Islam in the Middle East

Origins of Islam

·        Mohammad left Mecca, went to Medina (hijra) 622

·        630, Mohammad and followers returned to Medina and destroyed pagan shrines except for Ka’ba

·        632, Mohammad dies, Abu Bakr becomes caliph (Islamic empire becomes theocracy)

·        Umar, Uthman, and Ali become caliphs

·        Ali was assassinated, son Hasan takes over

·        Hasan relinquished title for Umayyad Dynasty

·        Capital moved to Damascus, Arabic became official language, Arabs favored

·        Jizya (tax on non-Muslims) instated, gold and silver coinage introduced

·        732, Islamic Empire began to move into Iberian Peninsula

·        Charles Martel defeated Muslims at Battle of Tours

·        Shi’ite/ Sunni split in Islam- Shiites thought descendants of Ali should rule while Sunnis thought that caliph should be elected

·        Shia, Mawali (nonArabs), and other supporters of Abu al-Abbas overthrow Umayyad

 

The Abbasid Caliphate

·        750-1258

·        capital moved to Baghdad

·        golden age from early to mid 9^th century

·        idea of credit introduced, as well as itemized receipts and bills, stimulated trade by making it safer for merchants to travel

·        medical, math, science flourished in golden age (Muhammad al-Razi’s medical encyclopedia, Arabian Nights, math from India)

·        preserved western culture

·        Crusades (1095-1200’s)

·        Often tolerant of local customs, Christians and Jews persecuted in Levant (Holy Land, Syria, Israel, Jordan), however

·        Sufis, Islamic mystics good missionaries

·        Invaded by Mongols in 1258

 

The Il-Khan Domain

·        Adopted Islam, began intermarrying

·        Attacked by Jagadai Khanate (other Mongols from C Asia)

·        Displaced by Ottoman Turks in 1370’s

 

The Ottoman Turks

·        Originated in Anatolia (E Turkey)

·        Founded by Osmen Bey

·        1453, invaded Constantinople (Istanbul), conquered Byzantine Empire (Sultan Mehmed II)

·        Sultan ruled w. help from ministers (wazirs or viziers, head was grand vizier) and provincial governors (beys)

·        converted Hagia Sophia into mosques

·        Christians and Jews originally allowed to practice

·        As empire grew, so did religious persecution, Christian kids made soldiers (and Muslims) (Janissaries)

·        Janissaries implemented b-c traditional cavalry units tended to be under control of beys (kinda feudalish) and janissaries were under Sultan’s control

·        Selim I (came to power in 1512, claimed he was caliph) did the Janissaries thing and conquered most of old Rome, except Italy westward

·        Suleiman I (the Magnificent) rose to power in 1520 (lasted ‘til 1566)

·        encouraged development of arts, improved Turkish military

·        Ottomans had golden age under Suleiman I, moved into Europe through Hungary

·        1529, laid siege to Vienna, defeated by Charles V

·        began to decline 16^th century

·        fought Russia for control of Black Sea in 17^th and 18^th centuries

·        19^th cent, Greece, Arabia, Egypt launched successful independence movements (Greece-Adrianople)

·        Crimean War

·        Religious toleration practiced, although non-Muslims paid jizya

·        Each religious group grouped into Millets (nations)

·        Sultan hereditary position, although not always oldest son- sultan wasn’t married, had concubines (personal “women of the night”, lived in hard (“sacred palace”), concubine whose son was chosen as sultan was known as queen mother

·        New sultan usually killed his brothers by strangling to eliminate competition

·        Ottomans went into decline after Suleiman I (the Lawgiver)

·        Tried to go after Vienna again in 1683

·        Driven out by Catholic (HRE w/ help of King Jan Sobieski and Polish cavalry)

·        Lost territory from 1683 to 1718

·        Fought Austrians and Russians in 17 and 1800’s

·        Referred to as “Sick Man of Europe” by WWI

·        Lost WWI, lost territory

·        Greeks took up arms against it in 1919

·        Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk- “the Father of Turks”) led successful campaigns against Greeks, overthrew sultan

·        1923, Ataturk became 1^st president of modern Turkey

·        secularized overwhelmingly Muslim nation, introduced western-style clothes (did away with fez), changed alphabet from Arabic to Latin, set up parliamentary system (which he dominated), changed legal code from Islamic to western, set Turkey on pat toward Europe as opposed to The Middle East

·        instated reforms in face of opposition and was sometimes ruthless