Untitled Flashcard Set
Chapter 8 – Abbasid Islam Review Doc
1. Key Terms & Significance
Hadith: Sayings/actions of Muhammad; clarified Qur’an; foundation for Islamic law.
Sharia: Comprehensive Islamic law covering religion, family, trade, and justice.
Zanj: East African slaves in Iraq; their rebellion (869–883) showed reliance on slavery.
Mawali: Non-Arab converts; excluded under Umayyads, included under Abbasids.
Umma: Global Muslim community; unified diverse peoples.
Dhimmi: “People of the Book” (Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians); tolerated but taxed.
Jizya: Tax on non-Muslims; revenue source and conversion incentive.
2. Languages of Islam
Arabic: Qur’an, trade, scholarship, and government.
Persian: Court language, poetry, literature.
Before 700: Greek and Persian used in conquered lands.
3. Invasion of Baghdad (1258 CE)
Mongols under Hulegu Khan destroyed Baghdad, executed caliph.
Ended Abbasid political power; scholars fled to Cairo and beyond.
4. Women in Islam vs. Bedouin Culture
Islam: Inheritance, property ownership, dowries, divorce rights.
Urban Abbasids: Veiling, seclusion, fewer public roles.
Bedouins: More visibility in poetry, tribal affairs, politics.
Key: Islam gave legal rights but urbanization reduced freedoms.
5. Abbasid Economy & Trade
Agriculture: Wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, citrus; irrigation in Mesopotamia & Nile.
Industry: Luxury goods like textiles, ceramics, glass, Damascus steel, paper.
Trade: Controlled Silk Road, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Trans-Saharan routes; used banks & checks.
Cities: Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Cordoba, Basra, Kufa.
Impact: Merchants had high status; spread Islam, crops, and technologies globally.
6. Succession Problems
No clear system after Muhammad; rival dynasties, Sunni-Shi’a split.
Civil wars, assassinations, coups weakened unity.
Caliphs often figureheads; regional rulers and military leaders gained power.
7. Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809)
Ruled during Abbasid Golden Age; Baghdad = center of trade and learning.
Patron of scholars, poets, scientists; supported House of Wisdom.
Court luxury described in The Thousand and One Nights.
8. Seljuk Turks
Nomadic Muslims from Central Asia; took control of Abbasid government (11th c.).
Defeated Byzantines at Battle of Manzikert (1071) → opened Anatolia to Turks.
Preserved Islam’s power but reduced caliphs to figureheads.
9. Effects of the Crusades
Muslims: Treated as local wars; kept Holy Land; improved defenses.
Europeans: Gained Muslim knowledge (math, medicine, science); rediscovered Greek/Roman texts; brought back luxury goods.
Trade: Boosted commerce (Venice, Genoa); linked Europe to Mediterranean trade.
Culture: Adopted compass, astrolabe, farming techniques, architecture → helped spark Renaissance.
Long-term: Increased hostility; encouraged European exploration and rise.
10. Importance of Islamic Merchants
Controlled global trade networks; high status in society.
Spread goods (spices, silk, sugar, textiles, paper, steel), crops (rice, citrus, cotton, sugarcane), and technologies (banking, algebra, paper-making).
Linked Africa, Europe, Middle East, and Asia into one economy.
11. Sufis
Mystical Islam; focused on personal devotion and inner spirituality.
Spread Islam to South Asia, SE Asia, and Africa.
Adapted Islam to local customs in SE Asia → easier conversion.
Strengthened Islam’s global reach.
12. Muslim Spain (al-Andalus)
Umayyads established rule after Abbasid takeover.
Cordoba = hub of trade, scholarship, and architecture.
Blended Islamic, Christian, and Jewish cultures; preserved Greek/Roman texts.
Influenced Renaissance in Europe.
13. Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE)
Muslim rule in northern India; founded by Turkic tribes.
Defended against Mongols; capital at Delhi.
Economy: cotton weaving, paper-making, trade.
Culture: mosques, universities, onion domes, calligraphy.
Religion: Mostly Sunni, some Shi’a; tensions with Hindu majority but led to blending (Urdu, Sikhism 1469).