Chapter 2 Section 2 Islamic Empires

In Section 1, you learned how Islam spread from Madinah to Makkah. In time, Islams followers brought their beliefs to all of Southwest Asia and parts of Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Arabs spread Islam through preaching, conquest, and trade. (page 182) While Muslims split into two groups, the Arab Empire reached new heights. (page 185) Turks and Moguls built Muslim empires in Asia, Africa, and Europe. (page 187)

Umayyad Sufi Abbasid

Suleiman I Mogul Akbar

Damascus Indonesia Timbuktu

Baghdad Delhi

caliph Shiite

Sunni sultan

policy
devote

style
impose

Baghdad today is the capital of Iraq and one of the largest cities in the Middle East. The people of Baghdad have suffered two recent warsthe Gulf War of 1991 and the 2003 Iraq war.

I. The Spread of Islam (pages 182184)

A. Muhammads successor was called a caliph, or successor to the Messenger of God.

B. The first four caliphs to rule from Madinah were called the Rightly Guided Caliphs. The first four caliphs lived simply, treated others fairly, and fought for Islam.

I. The Spread of Islam (pages 182184)

I. The Spread of Islam (pages 182184)

C. The Umayyad caliphs made their capital the city of Damascus. Islam spread during their rule.

D. Abu Bakr began the conquest of Syria but died before he finished. His successors continued the conquest and also defeated Persia. E. F. By the time of the fourth caliphs death, the Arab Empire had expanded to include all of Southwest Asia. The Islamic state soon became a great empire. It was successful for several reasons.

I. The Spread of Islam (pages 182184)

G. Arabs were good horsemen who were good with a sword and inspired by their religion. Muslims believed people who died fighting for Islam would go to paradise.

H. Arabs let conquered people practice their own religion, but they made non-Muslims pay a special tax. Many conquered people adopted the Muslim customs. I. J. The Sufis were a group of Muslims who spread Islam through preaching. Arab merchants spread Islam throughout southeast Asia.

I. The Spread of Islam (pages 182184)

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I. The Spread of Islam (pages 182184)

K. Indonesia is a southeast Asian country that today has the largest Muslim population in the world.
L. Timbuktu, a West African city, became the center of Muslim learning.

M. In Spain, Muslim and Jewish culture thrived.

I. The Spread of Islam (pages 182184)

How did Muslims treat Christians and Jews who lived within their society?
Muslims believed Jews and Christians to be People of the Book, meaning they believed in one God and had holy writings. The Muslims did not persecute the Jews and Christians, but they did not treat them as equals.

II. Struggles Within Islam (pages 185186)

A. After Muhammads death, the Muslims split into two groups: the Sunnis and the Shiites.

B. Shiites believed that Muhammads son-in-law, Ali, should succeed Muhammad and that all future caliphs should be descendants of Ali. Sunnis believe that the Umayyad caliphs were rightful leaders. Over time, these two groups developed their own customs.

II. Struggles Within Islam (pages 185186)

C. The Umayyad dynasty lost power and was replaced with a new dynasty called the Abbasids.
D. The Abbasids built a new capital, Baghdad. Baghdad prospered as a center of trade because of its central location. E. The Abbasids lost control as Muslims in other parts of the world wanted their own caliphs.

II. Struggles Within Islam (pages 185186)

II. Struggles Within Islam (pages 185186)

F. The Seljuk Turks were nomads and warriors. They gradually took control of the Abbasid dynasty. The Seljuk ruler was called a sultan.

G. The Arab Empire ended when the Mongols defeated the Seljuk Turks, invaded Baghdad, and burned it to the ground.

II. Struggles Within Islam (pages 185186)

How did the Seljuk Turks take power?

The Abbasids hired the Seljuk Turks as soldiers. The Seljuks soon saw that the Abbasids were weak, so the Seljuks took power.

III. Later Muslim Empire (pages 187189)

A. The Ottoman Turks were a group of Turks in northwest Asia Minor who began to build their own empire. They conquered the Byzantine Empire and changed the name of Constantinople to Istanbul.

B. The Ottoman army moved into Europe, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and parts of Arabia and North Africa.
C. The leader of the Ottomans was called a sultan. The most famous sultan was Suleiman I.

III. Later Muslim Empire (pages 187189)

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III. Later Muslim Empire (pages 187189)

D. After the rule of Suleiman I, the Ottoman empire gradually fell apart, collapsing completely at the end of World War I.

E.

The Ottoman empire was made up of different people who practiced different religions. Non-Muslims could practice their own religions, but they had to pay a special tax. Christian slaves became Muslims and trained as soldiers.

III. Later Muslim Empire (pages 187189)

F. The Moguls created a Muslim empire in India and made their capital city Delhi. Akbar was the greatest Mogul ruler. Life in India was good under Akbars rule.

G. The Mogul empire declined after Akbars rule. European merchants used their military power to take control of Mogul territory. Eventually, Great Britain took over most of India.

III. Later Muslim Empire (pages 187189)

How did Akbar treat the Hindus?

Akbar believed all people should be treated fairly. Akbar allowed Hindus and Muslims to serve in government, and he allowed Hindus to practice their own religion.

Arab armies spread Islam as far west as Spain and as far east as India. Muslim traders helped spread the religion to southeast Asia and west Africa. Despite splitting into two groups, the Sunni and the Shiite, Muslim power reached its greatest height under the Abbasids. In the 1400s and 1500s, two great Muslim empires, the Ottoman and the Mogul, arose.

1. How did the Muslims treat conquered peoples?

They allowed them to practice their own religion, but they had to pay a tax.

2. How far did the Arab Empire spread under the Umayyads?
The Arab Empire stretched from India to North Africa and Spain.

(3) CA 7RC2.2

3. Organizing Information Draw a chart to organize information about the Ottoman and Mogul empires.

Answers will vary.

(4) CA 7RC2.0

4. Contrast Describe the differences between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims.
The Shiites believe the caliph descended from Ali and rejected Umayyads. The Sunnis accepted Umayyads, and adopted different customs and religious practices.

(5) CA CS3. (6) CA 7RC2.4

5. The Big Ideas Besides conquests by Arab armies, how was Islam spread?
Sufis taught Islam and Arab traders spread Islam.

6. Evaluate What evidence in the text suggests that Akbar was a great ruler?
Under Akbar, India was peaceful and orderly, trade increased, and new architecture came to the region.