Dar al Islam Post-Classical History Flashcards

Flashcards about the Dar al Islam and state-building in the Post-Classical Period

What is state-building in the context of Post-Classical history?

Creating a new state by establishing a government or improving an existing state by increasing the power and influence of its government.

Name some notable practices for state-building.

Establishing legitimacy, centralizing administration, creating a literate bureaucracy, creating laws, establishing a capital city, and strengthening the military.

What event weakened the Byzantine and Persian Empires, leading to Arab invasions?

A destructive war in the early seventh century.

Who are the followers of Islam Known as?

Muslims.

What is the Qur'an?

The primary holy text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the divine word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

The central religious practices of Islam: (1) Confession of faith, (2) Prayer five times a day, (3) Charity (2.5% of income), (4) Fasting during Ramadan, and (5) Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).

What is the Dar al Islam?

The Islamic community that expanded through military conquest to cover Spain, North Africa, Egypt, the Levant, Arabia, Iraq, and Iran.

Who are the Dhimmi?

Jews and Christians living within the borders of the Dar al Islam, considered protected 'peoples of the Book'.

What is the Jizya?

A special tax on non-Muslims living in the Dar al Islam.

Who is a Caliph?

A monarch combining religious and political authority, considered the lieutenant of God and the successor to Muhammad.

What caused the split between Sunni and Shia Muslims?

A dispute over whether the descendants of Muhammad's cousin, Ali, should succeed to the Caliphate or if any Muslim could become Caliph.

What are the primary differences between Sunnis and Shi'ites?

(1) Sunni are the majority (90%), Shi'ites are the minority (less than 10%); (2) Sunnis believe anyone can be Caliph, Shi'ites believe the Caliph must be descended from Ali; and (3) Shi'ites have a looser interpretation of the Five Pillars of Islam than Sunnis.

What was the first major Caliphate?

The Sunni Umayyad Caliphate (c. 661-750 C.E.).

Why did the Umayyad Caliphate anger the local people?

They believed that Islam was an Arabic religion for Arabs and did not allow non-Arabs to convert unless they adopted Arabic language and customs. This exclusivity angered the populace, particularly members of the Dhimmi who desired to convert to Islam in order to escape the jizya tax on non-Muslims.

Who overthrew the Umayyads?

The Abbasid family.

What was the Abbasid Caliphate known for?

Great culture and technological development known as the Islamic Golden Age.

What rights did women have in the Dar al Islam?

The ability to own property, to study, to do business, and to initiate divorce proceedings; however, Islam permitted polygamy.

Who are the Sufis?

Sunni mystics who chose to worship God through the 'inner science' of spiritual knowledge, emphasizing personal love for God and frequently engaging in singing and dance.

What is decentralization?

A system where day-to-day governance is delegated to individual territories, providing more power to local entities but limiting central control.

Who are the Turkic peoples?

Slaves taken from Central Asia used as slave-soldiers by the Caliphs who eventually usurped the power of the Caliphs.

What are the Successor States to the Abbasids?

al-Andalus in Europe, the Seljuk Turks and Mamluk Egypt in the Middle East, and the Delhi Sultanate in South Asia.

What is al-Andalus?

A realm in Spain established by the Umayyad family after losing the Caliphate, known for its wealthy culture and religious pluralistic society.

What is Convivencia?

A (usually) peaceful co-existence of Jews, Christians, and Muslims living together under Islamic rule in the area of al-Andalus.

Who are the Seljuk Turks?

Turkic peoples who invaded the former Abbasid Caliphate and established a state in the Middle East, adopting the title of Sultan.

What is Mamluk Egypt?

A state in which Turkic slave soldiers (Mamluks) usurped governance from the Arabs, maintaining the religious unity of the Dar al Islam and inviting the Abbasid Caliph to live in their capital city.

Who are the Rajputs?

Hindu monarchies between the Deccan Plateau and the Thar Desert in South Asia, known for their warrior elites and elephant-mounted cavalry, but vulnerable to foreign conquest.

What is the Delhi Sultanate?

An empire established by Turkic peoples in South Asia, in which a Muslim minority ruled over a Hindu and Buddhist majority.

What is the Bhakti Movement?

An emerging trend in Hindu mysticism influenced by Sufi mysticism, emphasizing devotion to the gods and attacking the caste system.

How did Islam spread to Southeast Asia?

Through trade, by merchants and Sufi mystics converting locals through peaceful methods.

What is the Mandala system?

A highly decentralized method of governance in Southeast Asia characterized by vague areas of influence rather than firm borders between states.

What was the Srivijaya Empire?

A Hindu-Buddhist state in Southeast Asia that controlled the Straits of Malacca and grew wealthy off of maritime trade.