ME Test - HWS

**1948 War**

War after UN Partition Plan of Palestine that angered the Palestinians - started because of conflict between Israel and 5 Arab States. Ended in 1949 after Israel defeated the Arab forces

**1967 War/ Six day war**

War between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Israelis believed the Arab nations were planning to attack them

Israel sunrise attacks Egypt, Syria, and Jordan

Israel wins in 6 days (UN ceasefire)

Israel takes control of West Bank and Gaza Strip(Egypt) and all of Jerusalem(Jordan), Sinai, and Golan Heights (Syria)

**Abbasids**

Dynasty that ruled from 750-1055 ACE that inhabited Arabs from Iraq and Non-Arab Muslims with Baghdad as its capital ; period of Golden Age in Islam(scientific and astronomical discoveries - shared thru trade)

Mawali starts to gain influence in Islamic Society

**Abu Bakr**

first caliph after death of Muhammad in the Islamic Empire and 1 of the 4 "righty guided Caliphs" - died two years after Muhammad

**ahl al-dhimma**

“people of the book” established during the Umayyads Dynasty; Non Muslim inhabitants in Islamic States (people of protection, included Christians, Jews, etc.) - payed taxes but allowed to live freely

Ali

the fourth caliph(4 “rightly guided Caliphs”) of Islam who is considered to be the first caliph by Shiites - ruled for around 5-6 years ; murdered in mosque in Baghdad (revenge killing)

**Arab revolt of 1936-1939 (Great Revolt of 1936-1939)**

Palestinians(arabs) revolt against the British caused by tensions and violent disagreements between Palestinians and Jews(especially of ending Jewish immigration, ban land sales to Jews, and national independence of Palestine) - began when  Sheikh ʿIzz al-Dīn al-Qassān(anti-zionist) was killed by a British police in Palestine

**Atatürk**

army officer who founded an independent Republic of Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire.

"Father of the Turks" who helped to create Republic of Turkey and wanted to modernize \[westernize\] Turkey as well as separate religion and government

**Balfour Declaration**

Statement issued by Britain's Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour in 1917 favoring the establishment of a Jewish national homeland in Palestine in hope for Jewish support in WWII → created hope among zionists

**bedouins**

small groups of nomadic people in Arabia

**caliph**

A supreme political and religious leader in a Muslim government, successor to Muhammad

**Camp David Accords**

1978 - The first signed agreement between Israel and an Arab country, in which Egyptian president Anwar Sadat recognized Israel as a legitimate state and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.

**Creation of Israel**

1948 1st Jewish state declared , led to conflict to Israel's arab neighbors over to the Palestinian issue

**Crusaders**

started in 1096 ACE when Urban II called Europeans to free Holy Land for pilgrims to visit. Religious wars between Christians and Muslims. 7 crusades(progressively less successful) for promise of eternal afterlife and to conquer holy land

brought series of wars to the ME that helped the byzantine recover Anatolia

**cuneiform**

System of writing; wedge-shaped symbols represent words or syllables; started as pictograms but later added phonetic symbols

Desalination

the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming

Five Pillars of Faith

required acts of worship for Muslims; Shahada, Salat, Sawn, Zakat, Hajj

Had Crimes

 serious crimes committed by Muslims and punishable by punishments established in the Koran(death, flogging, amputations); "Had crimes include abandoning the religion(after shahada) and murder and theft and adultery"

Hadith

holy book of Islam that contains a collection of stories that includes the Sunnah; describes Muhammads teachings and actions

Hajj

required pilgrimage to Mecca visit Kaaba + Black Stone(at least once in their lives, if you’re able to) only for Muslims; one of 5 pillars of faith

Hammurabi

6th Babylonian king 1792 to 1750; invented Code of Law

Code of Law

282 laws regulating life throughout the kingdom; major and minor laws carved in stone(hard to change); punishment fits the crime

Hejira

The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina that marked the official beginning of Islam

Hittites

Turks; 1500 BCE introduced iron tools (tried to keep secret + failed)

Imam

the person who leads prayers in a mosque; Local leader of Islam

Intifada

1987-1993 an uprising in West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Palestinians wanting to create their own independent state; started when Israeli hit two Palestinian vans(on accident) killing 4

Intifada II

2000-2005 Arab protest against Israeli sovereignty that resulted in violence from both sides although resulted in more Palestinian deaths; truce then ceasefire but violence started again soon after

Iran Hostage crisis

a group of Iranian students overran the American embassy in Iran's capital of Tehran and took 52 hostages in 1979 for 444 days until 1981

Kaaba

building at the center of most important mosque in Mecca, built by Ibrahim and his son Ismail; pilgrimage shrine

