Muslim Empire

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Muslim Empire
How could the extent of the Muslim empire affect
Africa? New languages, Trade, Cultural Diffusion,
Religion, Math, Medicine, Moral Conduct, Family
Life, Business Matters
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Africa Gold and Salt Trade

• Arab and Berber traders took salt from the Sahara
  to trade for gold in West Africa. (and vice
  versa)
• Clothes and weapons from the Mediterranean port
  were taken to West Africa.

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Discussion Questions

1. What are the challenges and impacts between West
   Africa trade routes, the Sahara, and the
   Mediterranean ports?
2. Compare the Africa Gold and Salt Trade to the
   Silk Road?

Similarities Long distances, cultural
diffusion, growth of wealth, trading slaves,
trading ideas Differences Silk Road- silk and
spices, and covering several continents African
Gold and Salt- gold, salt, all in Africa
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Effects of Cultural Diffusion

• Blending new languages
• New trading settlements emerge along the coast of
  Africa
• Growth of commerce and trade in East Africa
• Interactions with Muslims bring wealth to Asia
  and Africa.

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Advancements

• Astrolabe navigation stars
• Spurred by contact with Europe, i.e., telescope
• Trigonometry
• Medical advancements
• Algebra

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Caliphates

• Caliph- successor or deputy. Name given to
  leaders after Muhammads death.
• Caliphate- government

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Specific Caliphates

• Fatimids- traced ancestry to Muhammads daughter
  and controlled areas in North Africa, Arabia, and
  Syria. Capital City was Cairo.
• Abbasids- took power and murdered members of the
  Umayyad family. Built their capital city in
  Baghdad. Controlled modern areas of Iran, Iraq,
  and Central Asia.
• Umayyad- surrounded themselves with wealth,
  caused a split in the community. As a result 3
  parties develop Shia (descendents of Muhammad),
  Sunni (Muslims who left and lost touch with
  religion), and Sufi (no life of luxury, spiritual
  life, and focused on Quran and its traditions).

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Fatimid Empire (909-1171) Capital Cairo
Abbasid Empire (750-1258) Capital Baghdad
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Vocabulary

• Qadis- a judge in a Muslim community, whose
  decisions are based on Islamic religious law.
• Imams- A ruler claiming descent from Muhammad and
  exercising authority in an Islamic state.

• Both are officials that created and interprets
  laws.

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Start Spread of Islam Map
Umayyad Empire
Africa Gold and Salt Trade
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Fatimid Empire (909-1171) Capital Cairo
Abbasid Empire (750-1258) Capital Baghdad