Elements of a Successful Empire

STRONG MILITARY and extensive FOOD SUPPLY LAWS to control a large area Control of extensive TRADE ROUTES STRONG LEADER/CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT

Recipe for a Successful Empire

System for TAX COLLECTION System of transportation & communication (ROADS) Common currency, weights and measurements TOLERATION OF DIVERSE CULTURES EVIDENCE OF A SUCCESSFUL EMPIRE?
Great achievements in ART, ARCHITECTURE, TECHNOLOGY, LITERATURE GOLDEN AGE

The Islamic World:

Expansion and Conquest

QUICK REVIEW: The Islamic Religion

Geography
Europe
Mediterranean Sea SW Asia

NE Africa

Arabian Peninsula

Indian Ocean

The Spread of Islam in Muhammads Time, c. 600

What happened after Muhammad died?

570-632: Life of Muhammad 661-750: The Umayyads 751-983: The Abbasids 984-1289: The Seljuks and Fatimids 1290-1918: The Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals

POLITICS
The successors to Muhammad were known as caliphs - rulers who became the secular (non-religious) and spiritual leaders of the Islamic community. As the Arab empire grew, caliphs became more like kings or emperors, wearing expensive clothing and jewels, in part to indicate the strength and power of the growing Arab Empire.

P: The Umayyad Dynasty

Under the rule of the Umayyad dynasty, the Islamic Empire made many conquests but there were internal struggles that led to a division of the community.

The Results of the Umayyad Conquests

A Split in Islam: Sunni vs. Shiite Muslims

Sunni Muslims account for about 85 percent of the world's Muslims. They believe the first four caliphs, or supreme religious leaders, were the rightful successors of the Prophet Mohammed but have chosen later leaders based on Islamic political realities of the time. The Taliban are fundamentalist Sunni Muslims. Shiite Muslims account for about 15 percent of the world's Muslims. Shiites are dominant in Iran and are also the largest sect in Iraq. Pockets of Shiite Islam also exist in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. Shiites insist that true leaders of Islam must be descendants of Ali, the fourth caliph and Mohammed's son- inlaw. Shiism, has its own distinct rituals and a more organized and hierarchical clerical system than Sunni Islam.

Distribution of Sunni and Shiite Muslims

The Dome of the Rock

(the most famous Islamic site in Jerusalem, built by the Umayyads)

The Mosque of Crdoba

(also built by the Umayyads; famous for the symmetry of its arches)

How far into Europe did the Islamic Empire spread?

[Cordoba is in Spain, in SW Europe]

The Battle of Tours: Muslims vs. Franks

Charles Martel w/ his hammer -shaped weapon
Abd alRahman w/ his Arab curved sword, called a scimitar

Significance of the Battle of Tours

The Battle of Tours was fought in October 732 between Frankish forces under Charles The Hammer Martel and a massive invading Islamic army led by Abd alRahman, near the city of Tours, France. During the battle, Abd al Rahman was killed and the Franks defeated the Islamic army, stopping the northward advance of Islam from the Iberian peninsula (modern-day Spain/Portugal). Most historians consider this battle to be a turning point because it halted the Islamic conquests and preserved Christianity as the controlling faith in Europe, during a period in which Islam was overrunning the remains of the old Roman and Persian Empires.

Critical Thinking Qs
(Answer on your outline.)

1. Do you think the world today would be the same if the Muslim Umayyads had won the Battle of Tours instead of the Christian Franks? (Explain your answer!)
2. What percentage of the worlds population do you think practices the Islamic religion?

After the Umayyads

The Abassid Dynasty

Under the Abassid dynasty, Islam experienced prosperity and a new cultural outlook. The best-known of the Abassid caliphs was Harun al-Rashid, whose reign is often described as the golden age of the Abassid caliphate. Harun al-Rashid supported artists and writers, and his son was known for supporting the study of astronomy and for creating a foundation to translate classical Greek works.
In short, this was a great time for Islamic art, science, and literature!

SO..???
What happened to the Abassid dynasty after Harun al-Rashid died? Tonights HW will help you find the answer! HW: TB Ch. 10/sec. 2: The Spread of Islam
1. "Think through History" Qs (in the margins!), p. 239 (A), 240 (B), 241 (C) 2. "Section Assessment" Qs, p. 241, 1-2