The Worlds of Islam: Fragmented and Expanding

What regions were encompassed by the Dar al-Islam by around 1200?

The Dar al-Islam included territories from Spain and Morocco in the west to northern India in the east, with its heartland in the Middle East and Egypt.

What major event happened around 1000 related to the expansion of Islam?

A second major expansion by conquest brought India, Anatolia, and later the Balkans into the world of Islam.

What challenges did the Abbasid caliphate face by 1200?

The Abbasid caliphate had lost much of its political grip, with local governors asserting autonomy.

Who began to assert political power in the Abbasid Empire starting around 1000?

Turkic-speaking pastoralists began to assert political and military power as the Abbasid caliphate declined.

What was the impact of the Mongol invasion in the thirteenth century?

The Mongol invasion put an official end to the Abbasid caliphate in 1258.

What empire emerged as a long-term unifier in the Islamic world?

The Ottoman Empire emerged as a significant political unifier in the Islamic Middle East and North Africa.

What was the significance of the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century?

The Ottoman Empire was one of the great empires of world history, matching both the Ming dynasty China and the Incas in wealth and power.

How did the Muslim presence in India differ from that in the Middle East?

In India, Islam was never able to claim more than 20 to 25 percent of the total population, remaining a distinctive minority.

What was the Sultanate of Delhi and its significance?

Founded in 1206, the Sultanate of Delhi represented systematic Turkic rule in India despite the Turks’ small numbers.

What notable cultural interactions occurred in Spain during its Muslim rule?

Muslims, Christians, and Jews mixed more freely, contributing to a vibrant civilization with advances in various fields.

What led to the decline of religious tolerance in Muslim Spain?

The fragmentation of the Córdoba-based regime and the rise of more puritanical forms of Islam led to the decline of tolerance.

What happened in 1492 that marked the end of Muslim rule in Spain?

The Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella took Granada, the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula.

What legacy did Muslim Spain leave for Christian Europe?

Muslim Spain played a role in making rich Islamic learning available to Christian Europe, especially in fields like philosophy and medicine.