mother, bride-prices, not secluded, not
  equal. When merchant elite was created womens
  roles declined!
• Men could be polygamous but women monogamous
• Little art culturally, focus on poetry and stories

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Religion

• Religion was a blend of animism and polytheism.
  Some tribes recognized a supreme god, Allah. But
  seldom prayed to him. Like less abstract gods who
  seem more relevant to their lives like Hubal or
  the moon god.
• Religion did not appear to have a lot to do with
  ethics rather standards of morality were set in
  tribal customs an unwritten codes

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• After much soul-searching, Muhammad came to
  believe that the Lord who spoke to him through
  Gabriel was Allah.
• He believed that he was the last of the prophets
  and began teaching that Allah was the one and
  only God and that all other gods must be
  abandoned
• The people who followed Muhammads teachings and
  beliefs are called Muslims. In Arabic the term
  Islam means submission to the will of Allah
• Muslim means one who has submitted
• His wife and several friends were his first
  followersby 613 Muhammad began preaching in
  Mecca

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• At first Meccans had problems with him b/c of the
  pilgrimage industry and they did not want to
  neglect the Arab gods.
• Some of his early followers were beaten and
  stoned
• So Muhammad left Mecca and settled in the town of
  Yathrib (200 miles away). He found many followers
  here. In addition to a religious leader, he was
  accepted as a political leader too! He settled
  quarrels between Bedouin clans of the town. His
  wisdom and skills politically won him new
  followers.
• Yathrib was later renamed Medina meaning city of
  the Prophet

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• Many Bedouin tribes converted to Islam. Providing
  Muhammad with a large army.
• In the eyes of Umayyad notables Muhammad
  successes made him a great enemy. In the past
  they attempted to kill him.
• New faith and unwelcomed competition
• Medina vs Mecca. Battled for years and 630
  Muhammad and 10,000 men marched to Mecca. Meccans
  surrender.
• Treaty of Quraysh in 628
• Muhammad destroyed the idols at Kaaba and held a
  call to prayer there.
• Most Meccans quickly converted to Islam after
  there defeat and became part of the Muslim
  religious community, umma.
• Muhammad died 2 years later

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Beliefs/ Practices

• There is only one God, Allah
• There is good and evil and individuals are
  responsible for there own actions
• Holy book of Islam is the Quran
• Believe in final judgment before Allah where they
  will enter heaven or hell
• Do not separated personal and religious lives
• Customs, morals, and laws that control Muslims
• Forbidden to eat pork or drink wine (alcohol)
• Friday afternoon set aside for communal prayer
• Has no priests or central religious authority
• Scholar class called the ulama, learning and law

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5 Pillars

• Muslim you must carry out these duties
• Faith- there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is
  the Messenger of Allah
• Prayer-Five times a day towards Mecca
• Alms- responsibility to support the less
  fortunate
• Fasting-During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan,
  Muslim fast. They eat and drink nothing between
  dawn and sunset. Eat at end of day
• Pilgrimage-All Muslim must perform the hajj or
  pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life.
  During the pilgrimage events in Mecca all Muslims
  dress the same to appear as equals before God

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• Authority rests with Allah, who expressed his
  will to Gabriel, who revealed it to Muhammad. The
  Quran came from writing down Muhammad teachings
  and prayers
• Quran is written in Arabic and Muslims
  considered the Arabic version to be the true word
  of God. Only Arabic can be used in worship and
  this is why the language spread so quickly
• Not only did Muhammad provide the Quran, he
  provided an example for other Muslims to follow
  Sunna (Muhammads example)
• These ideas and laws were assembled into a body
  of laws called the sharia.

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Why it worked so well

• Popular because it transcended clan and class
  divisions
• It was a monotheistic religion from their people
  with no intermediaries between the individual and
  God
• Possibility to end vendettas and feuds
• Umma created political unity
• Skills of the Bedouins of war could be used to
  conquer other lands and create the first global
  civilization!
• Ethical system that helped heal the deep social
  rifts within Arabic society. Dignity of all
  believers, equality before Allah
  (egalitarianism), moral codes, responsibility for
  the poor, and being kind and generous
• Quran laid the foundations for an extensive law
  code to regulate all aspects of Muslim life.
  (last judgment)

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Crisis after Death of Muhammad in 632 CE

