THEME 2 ANNOTATIONS: DATE/ TIME PERIOD: 1. 570 C.E 632 C.E EVENT/PERSON: 1.

. The establishment of Islam was brought about by the prophet Muhammad. He was born into a reputable family of merchants. He lost both of his parents and was thereafter raised by his grandfather and uncle. He married a woman with a high status socially, therefore gaining for himself the same level of social status. As a merchant he often came into contact with many different religions such as Christianity and Judaism as he was exposed to several differing cultures and societies. From a profound spiritual experience, Muhammad came to the conclusion that there was only one true God Allah. Muhammad experienced visions and he was given messages and revelations which he was instructed to explain to others. His preaching gained a growing popularity that made the ruling elites at Mecca uneasy, and they later forced him and any followers to leave. His followers were organized into a cohesive community called the umma. He began to refer to himself as the seal of the prophets and began to plan his return to Mecca. Muhammad and his followers took over Mecca and destroyed pagan shrines replacing them with mosques. At the time of his death in 632C.E, Islam had become so popular that most of Arabia was under its influence. 2. While Islam grew in popularity in the Arabian area and in Persia, Chinas separation from the religion allowed for the development of Buddhism instead. After the fall of the Han dynasty, several religions established communities in China, but Buddhism began to grow with increasing popularity. Buddhism attracted Chinese interest because of its high standards of morality, its intellectual sophistication, its promise of salvation, and practical concerns. Buddhists established monastic communities throughout China and were granted with sizable estates by the donations made by wealthy converts. There was much conflict amongst the Chinese about the establishment and spread of Buddhism- some argued that Buddhist temples were harmful economically while others were more concerned by the religions foreign origins. However, in spite of this conflict Buddhism still flourished as a religion in China. Monks and scholars organized schools, monasteries promoted family life whilst still holding true to their belief in celibacy, and monks such as Xuanzang led dangerous expeditions into foreign lands that led to the deepening of their understanding of Buddhism. Though facing resistance from Daoists and Confucians, Buddhism remained in China as a thriving, popular religion for many centuries. 5. In Africa, a culture and religion was developed independently of those that were becoming increasingly popular in Europe, India, and Arabia. Religious beliefs took many forms. Though the people referred to their deities with different names, told different stories about them, and had different rituals to honor them, certain features were commonly included. Many accepted and recognized a single, dominant creator god. Their beliefs did not remain persistent through the centuries; rather, they underwent considerable development as societies learnt of other peoples preferred deities and grew in understanding of them. However, people still recognized a singly diving force that was singularly responsible for bringing about the world and sustaining it. Some considered this force or god to be all-powerful, regarding him as all knowing - omnipotent and omniscient. In accordance with this all-powerful force, many Africans believed in many lesser being that were associated with various aspects of nature. These African beliefs remained prominent until Christianity and Islam expanded to Africa and eventually influenced the peoples beliefs. 4. Islam began to spread throughout much of the ancient world after its solid establishment in the Arabian empires. Following the fall of Harshas kingdom, northern India began to become populated by Islamic communities and the establishment of Islamic states. A well-organized expedition conquered Sind and incorporated it into the expanding Umayyad empire. Muslim merchants became prominent in the Indian society, settling in northern and southern coastal areas. The merchants spread their faith as they played their important role in Indian businesses and commercial life. Muslim merchants congregated mainly in the Gujarat region, attracted

2. 650 C.E 1000C.E

5. c.700 C.E

4. c. 750 C.E 1500 C.E

because of the city of Cambay the most important trading center in India for many centuries. This widespread attraction furthered the expansion and authority of Islamic control over India. 5. 1200 C.E 1600 C.E 5. In spite of the widespread expansion of Islam in India, Hinduism also dominated the cultural and religious life of India. Both religions differed profoundly but both attracted large amounts of followers throughout the subcontinent, Hinduism predominantly stronger in northern India and Islam stronger in the southern part of India. After the eradication of most Buddhist influence in India, Hinduism grew much stronger benefiting from the formers downfall. One reason for this increase in popularity was the remarkable growth of devotional cults most specifically those devoted to Vishnu and Shiva, the most important deities of the Hindu pantheon. The significance of Hinduism extended far past its initial role as a popular religion it also influenced philosophy. Shankara took it upon himself to digest all sacred Hindu writings and harmonize their sometimes contradictory teachings into a single, consistent system of thought. Ramanuja, another Hindu philosopher, contradicted the beliefs set forth by Shankara and stated that intellectual understanding of ultimate reality was less important than union with the deities. His speculations pointed toward a Hindu theology of salvation. Both philosophers contributed much to Hinduism and led to a larger spread of the religion.