The Creation of the Middle East: Spread of Arab and Islamic Culture

Islamic conquests

*Caliph (Arabic khalifa) "successor"

*"Rightly Guided Caliphs," 632-61

Abu Bakr, r. 632-34

Umar, r. 634-44

Uthman, r. 644-56

*Ali, r. 656-61

Married Fatima

Islamic Doctrinal Divisions

*Sunni Islam

*Shi'ite Islam

Hussein killed at Karbala, 680

Imam

Islamic imperial dynasties

*Umayyad Caliphate, 661-743

Power base in Syria

*Abbasid Caliphate, 749-1258

Power base in E. Iran

Baghdad, Iraq

*Khaizuran (Khayzuran), ca. 739-789

*Harun al-Rashid, r. 786-809

Changes in cultural geography: Creation of the Middle East

Prior to Arab Muslim expansion

Syria and Egypt=Byzantine Empire

Greek language

Christianity

Iraq and Iran=Persian Sasanian Empire

Persian Language

Zoroastrian religion

Initial Arab Muslim Policy

Division of populace

Arabs=salaried military aristocracy

Based in garrison cities

Muslims

Conquered peoples=subject population

Pay taxes

Native religions

Religious conversion and cultural assimilation, 8th-10th c.

Umayyad Caliphate Administration

Use of native bureaucrats and language

Arabization of bureaucracy, ca. 700

Arabs assimilate

Farmers, craftsmen, merchants, workers

Islamization: "non-Arabs convert to Islam"

Desire for government positions

Avoid taxes

Missionaries

Universal religion

Predominant religion of Middle East, from 9th c.

Arabization: "adoption of Arabic language and culture"

Egypt, Syria, Iraq, N. Africa

No Arabization

Iran, Pakistan

Islamic Mathematics

Indo-Arabic numerals, India, 6th c.

*Zero

*Place-value

Trigonometry

Decimal notation, Muslims, 7th c.

*Algebra

Al-Khwarizmi

Latin: Algorithm

Indo-Arabic Mathematical Translations into Latin

Islamic Spain, 1000 CE

Lecture Study Question

1. How did the doctrinal division between Sunni and Shi'ite Islam develop as a result of conflicts in the leadership of the Islamic community? On what major points do the two groups agree and disagree?

2. How did the Muslim conquests, government policies, and cultural interactions result in the creation of the present Middle East dominated by the Islamic religion and Arabic language? How was the process leading to the popularization of Islam similar and different from Buddhism in the Mauryan Empire and Christianity in the Roman Empire?

Reading Study Questions

Hansen, et al., 198-199, 202-203 (review), 206-216, 220

1. What were the Umayyad (661-743) and Abbasid Caliphates (749-1258)?

2. How did the Abbasid Caliphs rule their large empire? How did Khaizuran (Khayzuran) rise from slave to queen (calipha), and exercise power even though her sons were officially caliphs in charge?

2. Why was Baghdad known as the "City of Learning" under the Abbasid Caliphates? How did ideas in translated foreign books and needs of Islamic religion encourage new inventions and scientific developments?

Supplementary Reading on D2L>Content:

19) “The True Caliph of The Arabian Nights”

1. According to the historian Hugh Kennedy, why did Harun al-Rashid become the most famous ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate? According to Kennedy, was Harun deserving of his fame? Give examples from Harun's life to defend your answer.

2. What roles did Harun's mother, Khaizuran (Khayzuran), and the talented administrator, Yahya the Barmakid, play in his rise to power in 786? How did Harun destroy the power of the Barmakids in 802? What do these events teach about how political power was consolidated at the Abbasid court?