Expansion of trade due to innovations. New cities flourished.
Cross-cultural exchanges due to the beginning of Islam.
Diffusion of crops and diseases.
Innovation of States & Empires:
Following the collapse of empires, new ones reemerged.
New types of governance emerged, including Islamic states, feudalism, and Mongol khanates.
Conflicts led to cultural exchange.
Increased Productivity & New Labor Practices:
Technological innovations led to agricultural productivity.
Patriarchy persisted, but women exercised more power and influence in some areas.
New forms of labor appeared.
Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258)
Abbasid Dynasty:
Established their capital in Baghdad.
House of Wisdom: Finest scholars from all religions and subjects shared knowledge to create innovative schools & libraries, making Baghdad the greatest city of its time.
Ibn Sina: Modern Medicine.
Nasir Al Tusi: Trigonometry.
Ibn Khaldun: Arab Historian.
A’ishah Bint: Female writer.
Governance:
Under Dar al-Islam, Abbasids were very strict & created new ways to enforce Sharia Law.
Ulama: Religious scholars of the Quran & Sharia.
Qadis: Religious interpreters of Islamic Law (judges).
Weaknesses:
The Abbasid empire was too large to protect, experienced a decrease in trade = less money (European Renaissance), & had ineffective communication.
Resulted in the Abbasid caliphs becoming mere figureheads until 1258.
Mamluks (West) (1250-1517)
Turkish slave soldiers hired to fight/protect Egyptian Muslims & converted to Islam.
As the Abbasids weakened, Mamluks staged a coup & established their own empire in North Africa (Mamluk Sultanate).
Seljuk Turks (North)
Turkish slave soldiers hired by Abbasids who also converted to Islam.
While serving the weakening Abbasid Caliph, they forced him to recognize the Seljuk leader as Sultan.
Reduced the Abbasids power to Chief Sunni.
The Seljuks then expanded to Syria, Palestine (causes Crusades), and Anatolia (defeating Byzantines @ the Battle of Manzikert in 1071).
Crusaders (Holy Lands)
When Seljuks conquered Palestine (from the Byzantines), they limited Christian visitors.
Thus, causing Pope Urban II to launch the 1st Crusade in 1095.
Mongols (East)
Distant relatives of Turks, Mongols also came from Central Asia, forming the Largest Land Empire in History from Manchuria & China to Russia & Persia.
Finally ending the Abbasid Empire in 1258.
Spanish Umayyads
Umayyads Caliphate:
Centered in Damascus in 711; they ruled the Islamic world laxly.
This angered the Abbasids, so Abbasids killed the entire family (minus one) & became Caliphate.
Rahman I escaped to Spain & rebuilt Cordoba as his new capital of the Umayyads.
Battle of Tours: Frankish forces attacked the Umayyads, limiting their expansion into Europe.
The Islamic State in Spain is known as al-Andalus. It became a center of learning with the largest library in the world (at the time). Muslims, Christians, & Jews worked together.
Trade
Silk Roads: Land-based network of routes from the capital of China to the Mediterranean Sea.
These land-based routes were essential for unifying rule, so roads were kept safe.
Effective Communication & Missionaries.
Lucrative & Access to Innovations.
Camels were most common way of travel (Muslims/Deserts).
Maritime Trade: Nautical trade along the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean.
Borrowed tech from China helped increase trade: compass, lateen sail, triangular sail & astrolabe to calculate latitude.
Water trade had more risk, but also more rewards compared to Land. As more merchants ventured, routes & ports became stable, causing economic booms.
Banking: During the 1200s, banking became more extensive to accommodate the influx.
Banks lent money & exchanged currencies.
Established multiple branches that honored letters of credit (sakk/checks).
Investment Groups to spread risk.
Women
Muhammad’s Wives:
His 1st Wife was a wealthy widow who managed a commercial business, thus allowing women to inherit property, divorce husbands of their will, & engage in business.
Muslim men are allowed to have up to 4 wives (Muhammad had 4).
Outlawed female infanticide.
Dowries must be given to brides, not husbands.
Women were equal to men before Allah.
Quran & Sharia Law: Under the Quran & Sharia Law, women lost a lot of freedom.
Only male inheritance transformed into too strict control of women to ensure the legitimacy of heirs.
Veiling of women helps discourage the attention of men; girls begin veiling when they get their periods. Women cannot leave their house without a male escort.
Missionaries
Sufis: Most effective missionaries were mystics known as Sufis. Focused on the spiritual rather than doctrine.
Devotion to Allah is expressed by emotion/feeling through singing, dancing, or sermons.
Dervish is a physical form of meditating by whirling. Begin with a black cape, then removing the cape to reveal a white ensemble with a square top hat.