APWH 1.2 ?

Decline of the Abbasids

The period from 750 to 1258 when the Abbasid caliphate faced challenges from the Seljuk Turks, the Crusades, and the Mongols, leading to its downfall.

Seljuk Turks

A group that, in the 11th century, took political power in the Islamic world, reducing Abbasid caliphs to mere religious figureheads.

Crusades

A series of religious wars from 1095 to 1291 in which European Christians attacked Muslim lands, briefly capturing Jerusalem.

Mongols

A nomadic group that destroyed Baghdad in 1258, effectively ending Abbasid rule and leading to significant shifts in Islamic power.

Mamluk Sultanate

A regime in Egypt from 1250 to 1517, established by Turkic slave-soldiers, which controlled sugar and cotton trade before declining due to Portuguese sea routes.

Delhi Sultanate

A series of Turkic Muslim rulers in North India from 1206 to 1526, responsible for introducing Persian culture and Islam to the region.

Al-Andalus

Islamic Spain where Umayyads established Córdoba as a center of learning, facing defeat at the Battle of Tours in 732 but ruling until 1492.

House of Wisdom

A major intellectual center in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, known for translating and preserving Greek, Indian, and Chinese texts.

Al-Tusi

A scholar noted for his advancements in astronomy and trigonometry during the Islamic Golden Age.

Ibn Khaldun

A historian and sociologist who is considered a founder of historiography and sociology.

‘A’ishah al-Ba’uniyyah

A prolific Sufi poet known for her contributions to Islamic literature during the medieval period.

Sufism

A mystical branch of Islam that emphasizes personal introspection and often blends with local cultures, such as Hindu practices in India.

Slavery in Islam

The practice where Muslims could enslave non-Muslims, particularly Africans and Slavs, with many slaves being freed upon converting to Islam.

Women's Rights in Islam

Inherited the right to property, initiated divorce, and practiced birth control, though faced limitations like veiling and having lesser legal testimony.

"People of the Book"

A term referring to Jews and Christians in Islamic societies, who paid a tax (jizya) but received protection under Islamic rule.

Tolerance & Diversity in Al-Andalus

The coexistence of Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Spain, where they shared knowledge and cultural exchanges, such as Maimonides’ influence on Aquinas.