The Byzantine Empire and the Rise of Islam

1
The Byzantine Empire and the Rise of Islam

• What great empire centered in Constantinople
  flourished for 1000 years?

2
Fall of Western Rome

• After the fall of Western Rome, 2 new empires
  arose in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
• Byzantine Empire, whose culture and religion
  spread to Russia
• Islamic Empire, whose beliefs spread to lands
  from Spain to India

3
East Prospers under Constantine
4
Constantinople Ruled an Eastern Empire

• Constantine moved capital of Rome to
  Constantinople, a strategically located seaport
• Controlled shipping between Asia and
  Mediterranean
• Kept Rome alive after the fall of the West and
  became the Byzantine Empire

5
Justinians Changes

• Over 18 years, Justinian tried to get Rome back
  from Ostrogoths. The fighting went back and
  forth over Rome. Ruined the city of Rome

• Meanwhile, Justinian made Constantinople wealthy
  with markets, palaces, universities, and
  churches.

6
Justinian Code

• Justinians legal reforms are his most enduring
  legacy.
• Hired scholars to organize the thousands of Roman
  laws into one code
• Basis of Byzantine law for next 900 years, as
  well as future European law

7
Religious Disputes

• Byzantine Christians vs. Christians of Western
  Europe
• Pope in Rome is head of Christian Church in West,
  and of all Christians everywhere
• Patriarch, (head of Byzantine Church), refused to
  accept his authority, he recognized Byzantine
  emperor as leading authority

8
Icons

• Icons West says Ok, East says No Way.
• Iconoclasts smashed icons, claimed they were a
  part of idol worship
• Pope supports use of Icons
• Byzantine emperor and Roman Pope excommunicate
  one another Permanent split between Churches

9
Two Churches

• Western Branch becomes Roman Catholic Church
• Eastern Branch becomes Eastern Orthodox Church
• This is both a religious and political break
  between the East and the West

10
A New Faith Spread from Arabia

• South of Constantinople, a new faith gave rise to
  a new empire Islam
• Muhammad had a vision hailing him as the
  messenger of Allah, (God, same one Jews and
  Christians worship).
• He believed he was the prophet of Allah, and
  began to preach in Mecca

11
Islam Surrender to God

• Muhammad won many militaristic followers in
  Medina after being driven out of Mecca
• He returned to Mecca with his followers and
  preached there until his death in 632
• Abu-Bakr, the new Muslim leader, had Muhammads
  teachings recorded in Arabic in the Koran, which
  is the holy book of Islam
• Arabic became the language of worship, learning
  and literature in the region

12
5 Pillars

• Faith in Allah as the only God
• Muhammad is the prophet of God
• Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
• Alms
• Fasting
• Pilgrimage to Mecca
• Followers were willing to die for their faith
• To spread their religion, they began an era of
  conquest, spreading Islam across Egypt, North
  Africa, Spain, Portugal, Persia, and India

13
Islamic Empire

• Caliphs, successors of Muhammad, were both
  spiritual and political leaders
• Built a new capital city in Baghdad, which was a
  center of trade, science, art, and education (for
  Jews, Christians and Muslims)
• Invented Algebra
• found treatments for
• disease etc.

14
Decline of Byzantine Empire

• Constantinople had fought off Muslim invaders for
  750 years, (well fortified), but could not hold
  out against Muhammad II, the Ottoman sultan.
• Read Turning Points in History on pages 196-197

15
One Empire Expands while another one Contracts
16
Spread of Islam Stopped in France Islam had
spread throughout the Mediterranean and conquered
most of Spain. In the 8th Century Islam moved
northward into France - In the Battle of Tours
(Tours is a city in France) in 732 AD, Charles
Martel of France defeated the Islamic Warriors
thereby pushing Islam south of France
17
The Golden AgeThis was a Golden Age of learning
where civilization, religious and ethnic
tolerance, interfaith harmony, discovery and free
debate were the norm. Libraries, colleges, public
baths were established and literature, poetry and
architecture flourished.
CordobaIn the 10th century, Cordoba, the capital
of Umayyad Spain, was unrivalled in both East and
the West for its wealth and civilization. One
author wrote about Cordoba "there were half a
million inhabitants, living in 113,000 houses.
There were 700 mosques and 300 public baths
spread throughout the city and its twenty-one
suburbs. The streets were paved and lit... There
were bookshops and more than seventy libraries."
Muslim scholars served as a major link in
bringing Greek philosophy, of which the Muslims
had previously been the main custodians, to
Western Europe.
Cordoba, Mosque