Dar al-Islam

13. How did the Abbasid Dynasty gain control in the Middle East? How was the Abbasid Dynasty different from the Umayyad Dynasty?

The Abbasid Dynasty gained control of the Middle East due to the Umayyad rebellion in Persia led by Abu al-Abbas a descendant of Muhammads uncle. After a large battle with the umayyad dynasty the umayyad dynasty was annihilated and Abu al-Abbas founded the Abbasid dynasty.

The Abbasid Dynasty differed from the Umayyad dynasty by being considerably far more cosmopolitan, not showing any special favor to the Arab military. The Abbasid was also not a conquering dynasty unlike its predecessor.

14. How and why did the Abbasid Dynasty decline?

It was after Harun Al Rashid's reign that a civil war broke out between his sons which greatly damaged Abbasid authority and disputes over succession rights had become a major recurring problem. Provincial governors took advantage of the disorder and acted independently building local bases of power and in some cases seceded from the Abbasid empire. There were also popular uprisings and peasant revolts which further weakened the empire. The dynasty fell in 1258 after the Mongols extinguished them.

15. How did food, crops, agriculture and cities grow in the early Islamic world?

Crops were introduced to regions coming from all over including places like India, Sicily, and even southeast Asia. Due to the introduction of these crops it allowed cultivators to extend the growing season which dramatically increased their food supply. Dar al-islam also encouraged experimentation with agricultural methods with cultivators using methods such as fertilization, crop rotation, etc. The increased food supply also contributed to the growth of cities. Such cities had flourishing markets with thousands of craftsmen,artisans, and merchants. New industries also appeared during this time such as paper manufacturing.

16. How did Islam impact the role of women?

In Arabia before Muhammad women could legally inherit property, divorce their husbands, and engage in business ventures. Although in some aspects the Quran did enhance the security of women such as outlawing female infanticide and that dowries would directly go to the brides. However for the most part the Quran reinforced male dominance like restricting the social and sexual lives of women to the strict control of their male guardians. When Islam expanded they adopted the veiling of women from the Byzantine and Sasanid empires.

17. How did an Islamic cultural tradition form? What role did trade play in this formation?

Islamic traditions formed in many different ways. Some of its traditions came from cultural traditions from Persia, India, and Greece. Muslims also learned about different cultural traditions from translated works from Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit. Some Persian cultural traditions greatly influenced the Islamic political figures at the time. Indian influence came from scholars, and Greek influence stemmed from philosophical, scientific, and medical writings.

18. What is Sufism, why did it emerge, and how is it similar/different than Islam and other religions? (Also read the “Connecting the Sources” part on 306-307)

Sufism is the idea that it is possible to grow close to God while alive if they surrender themselves in love to God. It's different from Islam because they believe that you can get closer to God in the afterlife and it’s similar to religions such as christianity for example due to the idea of surrendering oneself in love to God or like christianity accepting Jesus.

19. How was Islam, and the culture of its believers, impacted by:

a. Translators and travelers?

They acquired knowledge from inviting foreign scholars, as well as having translated works. Muslim merchants, missionaries, and other travelers compiled the most comprehensive geographic map before europe.

b. Persia?

Deeply influenced Islamic political and cultural leaders, and noticeable in literary works.

c. India?

Adopted what was called Hindi numerals (what we call Arabic numerals), enabled advanced mathematics, and medicine.

d. Greece?

Influenced by Greeks philosophical, scientific, and medical writings as Muslim philosophers wanted to synthesize Greek and Muslim thought by harmonizing Plato with the teaching of Islam.

20. (Go to Chapter 17, pages 367-368) How and why did the Turkish people take over in:

Persia, where the Abbasids had been in control?

Approached similarly on how the Germanic peoples had approached the roman empire, the Turkish mostly lived on the borders of Abbasid which offered many opportunities to trade. By the 10th century a large number of Selijuq Turks served in the Abbasid armies and in the realm itself. In the mid-eleventh century the Seljuws overshadowed the Abbasid leader and took control.

Anatolia, where the Byzantines had been in control?

Turkish people began immigrating to Anatolia in large numbers in the early eleventh century. In 1071 Seljuq forces faced a massive defeat in Manzikert, taking the emperor captive. They transformed Anatolia and set up their own political and social institutions. They levied taxes on the Byzantine church and restricted its activities.

India?

There were several raids on northern India led by Mahmud of Ghazni. They asserted their authority over Punjab and then over Gujarat and Bengal. By the 13th century, the Turkish sultan of Delhi claimed authority over all of northern India and planned to conquer southern india.