Developments in Dar al-Islam

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and figures related to the developments in Dar al-Islam during the period from c. 1200 to c. 1450.

Mamluks

People of various backgrounds purchased as enslaved people, often ethnic Turks from Central Asia, to serve as soldiers and bureaucrats in the Islamic world.

Mamluk Sultanate

An Islamic state established in Egypt by Mamluks, who prospered through trade between the Islamic world and Europe.

Seljuk Turks

Central Asian Muslims who, beginning in the 11th century, conquered parts of the Middle East and reduced the Abbasid caliph's role to chief Sunni religious authority.

Sultan

The title taken by the Seljuk leader, reducing the Abbasid caliph's power.

Crusaders

European Christian soldiers who organized to reopen access to holy sites in and around Jerusalem, which had been limited by the Seljuk Turks.

Mongols

Conquerors from Central Asia who ended Seljuk rule and conquered the remaining Abbasid Empire in 1258.

Abbasid Caliphate

The line of caliphs who ruled over the Islamic empire from 750 to 1258, oversaw a golden age.

House of Wisdom

A renowned center of learning in Baghdad under the Abbasid Empire, where scholars traveled to study.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

One of the most celebrated Islamic scholars who contributed to astronomy, law, logic, ethics, mathematics, philosophy, and medicine.

'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah

A Sufi poet and mystic, possibly the most prolific female Muslim writer before the 20th century, known for her poem honoring Muhammad.

Sufis

Islamic mystics who emphasized introspection and played a significant role in the spread of Islam by adapting to local cultures and traditions.

Muhammad

Prophet and founder of Islam, whose teachings and policies raised the status of women and influenced Islamic society.

Baghdad

The Abbasid capital and center of trade, culture, and learning until its decline due to shifting trade patterns and infrastructure decay.