The death of Muhammad in 632 presented a challenge for the Muslim community. Who would lead the group and keep it unified? The answer affected the faith

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Islam after Muhammads Death
The death of Muhammad in 632 presented a
challenge for the Muslim community. Who would
lead the group and keep it unified? The answer
affected the faiths spread and its future.
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More Expansion

• More Expansion
• After Iraq, Persia, Arab army faced wealthy
  Byzantine Empire to west
• Byantines first lost Damascus, Syria, Jerusalem
• 639, Byzantine province of Egypt fell 642, rest
  of Nile Valley under Arab rule

• Empire
• Only 10 years after Muhammads death, followers
  had created empire
• Conquests continued under later caliphs
• 661, caliphate stretched from northern Africa in
  west to Persia in East

• Internal Conflict and Division
• Deep conflict within Muslim leadership, began
  with choice of Abu Bakr, caliph
• Some had supported Muhammads cousin, Ali
• 644, Ali lost again, to Uthman, supported by
  powerful Mecca clan Umayyad

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Civil War
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The Shiites and Imams

• Shia believed God had specially blessed Alis
  descendants
• Alis descendants, Muhammads true heirs
• Shia called each of Alis successors imam
• Imam means leader
• For the Shiites, only imams can interpret the
  Quran.

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• Conflict
• Conflict deepened between Sunni, Shiites after
  deaths of Muawiya and Ali
• Many thought Yazid, Muawiyas son, successor,
  not a good Muslim
• Muhammads grandson, Husayn, led rebellion
  against Yazid
• Husayn, forces defeated in battle at Karbala, Iraq

• Further Division
• Husayn killed while holding infant son, battle
  became known as the martyrdom of Husayn split
  between Sunni, Shiites have remained bitter
• Third group developed within Islamthe Sufis
• Sufis seek mystical, personal connection with
  God, using range of practices including breath
  control and meditation in rituals

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Find the Main Idea What was the result of the
succession conflict?
Answer(s) Two different Muslim groups
emergedthe Sunni and the Shiites
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The Umayyad Dynasty
Under the Umayyad caliphs, Muslim rule spread.
Internal problems weakened the Umayyads, though,
and led to their fall.
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Ruling the Empire

• Umayyads strengthened central government as
  caliphate grew in size
• Arab Muslims became ruling class, with power,
  privilege unavailable to those they conquered
• Creation of privileged class conflicted with
  strong Muslim ideal of equality
• Wars over succession also upsetting to many
  faithful, unhappy with emphasis on political
  ambition

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Sequence What events brought about the end of
the Umayyad dynasty?
Answer(s) A family called the Abbasids took
advantage of discontent with the Umayyads and
established a new caliphate.
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The Abbasid Dynasty

• Baghdad
• Abbasids relocated capital of caliphate rulers
  lived in splendor
• Chose Baghdad, on Tigris River, in present-day
  Iraq

• Persian Influence
• Move to Baghdad beginning of end of Arab
  domination of Muslim world
• Abbasids adopted Persian style of government

• Government
• Rulers cut off from people
• Caliph hidden behind screen in throne room, could
  not be seen
• Used Persian officials vizier, deputy, oversaw
  affairs of state

• Change in Islam
• Nature of Islam changed
• Abbasids invited all to join in, turned Islam
  into universal religion, attracted people of many
  cultures

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A Changing Culture
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Contrast How did the Abbasids differ from the
Umayyads?
Answer(s) The Abbasids focused more on
prosperity and cultural advancement than on
empire expansion.
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The End of Unity
As early as the 800s, Abbasid political power
weakened. By the 900s, a number of small,
independent states broke away from the caliphate.

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Seljuk Turks and Others

• Seljuk Turks
• Many non-Arabs among peoples of caliphate,
  including Turks
• 1055, Turkish Seljuks rose to power, took control
  of Baghdad
• Seljuks were Sunni Muslims, supported Abbasid
  caliph

• War Against Byzantine Empire
• Seljuks defended Abbasids against Fatimids, went
  to war against Byzantine Empire, defeated
  Byzantines at Battle of Manzikert
• Seljuks would go on to create own empire

• Mamluks and Mongols
• 1200s, Mamluks took power in Egypt, Syria
• 1258, Mongols destroyed Baghdad, killed Abbasid
  caliph caliphate finished
• Islam still a vital force, spread to India,
  Central and Southeast Asia

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Summarize What forces ended the unity of the
caliphate?
Answer(s) Abbasids lost political power when
small independent states broke away.