AMSCO - 1.2 Reading Notes - AP History

House of Wisdom

A renowned center of learning in Baghdad that many scholars traveled to study at.

Hijab

Can refer to either the practice of dressing modestly or to a specific type of covering.

Swahili

Traders in East Africa blended Bantu and Arabic to develop Swahili. Swahili today is spoken by various groups in the African Great Lakes Region and other parts of Southeast Africa.

"People of the book" (Dhimmi)

Muslims, Christians, and Jews living in al-Andalus not only tolerated one another, but also influenced each other.

Tolerance

Islams lived in harmony and coexisted with other religions like Judaism and Christianity. Their toleration allowed for trading to flourish.

Education

Scholars of Islam followed advice from Muhammad and were able to do things like translating Greek literary classics into Arabic (saving works from Aristotle and other Greek thinkers), study math texts from India, and adopt technique for paper-making from China. Scholars made advancements in astronomy, law, history, logic, ethics, math, medicine, and philosophy.

Economics

During the time of the Abbasids, trade patterns were changing. Baghdad lost its traditional place on the southern Silk Road route. After awhile, Baghdad lost population and its canals fell into disrepair. The countryside could not handle the agricultural needs of the urban population. Slowly, Baghdad fell into despair.

Slavery

Islam allowed slavery, but Muslims could not enslave other Muslims. Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians were also exempt from slavery. The slaves Muslims used were from Africa, Central Asia and Kievan Rus which is present day Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. "Many slaves converted to Islam, after which their owners freed them" and then their children were considered free. Slave women might be concubines to Islamic men who had already married their four wives. Women of slavery were allowed more independence, like they could go to markets. Slave women solely were allowed to dance/perform musically before unrelated men. This opportunity to earn some money allowed female slaves to save up enough money to buy their freedom.

Women

- Muhammad raised the status of women in many ways. He treated his wives with affection and devotion. Muhammad insisted that dowries be paid to the future wife rather than her father. Also, he forbade female infanticide (the killing of newborn girls). Muhammad's first wife owned her own business and was educated. This set a pattern for the recognition of women's abilities.

- Women of Islam enjoyed a higher status compared to women with other religious beliefs. Women were allowed to inherit property and retain ownership after marriage. Islamic women could receive a cash settlement if divorced and remarry if widowed. Under certain conditions, a women could initiate divorce. Women could also practice birth control. The rise of cities and towns in Islamic- ruled areas resulted in limitations on women's rights. This new status of women could best be symbolized by the veil and harem (a dwelling set aside for wives, children of these women, and concubines). Also women could study and read, but were not to do so in the company of men not related to them. Women also observe hijab.

Mamluks

- West of the Abbasid Empire

- Egypt slaves, who were ethically Turkish, served as soldiers and government officials in Egypt

- They seized control of Egypt and established the Mamluk Sultanate empire across North Africa

- Attacked parts of the Abbasid Empire

Seljuk Turks

- From north of the Abbasid in central Asia

- Captured parts of the Middle East including Baghdad

- Seljuk leader called himself sultan, reducing the role of the highest-ranking Abbasid from caliph to chief Sunni religious authority

- Began clashing with the Byzantine Empire

- Seljuk Empire lasted from 1037 to 1194

Crusaders

- Abbasids were peaceful with Christians and allowed them to travel in and around Jerusalem; however, the Seljuks limited this travel.

- European Christians created groups of soldiers called the Crusaders to reopen their travel routes.

Mongols

- Came from Central Asia

- Conquered what was left of the Abbasid Empire in 1258 and pushed Seljuk Turks out of Baghdad.

- Continued to go westward but were stopped in Egypt by the Mamluks

Explain what/how economic challenges also led to the decline of the Abbasid Empire.

The Abbasids experienced a trade pattern shift. Baghdad lost its place on the southern Silk Road route when goods began to move more often along northern routes. Eventually, Baghdad lost its population and its canals fell into disrepair. The countryside could not deal with the agricultural needs of the urban population. Slowly, Baghdad disappeared as a city.

