01. Background to the First Crusade1 Flashcards
Who was the founder of Islam?
Prophet Muhammad
In what year was Muhammad born?
570
What significant event occurred in 622?
Muhammad fled to Medina
By the time of his death in 632, what title was Muhammad known by?
Lord of Arabia
What major city did Muhammad’s armies capture in 638?
Jerusalem
List the two main divisions in Islam.
- Sunnis
- Shias (Shi’ites)
Who did Sunnis acknowledge as Muhammad’s successor?
Abu Bakr
Who did Shias acknowledge as Muhammad’s successor?
Ali
What dynasty did the Abbasids belong to?
Sunni Muslims
What significant event occurred in 750 regarding the Abbasids?
They seized power
What led to the decline of the Abbasids?
Erosion of power by the Mamluks and Seljuk Turks
What was the time frame of the Fatimid dynasty’s rule in North Africa?
910 – 1171
What city did the Fatimids conquer in 969?
Egypt
The Fatimid Caliph challenged the authority of which caliph?
Abbasid Sunni Caliph
What was the capital of the Fatimid dynasty?
Cairo
By the eleventh century, the Fatimids expanded into which area?
Palestine
Who migrated from Central Asia into Persia and converted to Sunni Islam?
Seljuk Turks
What major city did the Seljuks seize, marking a significant point in their power?
Baghdad
Who was the Seljuk leader that invaded the Byzantine Empire in 1068?
Alp Arslan
What battle did Alp Arslan defeat the Byzantines?
Battle of Manzikert
What was the largest extent of the Great Seljuk Empire under Malik Shah?
Bordering China in the East and the Byzantines in the West
What led to the collapse of the Great Seljuk Empire?
Conflict among Malik Shah’s heirs
What was the Sultanate of Rum?
A Seljuk sultanate in Anatolia
Who established the Sultanate of Rum?
Suleyman
What was the chief rival of the Sultanate of Rum?
Danishmends
What was the capital of the Byzantine Empire?
Constantinople
What language did the Christian inhabitants of Byzantium primarily speak?
Greek
What significant loss did the Byzantine Empire suffer in the seventh century?
Lost Egypt, Syria, and Palestine to Muslim powers
What event strained relations between Byzantium and Western Christians?
Great Schism of 1054
Who was the Byzantine Emperor defeated by the Seljuk Turks at Manzikert?
Romanus IV
