Tolerance to Christians, Jews, and others who believed in a single god and did good works; non-believers

had to pay a tax called the jizya

● Common use of shariah (Islamic religious law) = similar legal systems across the empires

● Islam allowed slavery but not of other Muslims (Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians also exempt)

○ Slaves imported from Africa, Kievan Rus and Ukraine, central Asia

○ Many chose to convert to gain their freedom

○ Slave women often had more freedoms than legal wives

Islam in Africa

● Spread throughout West Africa by merchants, traders, scholars, and missionaries (mostly peaceful)

● African rulers either tolerated Islam or converted to it themselves

● Spread to East Africa/ Swahili Coast by Arab traders along the coast of Africa

○ Creation of a unique Swahili language and culture through intermarriage

● Some military campaigns and some violent resistance (especially in Christian East Africa)

● Not adopted uniformly; often existed alongside traditional practices and rituals (especially in rural

communities)

● Islam also brought government structure and wealth; most rulers adopted or tolerated it because it was

beneficial to trade

● Muslim clerics (ulama) made themselves useful to African communities in everyday life = greater appeal of

Islam

● Muslim law gave less status to women in Africa who had previously had more equality

Islam in Asia

● Conquest

○ Turkish warrior groups move into South Asia around 1000 CE

○ Early on the encounters were violent; Hindu and Buddhist temples destroyed

○ Sultanate of Delhi brings stability

● Merchants

○ Islam spread through trade on the Silk Roads and Indian Ocean trade routes

○ Muslim merchants gave better prices to each other than to non-believers

○ Easy choice for Asian merchants and traders to convert

● In India, Islam was popular with the lower castes due to it being more equal and accepting but Hinduism

ultimately dominated

● Islam would continue to expand through merchants, missionaries, and sufis into western China and SE Asia

3

Thematic

Focus Governance (GOV)

Learning

Objective

Explain the causes and effects of the rise of Islamic states over time.

HISTORICAL

DEVELOPMENTS

As the Abbasid Caliphate fragmented, new Islamic political entities

emerged, most of which were dominated by Turkic peoples. These

states demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity.

Between 1200-1450, the Arab Empire was politically fragmented, but Islamic culture and religion remained vibrant

Egyptian Mamluks

● Mamluks = enslaved Turks from Central Asia; served as soldiers and bureaucrats for Arabs

● Seized control in 1250 - 1517

● Facilitated trade in cotton and sugar

● Will prevent the Mongols from expanding into Africa

Seljuk Turks

● Also Muslim Turks from Central Asia; conquered into the Middle East

● Ruler = sultan (reduced the role of the Islamic caliph)

● Less tolerant of other religions than the Abbasids; limited travel of Christians → Crusades

Delhi Sultanate

● Established in India by 1206

● Five dynasties that ruled India from 1206-1526

● Difficult to convert the Indian masses

○ Islam = monotheistic, no images, equality

○ Hinduism = polytheistic, many idols, caste system

HISTORICAL

DEVELOPMENTS

Muslim rule continued to expand to many parts of Afro-Eurasia due to military

expansion, and Islam subsequently expanded through the activities of merchants,

missionaries, and Sufis.

Military Expansion

● Early Islamic expansion did not focus on religion

● After Abbasid decline, greater focus on culture along with military expansion

● Turks from central Asia were warriors - established this new round of Islamic states

Merchants/Trade

● Merchants had more prestige than other societies (Muhammad and his 1st wife were merchants)

● Caravans of soldiers, pilgrims, merchants, and scholars traveled on trade routes

○ Merchant communities developed

Missionaries

● Ulama = educated scholars who served as judges, interpreters, administrators, prayer leader, and teachers

of the Sharia; charged with passing on the core teachings of Islam to others

Sufis

● Responsible for conversions in sub-Saharan Africa and S and SE Asia

● Made Islam appealing by assimilating it into existing religious traditions

4

Thematic

Focus Technology and Innovation (TEC)

Learning

Objective

Explain the effects of intellectual innovation in the Dar al-Islam

HISTORICAL

DEVELOPMENTS

Muslim states and empires encouraged significant intellectual

innovations and transfers.

● Great universities = sharing of intellectual innovations

● Islamic scholars

○ Translated and saved Greek literary classics

○ Studied math from India→ transferred to Europe

○ Adopted paper-making from China→ transferred to Europe

● Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

○ Built an advanced observatory

○ Produced the most accurate astronomical charts

○ Laid the groundwork for trigonometry

● Ibn Sina

○ Father of modern medicine

○ Medical advances and hospital care improved

○ Licenses required for doctors and pharmacists

● Ibn Khaldun

○ Founder of the fields of historiography (the study of the methods of historians) and sociology

● ‘A’ishah al-Ba’uniyyah

○ Famous female Muslim (Sufi) writer/poet; well-educated

○ Poetry reflected contrast between Muslims and Sufis

○ Works