As new Islamic political entities emerged, they demonstrated several cultural continuities. Summarize them.

- Trade brought in fresh ideas and new goods.

- Islamic scholars followed Muhammad's advice of "go in quest of knowledge even unto China."

- Islams carried on works of earlier thinkers.

- Islamic scholars translated Greek literary classics into Arabic, studied math texts from India, and adopted techniques from China for paper-making.

Nasiral-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274)

- One of the most celebrated Islamic scholars

- Contributed to astronomy, law, logic, ethics, math, philosophy, and medicine

- Under his direction, an observatory was built and became the most advanced in the world and produced the most accurate astronomical charts.

- Studied the relationship between the lengths of the sides of a triangle and the angles - laid the foundation for making trigonometry a separate subject

- Medical advancements and hospital care improved and doctors and pharmacists studied to take exams for licenses that allowed them to practice.

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)

- Known for his historical accounts

- Acknowledged as a founder of the fields of historiography and sociology

A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah (1460-1507)

- A mystical poet

- Prolific female Muslim writer

- Best-known work is a long poem honoring Muhammad called "Clear Inspiration, on Praise of the Trusted One." It refers to many previous poets and reflects her broad learning.

- A lot of her works describe her journey toward illumination.

Sufis

- They emphasized on soul-searching to grasp truths that they believed could not be understood through learning.

- May have begun as a mystical response to the perceived love of luxury by the early Umayyad Caliphate.

- Sufi missionaries were crucial in the spread of Islam.

- They adapted to local cultures and traditions. Sometimes, they interweaved local religious elements into Islam. This tolerance won them many converts.

Merchants

- Merchants were seen as more prestigious in Islam compared to other societies at the time.

- Muhammad had been a merchant and so was his first wife.

- With the trade on Silk Roads, merchants could become rich from their dealings across the Indian Ocean and Central Asia. They were respected as long as they maintained fair dealings and gave to charity.

- Some merchants were sent out as missionaries.

Military

- The caliph's soldiers were not allowed to own territory they conquered.

- The presence of a stable military force that kept order but did not own property enabled life for most people of the countryside to remain unchanged.

- People paid tribute to Islamic caliphs rather than Byzantine rulers.

How were slaves and women treated under Islam?

- Hereditary slavery was not developed.

- Many slaves switched to Islam, after which their owners freed them and their children were considered free.

- Slaves were treated as human beings as well as property.

- Slave women who were concubines had more freedom than the legal wives and could buy their freedom.

Islamic women had much more freedom compared to women of other religions. Muhammad raised the status for women, which allowed for their independence to grow. They still had some limitations, but were able to enjoy freedoms like inheritance of property, birth control, cash settlement if divorced, etc.

Impact of Islam in Africa

- Islam spread the new faith here.

- Also, Islamic merchants on the Indian Ocean coast and in West Africa brought African regions into a wider trading network.

- Swahili was developed (blended from Bantu and Arabic).

Impact of Islam in Spain

- Córdoba was their capital for Spain.

- Muslims controlled part of Spain during the medieval period. They expanded learning there too and established libraries and schools and fostering literature and poetry.

- Islamic state was al-Andalus and became a center of learning.

- Córdoba had the largest library in the world at the time.

Looking back at intellectual innovations and cultural transfers, explain the significance of education and tolerance within the Islamic empire.

- Tolerance within the Islamic empire was good. The Umayyad rulers in Córdoba created a climate of toleration with Muslims, Christians, and Jews. They promoted trade, which allowed Chinese and Southeast Asian products to enter Spain, and into the rest of Europe.

- Education within the Islamic empire created scholar and scientific innovations that helped lay the foundation for the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution in Europe. Islam's cultural/scholar continuiety allowed for the work of scholars to be passed down and incoming philosophers could build more ideas off of their previous ones.