• Many Bedouin tribes renounced Islam after the
  death of Muhammad
• Muhammad left no direction over succession and
  this began to be disputed
• Caliphpolitical and religious successor of
  Muhammad
• Several choices, Ali (Muhammads cousin) thought
  to be too young though and Abu Bakr (a close
  friend and early follower)
• Abu Bakr became the first caliph. Those who knew
  Muhammad were called the rightly guided caliphs.
  He united Bedouin tribes through the Ridda Wars.
• Under Umar, the second caliph, Syria and lower
  Egypt were conquered from the Byzantine Empire.
  He also took parts of the Persian Empire

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• Third caliph, Uthman from the Umayyad clan was
  murdered.
• The murder of Uthman in 656 triggered a civil war
  and crisis over succession
• Uthman was chosen caliph in 644. The reasons for
  his selection are unclear it may be partly due
  to his willingness to continue Umar's policies,
  partly due to his Umayyad lineage. During his
  twelve-year reign, grievances which had been
  suppressed under Umar's caliphate came to the
  surface. He was accused of nepotism, favoritism,
  misadministration, and religious innovation by
  his detractors, which included the man who would
  become the fourth caliph, Ali. Uthman was
  murdered in 656 by a group of discontented
  Egyptians.

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• Umayyads rejected Alis claim and swore to
  revenge when Ali failed to punish the assassins
  of Uthman.
• Ali was related to Muhammad and a strong warrior.
  In 656 in the battle of the camel, he lead a
  victory against the Umayyads
• By 657 at the battle of Siffin Ali was on the
  verge of defeating the Umayyads when he was won
  over by a plea for mediation
• He accepted negotiations and because of this many
  of his supporters renounced him!
• Umayyads regrouped their forces and in 660 under
  the leadership of Muawiya challenged Alis
  position by claiming himself caliph of Jerusalem
• A year later, Ali was assassinated and his son,
  Hasan was pressured by the Umayyads to renounce
  his claim to the caliphate.

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• The question over succession deeply divided the
  Islamic worldeven to this day!
• The split between Sunnis and Shia
• Sunnis backed the Umayyads
• Shia supported Ali and Muhammads relatives
• The hostilities between the two groups continued
  as the Umayyads and Alis second son, Husayn
  struggled for power.
• Husayn was killed in 680 at Karbala
• Shia only recognized Ali as a caliph!
• Differences not only in succession but also in
  beliefs, rituals, and laws developed between the
  Sunnis and Shia
• Also sects within the Shia community over Ali
  when he agreed to arbitration with Umayyads

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Islamic Empire Expands

• Umayyads seize power and extend the Arab empire
• By 633 Arabia under Islamic banner turned their
  eyes outward beyond the peninsula
• Stunning conquests of Mesopotamia, north Africa,
  and Persia
• Empire ruled by small Arab warrior elite led by
  the Umayyads and important clans

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• Abu Bakr Ridda Wars united Arabia and oversaw
  raids into Iraq, Syria, and eastern Egypt
• Wanted to raid for booty and then retreat but the
  initial probes into the lands revealed their
  vulnerabilities
• Byzantine Empire and Sasanian Empires weak
• Islamic invaders driven by a sense of common
  cause and purpose (Islam), standing up against
  non-Arab rulers, to release pent-up energies of
  the Bedouins, and the promise of a share in the
  booty by raids and tribute.
• However, they were not driven by a desire to win
  converts! They would have to share the booty and
  Muslims were exempt from some taxes. Thus the
  idea of jihads or holy wars launched to forcibly
  spread the Muslim faith are false

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• Most vulnerable empires were in the Middle East,
  Sasanian which was the Persian Empires
• Sasanian empire ruled by an emperor controlled by
  the elites. Elites exploited poor, Zoroastrianism
  official religion while the popular religion of
  Mazdak was suppressed.
• Warriors and defective Arabs combined to lead to
  the quick fall of the Sasanian Empire
• 651 last of the Sasanian ruled murdered
• Byzantine Empire stronger than Sasanian. Support
  by defective Arabs and Christian sects (didnt
  support the orthodox Byzantines-taxes them and
  persecuted other Christians as heretics)
• Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, and Mediterranean.
  Were dominant with their navy! Helped them
  conquer other areas of North Africa and Italy

