Chapter 7 – Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic civilization to south/southeast

Asia

1. the Islamic heartlands in the middle and late abbasid eras

A. third Abbasid caliph – al-Mahdi

I. courtly excesses leads to financial drain
II. politcal divisions
a. fails to reconcile Shi’a and Abbasid
III. problem of succession
a. son gets poisoned and al-Rashid takes power
B. imperial extravagance and succession disputes
I. extravagance amazed visitors
II. Harun al-Rashid takes power at 23
a. dependent on court advisors who gain more power
III. failed to resolve succession issue
a. started full scale civil wars
b. leaders would have armies prepared to fight after caliphs died
c. because of this, there were many caliphs assassinated and replaced
C. imperial breakdown and agrarian disorder
I. taking control of revolts cost a lot of money
a. taken out on peasants which caused revolts
i. taxation
ii. pillaging
b. usually instigated by Shi’a
D. the declining position of women in the family and society
I. women’s duties reduced
II. now raised to devote their lives to household serving family
III. if in a high position, tried to influence their husband in interests of their sons
E. nomadic incursions and the eclipse of caliphal power
I. slow disintegration of Islamic empire, territories breaking off and factions
II. in 945, Buyids of Persia invade empire and capture Baghdad
a. call themselves “sultan”
b. Shi’a
III. 1055, Seljuk turks replace Buyids
a. partial to Sunnis so purge Shi’a officials
F. impact of Christian Crusades
I. continue to quarrel between themselves as Christians continue to invade from
1096-1099
II. only after united under Saladin do they take back lost territory
III. Europeans influenced by the Muslims in their advances
a. weaponry/fort-building methods
b. medicine/science
c. luxuries – cloth, textiles

2. an age of learning and artistic refinements

A. development of arts
I. tapesries and rugs
II. fine bronzes and superb ceramics
 III. elaborate architecture
B. the full flowering of Persian literature
I. Persian language synonymous with “high culture”
II. poetry and literature developed in Persian
a. example is Shah-Nama – history of Persia, battles, intrigues, and “illicit
love affairs”
C. achievements in the sciences
I. compiled the learning of ancient civilizations
II. math
a. concept of trigonometry
b. major corrections to algebraic and geometric theories
III. science
a. development of instruments
b. scientific investigation/experiment
IV. practical applications
a. medicine
b. production techniques
c. cartography – maps
D. religious trends and the new push for expansion
I. social strife and political divisions vs trading links and intellectual creativity
II. mysticism vs orthdox religious scholars (ulama)
III. orthodox muslims
a. increasingly distrustful of non-Islamic ideas and scientific thinking
IV. al-Ghazali – Islamic theologian – struggled to fuse greece and islam
V. Sufist movement
a. Sufis – name from the woolen robes they wore
i. reputation as great healers and miracle workers
ii. attempted to spread islamic radically
b. personal union with Allah
i. achieve this through bodily denial, meditation, songs, drugs,
dancing
E. new waves of nomadic invasions and the end of the caliphate
I. the Mongols united by Chinggis Khan raid Baghdad in 1258
II. carried on by Hulegu, grandson, until Mongols were defeated by Mamluks
III. Baghdad suffered from another invasion in 1401 by Tamerlane reducing its
status

3. the coming of Islam to South Asia

A. introduction
I. before, invaders had assimilated into Indian culture, but Muslims do not
II. as Muslims begin to settle in India, conflict breaks out
a. because Islam and Hinduism are so different from each other
i. Islam – monothiestic, egalitarian, not tolerant of other religions
ii. hinduism – polythiestic, caste system, tolerant
III. still there was good periods of trade and then wary trade
B. politcal divisions and the first Muslim invasions
I. first invasion in 711 by Muhammad ibn Qasim when Muslim trading ships are
attacked by pirates of Sind – India
II. conquer the area, but little change
 a. tax them for freedom of religion
b. the culture of India, caste system and titles of local officials remained
C. Indian influences on Islamic civilization
I. India influenced and enriched the Arabic empire
a. mathematical and scientific advances
i. numeral system and works on algebra and geometry
ii. instruments for celestial observation
b. medicine
c. music
d. culture
D. from booty to empire: the second wave of Muslim invasions
I. after Muhammad ibn Qasim, in 962, Mahmud of Ghazni pushes into India
a. motivated by desire to spread Islam and wealth
II. Muhammad of Ghur and Qutb-ud-din Aibak push territory further
III. captial becomes Delhi
IV. 300 year Muslim dynasties – Sultans of Delhi
a. but face Mongol/Turk invaders
b. internal fighting, and fighting against Hindu princes
E. patterns of conversion
I. interactions accomodating and peaceful
a. few converts forced
b. Sufi mystics were very successful in spread Islam
II. people that converted came from distinct groups
a. Buddhists – Indian Buddhists in a state of confusion because their
practice contradict their teachings
b. low caste, untouchables, animistic tribal peoples – egalitarian, group
conversions
c. desire to escape head tax – unbeliever tax
d. intermarriage
F. patterns of accomodation
I. Hindu communities not concerned with Islam initially
II. believed that Islam would soon absorb Hinduism
III. Muslims began to adopt Hindu ways
a. divine descent
b. minted coins with Hindu images
c. Muslim caste lines
d. adopted customs
i. sati – burning of widow with deceased husband
e. women reduced status
G. Islamic challenge and Hindu revival
I. Hindus realize that Islam will not be absorbed
II. combat Islam like Buddhism, try to make Hinduism more appealing
a. establish bhaktic cults
i. open to all people
ii. Mira Bai, woman poet, and Kabir
b. local languages for wide spreading
c. chants, dances, and drugs – spiritual intoxication
H. stand-off: the Muslim presence in India at the end of the Sultanate period
I. Brahmins took a more active role – denouncing Muslims
II. Muslims couldn’t be flexible because contradictory with their teachings
 III. Hinduism remained a majority

4. the spread of Islam to southeast Asia

A. introduction
I. southeast Asia had served as a middle ground for trade
II. no real incentive to spread Islam
III. however by 8th century, Muslims controlled trade and elements of religion
filtered in
IV. after the fall of Shrivijaya in 13th century, incentive for traders to spread faith
B. trading contacts and conversion
I. peaceful conversion more than force
II. port centers convert first – through trade
a. Malacca converted – moved inland
b. trading links critical
i. enhance personal ties
ii. common basis of law
iii. cultural links
c. Bali – hinduism – did not convert
d. mainland southeast Asia – remained Buddhist
C. Sufi mystics and the nature of southeast Asian islam
I. because spread through sufis
a. mysticism
b. tolerated earlier animists, Hindu, Buddhist beliefs/rituals
c. many pre-Muslim beliefs incorporated
i. strong position of women