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570
Muhammed's Birth
Muhammed was born in Mecca in 570 to a merchant family. He was orphaned at age six but became a caravan manager and married a rich widow named Hadija. Meditating in caves, he had a vision in which the Angel Gabriel ordered him to preach sermons which now make up the Koran. The new religion became known as Islam. Muhammed conquered Mecca, which spread Islam through the Arabian Pennisula. He died two years later with no successor named. -
Period: 570 to Jan 2, 632
Life of Muhammed
Muhammed was a simple merchant who the Angel Gabriel came to in a vision and gave Muhammed the order to preach the sermons that today make up the Koran. Muhammed was the prophet of Islam, in which there is only one god. Islam gained many more converts upon the death of Muhammed in 632. Muslims created Shari'a Law after Muhammeds death to help guide them in their daily lives. -
Period: Jan 1, 632 to Jan 1, 750
Conquering of Middle East & North Africa/Spain
Arab armies conquered Syria,Egypt,Persia,and parts of the Anatolia pennisula after the death of Muhammed. They then proceeded to conquer North Africa, then cross the Strait of Gibraltar and conquer Spain. -
Period: Jan 1, 656 to Jan 1, 750
Umayyad Dynasty
The Umayyad dynasty was founded by Mu'awyi who established his capital in Damascus,Syria. The Umayyads saw Islam spread to North Africa,Spain, and parts of the Byzantine Empire though Arab conquests. Islam was spread by Arab armies conquering large areas. However, conversion to Islam was voluntary under Umayyad administration. -
Period: Jan 1, 750 to Jan 1, 1258
Abbasid Dynasty
A revolt led by Abu al-Abbas led to the toppling of the Umayyad dynasty and the establishment of the Abbasid dynasty which ruled from present day Iraq. The Abbasids capital city was Baghdad. During this time Baghdad was at the center of trade routes that led from Europe to China. Merchants carried Islamic culture to Asia and Europe through these trade routes. Islam traveled east on the Silk Road to China; Islam arrived in Venice by merchant ship in the west. -
Jan 1, 762
Abbasids Dynasty Forms
The Abbasids reformed the government by allowing all Muslims the right to hold public office as well as military offices. The Abbadsid capital of Baghdad was positioned to take advantage of caravan trade routes as well as river traffic headed out ot the Persian Gulf. Through Baghdad, Islamic ideas and culture were spread by merchants who traded by land and sea. Baghdad became one of the major stopping points in merchants voyages to China and back under the Abbasids. -
Jan 2, 1055
Rise of the Seljuk Turks
The Seljuk Turks were originally a nomadic people from Central Asia that had converted to Islam. The Turks were mercenaries for the Abbasid caliphate and began to move into the Anatolia Pennislua and parts of Syria when the caliphate weakened. The Turks expanded into parts of Europe and the Middle East, dispersing Islam and spreading new ideas, products, and inventions. The Turks eventually conquered all the Middle East and parts of Europe, spreading Islamic culture even more. -
Period: Jan 2, 1096 to Apr 2, 1291
The Crusades
During these times, Christian soldiers were to launch several campaigns aimed at taking back the holy land from the Muslims. The first Crusade took Jerusalem, but were soon forced out by attacking Muslims. The Sunni Muslim leader Saladin defended the Muslim lands from Crusaders. Saladin then proclaimed hmslef sultan and drove the Crusaders from Jerusalem and out of the Middle East. The fleeing crusaders were to introduce Europe to Islamic culture through products, stories, and ideas. -
Jan 2, 1099
The First Crusade
In the First Crusade, Christian forces from Europe were defeated by Muslim forces defending their land. The Muslims drove the crusaders out of Jerusalem. By successfully defending the Middle East, Islam was spread into Europe through the returning crusaders. The crusaders brought back Islamic culture in the forms of news, ideas, products, and religion. Islam then began to spread into Asia on the backs of the Mongols. -
Jan 1, 1258
Mongols Invade
The spread of Islam into Asia was due largely to the Mongols invasion of Mesopotamia and Persia. Mongol forces treated the local population very brutally, sometimes killing whole families. Over time, Mongol rulers converted to Islam and became a part of the local population. As the Mongol Empire broke into seperate kingdoms, the Mongols took Islamic culture back with them to the steppes of Centeral Asia. Trade helped to spread Islamic products into Mongolia and the rest of Asia. -
Works Cited
Duiker, William. The Essential World History.Boston:Cengage Learning.2011.Print. http://www.islam-watch.org/historyofjihad/jihad_against_mongols.htm http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8pk0.T1TY0YAYCqJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIzNWY0bm00BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZANjMDFmYjgwY2JjNWI5OTAxNzY4Zjc3O http://www.yadsarah.org/index.asp?id=166 -
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The Golden Age of the Abbasids
Under the rule of Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasids greatest caliph, Baghdad became the center of commerce for a large trade network. Paper,sugar,spices,and cotton were introduced to the west through Baghdad at this time. Haruns son, Al-Ma'mun, established the firsy astronomical observatory and also started to translate the writings of the Ancient Greeks. The trade routes helped spread Islamic culture throughout the world and helped inventions and products reach Europe. -
Civil War Erupts
At Haruns death, his two sons fought for control of the Empire. Baghdad was destroyed and large amounts of refugees fled from the fighting. Because of this, other provinces started to break away and establish independent caliphates. The fragmentation of the Abbasid caliphate created new kingdoms in which trade helped spread Islam even more into Europe through the different caliphates trading and making war with one another. This breakdown also allowed the Seljuk Turks to grow in strength. -
Factional Struggles
After Muhammeds successor was named, the Umayyad dynasty was established by his rival. The Umayyad dynasty showed favoritism to Arab Muslims in terms of government positions. This led to revolt in Iraq where Hussein, along with his supporters, the Shi'ites, rose up against Umayyad rule. The revolt was defeated, but a rift between Shi'ites and Sunni Muslims, was created. The rift persists today. Another revolution in 750, brought down the Umayyads and established the Abbasid caliphate. -
Period: to
Rule of Harun al-Rashid
The rule of Harun is described as the Golden Age of the Abbasid dynasty. Harun oversaw massive economic expansion as well as the founding of the first astronomical observatory by his son, al-Ma'mun. Under his rule he developed a system of translating the Classic Greek works. Baghdad became a center of trade in a large commercial market. Paper was introduced there by the Chinese as well as rice,sugar,and cotton. All these trade goods the Muslims traded with Europe, spreading Islam through trade.
