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570
Birth of Muhammad
Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca in the year of 570. His childhood was not an easy one for it was plagued by lose. His father died just before he was born. Then, at age six, his mother died. His grandfather then became his gaurdian, but died in just a few years. Muhammad was put into his uncles care, Abu Talib. Abu-Talib would become an important ally for him in his later years. His uncle was the leader of his clan, who would protect him in later years.
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Jan 1, 610
Muhammad's Revalations
While in medetation on a mountain overlooking Mecca, Muhammad recieved his first revelation from the angel Gabriel. This revelation would form the basis of the Islamic religion. Later it would help formulate the Qu'ran as seen in the image to your left. Muhammad took it upon himself to preach this revelation to the people of Mecca. However, the support he recieved was very minimal and their was great hostility towards him and his followers.
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Jan 1, 622
Flight to Yathrib
Muhammad and some of his closest followers fled to Yathrib in the year of 622 because of the persicution they faced in Mecca. The flight to Yathrib, known as the Hegira, marks the first day of Islamic calender. They were able to gain support from many of the residents of Yathrib. These supporters formed the first Muslim community.
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Jan 1, 630
Conquering Mecca
Since Muhammad could not convert the people of Mecca peacfuly, he decided to do it at the point of a sword. Muhammad and his army of 10,000 set coarse for Mecca. They enterned the city with minimal bloodshed and succesfuly converted the city of Mecca to Islam.
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Jun 8, 632
Death of Muhammad
The delemna created by the death of Muhammad was that he did not leave a successor. This issue split the Islamic people into two groups, the Shi'ites and Sunnis. His closest followers chose his father in-law, Abu Bakr, as caliph. These were the Sunnis. Under his control, the Islam community thrived. It expirienced an age of rapid expansion. They expanded outwards into neighboring civilizations such as the Sassanids, and the Byzantines.
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Period: Jan 1, 661 to Jan 1, 750
Umayyad Empire
A Caliph named Ali was assassinated in January 661. Mu'awiya took power after his death and made the position of Caliph hereditary. This marked the begining of the Umayyad Dynasty. This was a period of rapid expansion into Northern Africa, Southern Spain, and into the territory of the Sassanids and Byzantines. Under the Umayyad dynasty their was religiouse tolerance. This would be influental in the growth of technology and arts inside the empire. -
Jan 1, 710
Occupation of Spain
In the year of 710, Muslim forces along with Berber allies, crossed the straight of Gibralter and occupied Southern Spain. The occupation of Southern Spain was fairly easy because the Visgothic kingdomes were already weakend by the Internecine warfare. By the year 725, most of the Iberian Penninsula was under Muslim control. The Iberian Peninsula proved valuable for agricultural purposes.
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Period: Jan 1, 750 to Jan 1, 1258
Abbasid Dynasty
The Abbasid dynasty started in the year 750, when Abu Al-Abbas, a descendent of Muhammad's uncle, overthrew the Umayyads. Many civil projects were undertaken in this era including the city of Baghdad. This would be one of the greatest cities in the world. They also gradualy expanded into Byzantium over time. This time period was a time of rapid technological growth as well. The Islamic Empire was the birth place of paper, algebra and many other innovations. -
Jan 1, 762
Building of Baghdad
Baghdad was a planned city, which was built to be the empires capital. It was located on the Silk Road and along the Tigris River. Its location on trade routs brought wealth and new ideas to the city. It also enabled Islamic ideas to be spread throughout the continents by trade. The city of Baghdad became a center for intelectual activity were many great minds met. These great minds were drawn by the religouse tlerance and freedom of speech excesized in the Islamic Empire.http://www.peacework.co -
Jan 1, 1055
Seljuk Turks
In the year of 1055, a Turkish leader captured the city of Baghdad and took the title of Sultan. The Sultan, translated as power holder, was the equivelant to Caliph. This new transition of power sparked another age of expansion. The Seljuk Turks focused on expanding West into the terretory of the Byzentine empire.
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Jan 1, 1071
Expansion Into Anatolia
In the year of 1071, the Seljuk Turks routed the Byzantine army at Manzikert. The Muslims now possesed the mejority of the Anatolia Penisula. This was a devastating loss for the Byzantines, for Anatolia acted as a buffer zone between the Muslims and the capital city Constantinople. Now, the Muslims were one step closer to conquering one of the greatest civilizations in the world.
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Jan 1, 1096
1st Crusade
The 1st Crusade began as a response to a Byzantine call for help and lasted from 1096 to 1099. Byzantium turned to Western Europe for aid. An army fighting in the name of God, marched East into Islamice terrirory and took the holy city of Jerusalem. The Christain conquerers were greatly influenced by the culture of the Islamic peoples. They ended up bringing many of the ideas of the Islamic people back with them, further spreading the culture of the Islamic empire.
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Sep 20, 1187
Retaking Jeruselum
In the year of 1187, the armie of Saladin besieged Jeruselum and took back the city on the 2nd of Octeber that same year. Jeruselum was an important city for Muslims because it was the first Qiblah. In other words, it was considered a kind of religous capital. The Quiblah was later moved to Mecca, but the city of Jeruselum was still considered a city of religous importance.
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Jan 1, 1258
Mongol Conquest
In the year of 1258, the mongol army, led by Hulegu, seized Persia and Mesopetamia which brought an end to the caliphate in Baghdad. Although the loss of Persia and Mesopetamia may seem like a huge loss for the Muslims, it was in-fact beneficiary to the Islamic Empire in the long run. This is because most of the Mongol people ended up converting to Islam. The Mongolian people brought new ideas and customs which influenced the Islamic Empire.
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Apr 3, 1453
End of Byzantines
In the year of 1453, Sultan Mehmet II seized the capital city of Canstantinople ending the reign of the Byzantine Empire. The siege lasted from April 6, 1453 until May 29 1453. Instead of killing cavilians and destroying buildings, the Muslim army preserved the cities buildings and left the inhabitance unharmed. This reflects the Muslims apreciation for the arts, sciences and architecture. Soon after the fall of Constantinople, the Ottomans moved their capital from Adrianople to Constantinople. -
Apr 3, 1500
Works Cited
Duiker, William, Spielvogel Jackson. "The Essential World ----*History". Boston: Cengage Learning, 2005. Print
*Nasr, Seyyed. "Muhammad". Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. April 4, 2014
*http://s1.hubimg.com/u/2226190_f260.jpg (For picture of last point, would not fit) -
Shi'ites Revolt
Ali's second son, Hussein, revolted against the Umayyads in the year of 680. However the revolt ended in failure. Heissein died in battle and his followers were defeated. His followers are known as the Shi'ites and still exist today. This uprising crated a rift between the Sunnis and Shi'ites, and has effected the Muslim community to this day.
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Period: to
Golden Age
The reign of Harun Al-Rashid was known as the Golden Age. During this timespan, the arts and sciences flourished. The religous tolerance of the empire atracted many great minds who brought new ideas. Islamic culture was spread throught Asia, Africa and Europe through the trading of goods. Their innovations and ideas influenced the peoples of all three contenets.
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