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The Arab Empire of the Umayyads

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The Arab Empire of the Umayyads Mrs. Booth * * * * * * * * * Bellringer Unlike the Umayyad Empire, The Abbasid Empire A) practiced absolutism B) admitted Mawali as ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Arab Empire of the Umayyads


1
The Arab Empire of the Umayyads
  • Mrs. Booth

2
Bellringer
  • Unlike the Umayyad Empire, The Abbasid Empire
  • A) practiced absolutism
  • B) admitted Mawali as full members of the Islamic
    community
  • C) freed all slaves
  • D) persecuted the Shia
  • E) imposed austerity on the caliph

3
Muhammad Dies
  • 632 CE- Muhammad dies
  • Muslim community still hold together
  • Old adversaries, Umayyad seize leadership of the
    Muslim faithful
  • Begin conquests throughout Middle East and North
    Africa

4
Arab Conquest
  • Muslim military conquests mount beyond the
    peninsula
  • The courage, military prowess, and religious zeal
    of the warriors of Islam and the weaknesses of
    the empires that border Arabia, resulted in
    stunning conquests in Mesopotamia, north Africa,
    and Persia
  • Empire built from this conquest is Arab rather
    than Islamic because most was ruled by small Arab
    warrior elite controlled by the Umayyad

5
Division in Islamic Community
  • Muhammad had not appointed a successor before his
    death in 632
  • He had not even established a procedure by which
    to appoint/elect/pass leadership.
  • Opinion in Muslim community is deeply divided as
    to who shall lead next
  • The leader who would succeed him would be known
    as the caliph, OR, the political and religious
    successor to Muhammad.

6
Candidates
  • Ali- son in law and cousin of Muhammad (yikes)
    passed over because he is considered too young
  • Abu Bakr- one of Muhammads earliest followers
    and closest friends
  • Caliph from 632-634

7
Motives for Arab Conquest
  • Unity provided by Islamic faith gave new sense of
    common strength
  • Now they could stand up against non-Arab rulers
    who had previously played clans against one
    another
  • Above all, Bedouins are drawn to Arab expansion
    and conquest by the promise of a share of the
    rich conquered farmland.

8
Problem of Succession and the Sunni- Shia Split
  • Stunning success of Muslim armies and growing
    Arab empire temporarily diverted attention from
    the divisions and arguments going on within the
    Muslim community.
  • Began to boil over with the issue of how the
    booty should be divided up among the tribal
    groups that made up the Islamic community
    (conquered land)

9
Growing Tensions lead to Violence
  • Spark of violence Murder of the 3rd caliph,
    Uthman, by warriors returning from Egypt
  • His death was the signal for the supporters of
    Ali, to proclaim him as caliph
  • Uthman had not been popular among many tribes,
    especially the early followers, because he was
    the first caliph chosen from the Umayyad clan.
  • Umayyad reject Alis claims warfare errupts
    between factions

10
Ali
  • Famous warrior now
  • Gains upper hand after victory at Battle of Camel
    in 656
  • Just as Ali is about to defeat Umayyad forces at
    Battle of Siffin in 657, he accepts a plea for
    mediation with Umayyad.
  • This is HEAVILY criticized, and many of his
    followers turn their back on Ali

11
Muawiya
  • 660- proclaimed leader (caliph) in Jerusalem
  • Directly challenges Alis position
  • 661- Ali assassinated
  • From this point on Sunnis- back the Umayyad and
    Shia- supporters of Ali/anti-Umayyad
  • Mecca remains Holy City, but political center if
    of Umayyads is moved to Damascus in Syria

12
Family and Gender Roles in the Umayyad Age
  • Islam greatly strengthened position of women
  • Seclusion and subordination of women common among
    other societies within the Middle East at this
    time
  • Quran forbides multiple marriages if the husband
    cannot take care of multiple wives or treat them
    all equally
  • Women could not have more than one husband

13
Umayyad Decline and Fall
  • Ummayyad caliphs growing addiction to luxury and
    wealth
  • Abandon simple life promoted by Muhammad and his
    earliest Caliphs, and now have pleasure gardens
    and marble palaces

14
Rise of the Abbasid
  • 50,000 warrior settlers are angered by lack of
    booty from previous expansions and defense of
    frontiers (angry with Umayyad)
  • March under the banner of Abbasid party- trace
    their descent from Muhammads uncle al-Abbas
  • Abu-al-Abbas, great grandson of al Abbas leads
    forces

15
Umayyad Fall
  • Abbasid forces gain strength due to the help of
    the Shia, mawali (non Arab converts to Islam)
  • Wanting to eliminate Umayyad family altogether,
    Abu al-Abbas invited many Umayyad leaders to a
    reconciliation banquet where he had them killed
  • Grandson of a former Caliph does flee to Spain
    and founds caliphate of Cordoba

16
Abbasid Empire
  • Under Abbasids, Islam becomes a universal
    religion that spreads across much of North Africa
    and Euro-Asia.
  • Abbasid Capital was Baghdad
  • Great time of urban expansion that was linked to
    a revival of the Afro-Eurasian trade work that
    had declined with the fall of the Han dynasty and
    the slow collapse of the Roman Empire
  • Abbasid domain in West and Tang and Song in East
    revive commercial system

17
Technology
  • Arab dhows, sailing vessels with lateen or
    triangular sails, carry goods and people
    (religious people) from place to place
  • These ultimately influence European ship design

18
Social/Intellectual
  • Slaves were a major part of this society
  • They could work up enough money or power to buy
    back freedom or be released
  • Great mosques are built during this time
  • Focus on math and science
  • Never before had a civilization spanned so many
    different cultures and combined such a patchwork
    of linguistic groups, religions, and ethnic types

19
Thesis Practice
  • Analyze the similarities and differences in the
    rise of the Umayyads and the Abbasids.

20
SPRITE Chart Practice
  • Fill out a sprite chart on both empires with
    SPRITE facts that would contribute to your thesis
    and a powerful comparative essay.
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