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Unit03: The Muslim World

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Timeline: 8th C AD - 13th C AD

FS: There is no Dark Age in the Islamic world.
Main Idea: Byzantium (though in Asia Minor, they continued to refer to themselves as Roman)
was a shining beacon of civilized life. But to its south, in the Middle Eastern deserts of the
Arabian peninsula, there was a stir within tribal customs of the Bedouin. In less than 200 years,
it became clear that what was developing in the desert was more than a faith. It was the start of
a civilization that would challenge its bigger brother to the north and the great Tang dynasty to
the east. Europe would fear it and become partially conquered by it. This Islamic empire would
become a bridge between eastern and western cultures as well as the Classic and Medieval
world. Once Islam crossed into the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe the civilization
bloomed with the splendor of the classical civilizations of the past.
CCSS
I. The Spread of Islam
Islam spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa from 632-750 CE. This was a
contributing factor to the present dominance of Islam and Arab culture in this area.
A. Very Fast. Three directions & three continents
B. Military Conquests*
C. Tolerant Rule*
D. Increasing Conflict with Byzantine Empire
*The

trans-Saharan caravan trade, in addition to these, spread Islam into the rest of the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
These activities encouraged cultural diffusion. Since tolerance was a religious requirement, the conquest and rule over non-Muslims
was less problematic.

II. The Caliphate

The Islamic civilization existed for a period of ~600 years. In that time, the center of religious/
secular leadership went from Mecca (the home of The Prophet- PBUH) to Damascus and then
to Baghdad. As time passed, the governmental form of this rising civilization evolved from a
religious and tribal base to the secular and institutional base of empires. Central to it, however,
remained the question as to who would be the successor to The Prophet.
A. Orthodox Caliphate (632 661)1
1. Caliph: Successor to the Prophet Muhammad. This carried political
significance. It did not bestow the title of 'prophet' on any individual who became
Caliph.
2. The faith extends beyond the boundary of the Arabian peninsula.
3. The mixing of politics with religion leads to intrigue and assassinations.
B. Umayyad Caliphate (Damascus, 7th - 8th C.)
1. Assassination of Husayn2
2. Extend Islam to Europe (Iberian Peninsula)
C. Abbasid Caliphate (Baghdad, 8th - 13th C.)
1. Dominated East West Caravan Trade
2. Preservation and Support for 'learning'. (The Golden Age)
1

The 'companions' and relatives of The Prophet were the first Caliphs during the Orthodox Caliphate.

Husayn was the grandson of The Prophet. He claimed the right to the title of Caliph after the assassination of Ali, the last Orthodox
Caliph. It was Husayn's assassination that resulted in the rift within Islam of Shia (supporters of Husayn's claim) and Sunni
(supporters of the right of any 'good' Muslim to lead the Islamic community). That rift still exists today.

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Unit03: The Muslim World

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III. The Golden Age

A. Arts
Islamic artists became famous in their own right by comprising some of the world's
most expressive poetry. But to Muslims, the greatest literary work then and now is the
Qur-an.
1. Preservation of 'Classical' culture via recording of texts and visual arts.
2. Poetry: The Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam
3. Literature
The Qur-an
Arabian Nights
B. Sciences
1. Mathematics
al-Khwarizmi (9th C.) => Algebra
Arabic Numerals4 and Concept of 'zero'4
2. Chemistry
Alchemy3
3. Medicine
'Viral' nature of disease4 and development of Vaccines4
Anesthesia4
Compilation of medical texts:
al-Rhazes (850 923)
Ibn-Sina/ aka 'Avicenna' in Europe (980 - 1037)5
4. Astronomy6
Religious Significance
Sea Charts and maps with Latitude Lines
Astrolabe7
5. Architecture
Domes, Arches, & Towers (Mosque Design)
6. Cultural/ Material Diffusion
Spices and other luxury items from Far East, South, & S-E Asia (Pepper,
Cinnamon, and Nutmeg). Direct competition with Chinese and Byzantine
commerce.
Silk and Paper from Far East.
Lateen Sail
Materials/Sources: Refer to the course calendar for additional materials, assignments and pertinent due dates.
Perspectives on the Past

The pseudo-science focused on the conversion of base metals into gold. The value of alchemy to the development of chemistry
could be better appreciated with a quote from Thomas Edison: I didn't fail 2000 times, I learned 2000 ways how not to make a light
bulb.
4

Developed by the Hindus of the Gupta Empire (Indias Golden Age) or influenced by them.

Wrote medical books while European medical science was still dominated by Medieval superstition. His medical texts were sought
after by Europeans and used for centuries.
6

Since the Islamic religious and secular calendars are based on the phases of the moon, the science of astronomy was pivotally
important for reasons beyond practicality.
7

A device adopted from the ancient Greeks. Used to determine the latitude by observing a specific celestial body. It was most widely
used for maritime navigation. The open sea offers few, if any, terrestrial landmarks for sailors to use in determining their location.

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Unit03: The Muslim World

Map handout
Post Roman World
Slide Presentation

Ch.10