Khadija

Muhammad’s “official” wife

Koran

Holy book of Islam(words of God); aka Qur’an

Mawali

Non-arab Muslims

men of the pen

Highest class of Ottomans; contained scientists, judges, lawyers, etc(education)

men of the swords

soldiers who guarded the sultan and defended the state(Military)

men of the negotiation

merchants, tax collectors, and artisans who carried out trade and production

men of husbandry

farmers and herders who produced food for the community(agriculture)

mosque

holy house of worship for Islam

Ottomans

turkish speaking people from Anatolia that conquered Constantinople(& ME) that rose to power in 1300s; powerful empire with Golden Age and strong government structure

Passover

Holiday of Judaism in remembrance of Hebrew’s freedom from slavery in Egypt

The night the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites marked by the blood of the lamb, and spared the firstborn sons from death

PLO

Palestine Liberation Organization, a political organization that represents Palestinians all around the world to fight for Palestinian rights and an independent state(terrorist group)

Qesas Crime

medium crime - an eye for an eye; usually murder, voluntary/involuntary homicide, intentional or unintentional injury; punishment decided by the victim or victim’s family - diya(money) or punishment (preference of forgiveness, judge makes final decision)

Qudi

A judge of the Islamic faith; is responsible for determining the kind of crime and its suitable punishment.

Rabbi

Local leader of Judaism; A highly respected teacher of Jewish law or theology

Ramadan

last month in Islamic calendar(ninth month of the Muslim year); Muslims fasting from sunrise to sunset

Safavids

Shia Muslims that claim to be descendants of Mongols; Shah Abbas the Great; conquered Iran, Baghdad, Syria & E Turkey but loosely controlled the region

Saladin

(1137-1193) Powerful Muslim ruler during Third Crusade, defeated Christians at Hattin took Jerusalem

Zoroastranism

Iranian religion that said the world was a battleground between good and evil; one of the world’s oldest faiths; official region of Persia; from holy book of prophet’s teachings called zend-avesta; monotheistic

Salat

Prayer (5 times daily facing Mecca); second of 5 pillars of faith

Satrap

 local prince; responsibility for each region of Persian empire (similar to rajahs in India), watched over by the King’s spies

Sawn

aka Siyam; fasting during Ramadan; fourth of 5 pillars

Seljuks

Turkic-speaking people, nomads from Central Asia, converted to Islam because of Abbasids (who they conquered), controlled region from Persia to Anatolia (Northern Tier area)

Shahadah

statement of faith: “There is one God, and his prophet is Mohammad.” - first of Five Pillars of Islam

Shia

the branch of Islam whose members acknowledge Ali and his descendants as the rightful successors of Muhammad; mainly Safavid empire

Zoroaster

600 BCE Persian holy man; prohibited slavery and convinced King Vishtaspa of his philosophies(wrote Zend-Avesta holy book)“world is a battleground between good and evil”

Zionism

movement in which Jews want to return to their homeland Zion(Israel and Jerusalem) and become an independent state in the land of Israel (Israel)

Suez Canal Crisis

Military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and mostly Israel in 1956 after Egypt seized the Suez Canal from the British and French; Arab-Israeli war

UN Partition Plan of Palestine

UN Resolution 181 passed in 1947 that called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, with the city of Jerusalem as a *corpus separatum*(Latin for “separate entity”) governed by a special international regime

Zakat

alms to poor; charity/tithe - give part of earnings to the religion, poor people, or to the mosque(direct charity)

Tazir crime

A less serious crime (bribery, selling inappropriate/faulty products), varies by country - extremity is decided by Qudi

TeNaKh

Holy book “series” of Judaism (Torah is one of them)

Sharia

Islamic law based on the Qur’an and Sunnah; provides rules to obey in society/guides for behavior (diet, clothing, hygiene, religious practices, etc.)

Suleiman I the Magnificent

wealthiest man + greatest ruler of the longest reigning empire (Ottoman Empire), restructured government (men of the pen, sword, negotiation, and husbandry)

Umayyads

661-750 ACE Rival tribe of Muhammad; controlled Islamic world for almost 100 yrs; Damascus is the capital and housed Ahl al - dhimma 

Urban II

Pope who called on Europeans and gave an influential speech, giving rise to the Crusades to free Holy land for pilgrims to visit (incited the Crusades)

Sunni

The most commonly followed branch of Islam, follow the words of the prophet Muhammad, many conflicts with Shiites (Islamic Empire)

Temple/Synagogue

Place of worship for Jewish people

Theocracy

government ruled by a religious leader - the Islamic Empire was one, governed by Muhammad

Oasis

a fertile desert area that has enough water to support plant and animal life