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• Byzantine Empire still existed, but lost much
  power and some of its provinces to the Arab
  invaders!
• After the civil war Arab conquests continued in
  the late 7th century
• Central Asia, Northwest India, Spain, dominated
  the Mediterranean
• Political center of empire was not Mecca, but
  Damascus in Syria under the Umayyads

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• Umayyads tried to block Muslims and non-Muslims.
  However, this happened. Plus many individuals
  just converted to the religion of Islam
  voluntarily!
• MawaliMuslim convert
• Still had pay taxes including sometimes the jizya
  (head tax)
• Umayyad era did not have many conversions due to
  these factors.
• Most people were the dhimmi or people of the book
  (Christians and Jews)
• Dhimmi religions tolerated, but they were
  required to pay taxes
• Easier to rule due to this toleration b/c many
  had been oppressed by former overlords

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Women

• At first women enjoyed many rights
• Quran stressed the moral and ethical dimensions
  of marriage
• Muhammad showed kindness and concern for his
  wives and daughters
• Encourage marriage rather than commercial loving
• Denounced adultery, forbade infanticide of girls,
  marry up to 4 wives, no multiple
  marriages if husband could not support them.
  Equality before Allah. Many important information
  recorded by women.

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Umayyad Fall

• Became more concerned with luxury and the good
  life. Caliphs had very large harems!
• Instead of fighting in the early 8th century
  these caliph retreated to their palaces to live
  it up. Muhammad advocated frugal and simple
  lives. Began to alienated Muslims.
• Warriors began settling and marrying locals. They
  became angry b/c of be governed by a caliph so
  far away and they were not getting a cut of the
  booty.
• Umayyads were seen as corrupt and decadent.
• Many warriors settled in the oasis town of Merv.
  In 740 the Umayyads tried to introduce new troops
  here which sparked a revolt

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Fall

• The revolt spread!
• By 747 Frontier warriors challenged the Umayyads
  under the banner of the Abbasids. Muhammads
  uncle, al-Abbas (descendants)
• Shia join forces with the Abbaids to fight the
  Umayyads
• Mawali soon joined
• Battle of the River Zab in 750-(by the Tigris
  river) and the Abbaids won and captured the
  Umayyad capital!
• Abu al-Abbas invited the members of the Umayyad
  family to a banquet afterwards where he had all
  of them slaughtered so that the could not make
  claims to the position of caliph
• Nickname al-Saffah meaning the blood shedder!

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• Rebel groups overthrow the Umayyads in 750. The
  most powerful was the Abbasids who took control
  of the empire
• The Abbasids murdered all members of the
  remaining Umayyad family
• One member escaped and set up control in southern
  Spain. They were known as the Berbers.
• The Berbers were lead by Jabal Tariq. Gibraltar
  is named after him.

• The Berbers advanced north within 100 miles of
  what is today Paris before losing in the Battle
  of Tours in 732. If they would have won all of
  Europe would most likely be Muslim. They
  resettled in southern Spain

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• Example Fatimid Dynasty (after Muhammads
  daughter) began in North Africa and spread. They
  were part of the Shiites (claiming heritage from
  Fatimid and her husband Ali)
• Their capital was Cairo after they took over
  Egypt
• Shiism unified the group
• They declined due to losses to the Normans and
  Crusaders in the 11th century.
• The Abbasids conquered Egypt in 1171

• Abbasids moved the capital once again to Baghdad.
  This was a strategic location for trade as well
  as information.
• The government was set up into departments and
  managed
• Diplomats were sent out around Europe, Africa,
  and Asia
• They ruled from 750-1258
• They keep power by consulting many religious
  leaders, but failed to keep complete control.
  Independent Muslim states with local leaders rose
  up

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Abbasids

• After the murders the grandson of the Umayyad
  caliph fled to Spain.
• After the Abbasids took power they started to
  reject many of their former allies, especially
  Shiism. They thought they had a heretical view
  of Islam
• New capital in Baghdad, Iraq
• Caliph built large places and harems
• Created a more bureaucratic form of government
  for the Islamic empire (Wazir)

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Achievements

• Economic growth
• Mosques centers of learning
• Took older knowledge of peoples such as the
  Greeks and kept.
• Map Timeline of Empire in Middle East
• MAP
• http//www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1342_isla
  mic_middle_east/map/