History of Islam Quest Pt. 1: Caliphs, Caliphates, and War

This is part 1 to get good at the caliphs/caliphates/dates

Caliph

The successor of Muhammad and the chief Muslim ruler —> term no longer used

Caliphate

• Islamic state ruled by caliph

• during post classical period

• large land stretching from Spain to North Africa to Asia to Middle East to eastern Europe

• democratic —> includes all muslims in theory

Four Rightly Guided Caliphs (Rashidun Caliphs) —> 632-661CE

1. Abu Bakr (632-634)

   1. Father in law of Muhammad

   2. Islam spread throughout Arabian peninsula

   3. Connected to Muhammad through Aisha (daughter of his and wife of Muhammad’s)

2. Umar (634-644)

   1. Commander of the faithful

   2. Instituted Jizya

   3. Assasinated

   4. Rapidly expanded caliphate

3. Uthman (644-656)

   1. Standardizes one Qur’an for use

   2. Murdered

   3. Not related to muhammad

4. Ali (656-661)

   1. Declared himself caliph

   2. Civil war —> Ali’s supporters vs. Umma

   3. Starts Sunni/Shi’a divide

   4. Dies in battle

Umayyad Dynasty

• expanded into Middle East, across Northern Africa, onto Iberian peninsula through military conquest

• 661-750CE

• heriditary succession. capital moved to Damascus

  • Collapse: Non Arab-Muslims rebelled in North Africa/wealth gap between rulers & lower classes widened

The Abbasid Dynasty

• Capital moved to Baghdad

• Arab aristocracy replaced by Persian-style bureaucracy

• Fragmentation of caliphate —> weakened central authority led to the breaking apart of the dynasty

• Introduced social mobility

• Defeated by Mongols in 1258

• 750-1258 CE

Death of Uthman

• According to events at Ghadir Khumm - Shi’as believe Ali should’ve been successor

• After Uthman is assassinated and Ali takes power (656CE), this sparks the first Muslim civil war aka the First Fitna

• Muawiya (Uthman’s family member/governor of Damascus) thinks Ali isn’t taking enough action against the assassins, so he doesn’t pledge allegiance to Ali

• Disagreement between Muawiya/Ali + Muawiyas military force becoming stronger + Ali moving capital to Kufa = tension increasing

to be continued…

The Battle of the Camel

• 656CE

• As tensions increase, Aisha comes into the picture -→ she leads an army to convince Ali to bring the assassins of Uthman to justice

• Some of Ali’s extremist followers don’t want peace between Muawiya and Ali so they attack -→ leading to Battle of the Camel (named after Aisha’s camel - she is a leader/strong figure in Islam)

• Very bloody battle

• Ali’s forces are victorious

Battle of Siffin

• 657CE

• After Aisha’s “political retirement” more conflict ensues

• There is an army on Ali’s side meeting Muawiya’s army at Siffin

• They try to negotiate for around 100 days before some of Ali’s extremist followers attack (because they don’t want peace with Muawiya) Muawiya’s army

• Bloody battle occurs

First Fitna

• First Muslim Civil War

• Includes Battle of the Camel and Battle of Sifin

• Lots of bloodshed

Hassan x Muawiya Treaty

• The treaty states that caliphs should be chosen by election through the Muslim population

  • after Muawiya’s death this is how he wants the next caliph to be chosen

  • however before he dies, Muawiya makes Yazid his successor

• Hassan’s younger brother Hussein doesn’t pledge his allegiance to Yazid

• Hussein goes to Kufa because he has supporters there but Yazid gets informed about this, sends an army to Hussein and his family, and kills them

• Killing of Hussein’s family = Tragedy of Karbala

  • Shia tradition mourns this event/is major event

    • Shias believe Muslim leaders should be imams aka descendants of Muhammad

  • Sunnis see event as tragic, but it’s not a major part of their theology