Chapter 4: Muslim Caliphates Flashcards
The Abbasids
What/Who:
- Third caliphate after death of the prophet Muhammad
When:
- 750-1258
- came to an abrupt end due to Mongols sacking the capital (Baghdad)
- succeeded the Umayyads
Why important IR / Significance:
- period often referred to as “Islamic Golden Age” because science, technology, philosophy and arts flourished
- translation movement (cultural heritage of classical Greece translated to Arabic)
- Baghdad became the largest and richest city in the world and a great
centre of culture and learning
Abu Bakr
What/Who:
- First Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate
- Prophet’s father-in-law
When:
- 632-634
Why important IR / Significance:
- consolidated Muslim control over Arabian Peninsula
Umar
What/Who:
- Second Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate
When:
- Ruled for 10 years between 634-644
Why important IR / Significance:
- dramatic expansion of military campaigns, caliphate became imperial power
- installed state bureaucracy the “diwan”
- “religious freedom”
Uthman Ibn Affan
What/Who:
- third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate
- member of the Umayyads
When:
- 644-656
Why important IR / Significance:
- All North-Africa came under the control
First Fitna
What/Who:
- First civil war between Muslims
- Between caliph Ali’s forces and forces of the Umayyads
When:
- 657
Why important IR / Significance:
- Split between the Sunni and the Shia, the two largest denominations
of Muslims, even till today
The Umayyads
What/Who:
- The Umayyad Caliphate
- Leaders of the Caliphate, wealthy family
When:
- 661-750
Why important IR / Significance:
- Military consolidation, established as a proper empire, ruled by institutions and bureaucratic routines
- Arabization: Arabic was made into the official language of the state,
replacing Greek
The caliphate of Cordoba
What/Who:
- The Umayyad Caliphate in Spain
When:
- 923- 1031
Why important IR / Significance:
- Connected Europe with trade routes to North-Africa, the Middle-East
and beyond
- Pinnacle of Arab rule in Spain
The Alhambra decree
What/Who:
- Issued by the Christians in Spain to force non-believers to convert or to leave
When:
- 1492
Why important IR / Significance:
- Mass migration of Muslims to North-Africa (200.000)
- Jews migrated to the Ottoman Empire
- End of Muslim rule
- end of cultural and intellectual flourishing of southern-Spain
The Fatimid Caliphate
What/Who:
- Considered the last of the four original caliphates which succeeded the prophet Muhammad
- became increasingly dependent on mercenaries (manluks)
When:
- 909-1171
Why important IR / Significance:
- Founded the Al-Azhar University, which is still the chief center of
Islamic learning and main source of religious rulings and opinions
Mamluk Sultanate
What/Who:
- More institutional and religious leaders than military leaders. Took the power from the Fatimids.
When:
- 1250-1517
Why important IR / Significance:
- Created an international system with unique characteristics, could be seen as a federation. “caliphal international system”.
- Meritocracy
Millet System
What/Who:
- minority group the right to maintain its traditions and be judged by its own legal code.
When:
- system used by the Ottoman Empire
Why important IR / Significance:
- We see this system used in other empires as well (India and Khanates)
The Muqiddimah
What/Who:
- first text on historical sociology on why empires rise and fall
When:
- 1377
Why important IR / Significance:
-x
Translation movement
What/Who:
- translations from Greek texts to arabic
When:
- after the fall of the roman empire (west) Europe “lost” a lot of knowledge due to lack of greek understanding of the language
Why important IR / Significance:
- Greek wisdom was saved by the Arabs,
- European version later in time
