Part 1 The Development of Islamic Civilization to

the Eighteenth Century 02/13/2016

Muhammed revealed Islam in Mecca AD 610 AD 632
But after his death Islam spread out from Spain to Pakistan
Expanded into a Middle East that had a rich history of intellectual
exchanges, religious experiences, administrative practices
3500 BC ancient Near Eastern civilization city states developed in
lower Iraq
2400 BC regional empires formed rules by single monarch
o Unifying effect via common legal system, religious and
cultural experiences
Advanced civilization took place in the Nile Valley under pharaoh
rule shared religious and dynastic traditions of ancient Egyptians
Acheminid Empire(550 BC 331 BC) had unifying effect by bringing
all Middle Eastern lands into single imperial framework
Around 4th century BC (Alexander the Great conquests), Greek
became language of administration and high culture, became
dominant language from Egypt to Anatolia
o Continued when Rome conquered Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and
Anatolia during first century BC
o Although their culture remained more Hellenic than Latin
Eastern Empires identity solidified when Roman capital transferred
to Constantinople in AD 330 and fall of Rome 200 BC
o Identity represented by Byzantine empire
Islam interacted with establish religions
o Byzantine subjects expected to adhere to sanctioned imperial
religion
o Led to emergence of monotheism
3 monotheistic faiths:
o Judaism
o Zoroastrianism
o Christianity
Islam unified Greco-Christian territories of Byzantium and lands of
Iranian-Zoroastrianism into single religiously based universal
empire

CHAPTER 1 The Rise and Expansion of Islam
Roman-Byzantine empire in west and Sasnian empire of Iran in east
 Byzantium stretched from Italian peninsula to Constantinople
o Appeared powerful and secure
o But by 6-7th centuries, weakened by challenges to military,
religious, and administrative authority
Warfare between Byzantines and Sasnians until 629
Religious tension too:
o Byzantine empire adopted Greek Orthodox Christianity as
state religion but people in empire continued to practice other
forms of Christianity or Judaism persecuted welcomed
arrival of more religiously tolerant Muslim rulers
Sasnian empire ruled by powerful king and has powerful army
o But state religion of Zoroastrianism became more significant
as ceremonial faith for ruling elite than for majority (more
attracted to Christianity and Judaism)
Formative Islam influenced by Greek legacy of Byzantium,
bureaucratic tradition of Iran, emperors concepts developed in
Constantinople

Pre-Islamic Arabia
Arabian Peninsula is vast desert with no central authority
Tribes were largest units of social and political organization/loyalty
o Division between tribes, but cultural unity was present
Arabia acquired increasing importance as a commercial transit route
between Middle Eastern empires and Yemen
Mecca = most important commercial center of the peninsula +
major religious site

Muhammad and the Foundations of Islam

Born in Mecca around 570
At age 20 married wealthy widow Khadijah, who was first to convert
to new faith and supported him during early years
Ordinary life as a merchant until age 40 when he would meditate
frequently, leaving Mecca, and saw prophetic vision at Night of
Power
Continued to receive revelations which were recorded into Quran:
Gods commands and direct word of God. Language divine and
unchangeable
Prophethood divided into two phases:
o Mecca (610-622)
o Medina (622-632)
Muslims are supposed to submit to Allahs will and practice
prescribed patterns of worship and behavior via commandments
 Quran warned of Day od Judgment
Basic: those who accepted his commands were rewarded with
paradise and those who deviated from his commands would be
damned
His teaching attracted a lot of opposition at first so he moved with
his followers to Medina the hijrah (pilgrimage)
Confirmed right to prophethood and political leadership
Led troops to Mecca and Mecca surrendered, Quran reflected
Muhammeds new political role
Creation of single deity idea implanted

The Arab Conquest and the First Empire

Muhammed died 632 question of leadership
Went to Abu Bakr, but there was dispute over his succession
o (632-634) Called the khalif
o Three successors: Umar (634-344), Uthman (644-656), Ali
(656-661)
Umar lead epoch of Arab conquests and building of Islamic empire:
By 732 conquered India to Spain across Pyrenees
o Arabic language and Islamic faith became dominant
o Persian language and culture reasserted in Iran but as Islamic
idiom
How did this happen?
o Monotheistic traditions were already being practiced
o Islam has a lot of tolerance towards non-Muslims (some
forced conversion and dhimmis had to pay special poll tax)

The First Civil War and the End of the Rashidun Caliphate
Ali chosen to succeed murdered Uthman
o Second most revered founder of Islam: Prophets cousin,
husband of daughter Fatima
o Called for greater equality and restoration of community
Represented legitimate authority and embracing of communal
leader

From Arab Exclusivism to Islamic Universalism: The Umayyad

and Abbasid Empires
 Muawiyah became new caliph and founder of Umayyad dynasty
o Concerned with expansion of Islam, management of states
resources, and consolidation of dynasty
o Adopted policy accepting equality of all Muslims regardless of
ethnic origins
Capital transferred from Damascus to Baghdad
Abbasid rulers carried evolution of caliphate to absolutist monarchy
farther than any other regime
o Known as shadows of God on earth
But no monarch could control from Morocco to India
o North Africa became region of autonomous Islamic states
o Abbasid caliphs remained dominant rulers of Middle East

Conclusion
Nomadic desert populations divided among tribal lines
Arabic replaced Greek, Persian, Aramaic
Islam replaced but did not eliminate Judaism, Christianity,
Zoroastrianism
Chapter 2 The Development of Islamic Civilization to the Fifteenth
Century

Patterns of Islamic History

750-945 absolutist empire centered in Baghdad experienced period
of economic growth, cultural richness, political stability
Weakness of the Abbasids in late 10th c caused Islam to enter
decline, intensified by empires destruction in 1258 and continued
until Ottoman empire in 15th and early 16th C led to
fragmentation but not dark age of Islamic culture
Think of Abbasid empire as group of regional Islamic empires which
developed synthesis of local practices