Chapter 8 Flashcards
How did camels affect Arab society?
they aided in control of the caracan trade, there was decreased emphasis on wheeled vehicles by the sixth century, they had sustainability in the deservt environs, they were very strong pack animals
The Sasanid Empire was centered in the area that is present day
Iran
What did the Sasanid and Byzantine Empires have in common?
central control of imperial finances
The Sasanid Empire benefited from its location along the Silk Road. Some of the agricultural goods that it gained were
cotton, sugar, and rice
The establishment of Zoroastrianism and Christianity as official faiths in the Byzating and Sasanid Empire set the precedent for what future event?
The rise of Islam as the focus of an empire
Religious conflicts in the Byzantine empire resulted in treatment of Nestorian Christians as
heretics, seeking refuge under te Sasanid shah
Manichaeism is a faith derived from Zoroastrianism and is founded on the idea that
there is a cosmic struggle between good and evil
The Arabs’ involvement in Byzantine and Sasanid conflicts led to
the penetration of christian knowledge into the Arabian peninsla
Most subjects of both Byzantine and Sasanid rulers found common identitiy in
religion
The traditional occupation on the Arabian peninsula was
trade caravans
Mecca is an important city because it
is a caravan city and pilgrimage site of the Ka’ba
Muhammad conceived Islam after
experiencing revelations
Muslim means
one who makes submission
Islam means
surrender to the will of God
Muhammad’s teachings built upon the beliefs of
Judaism and Christianity
Why did Muhammad eave Mecca for Medina (hijra)?
Meccan leaders were threatened by his popularity
The unified community that accpeted Islam and believed that Muhammad was the “Messenger of God”was called the
umma
After the city of Mecca surrendered to Muhammad, he established a new state based on a
common religious faith
Why was the direction of prayer focused on Mecca?
because that is where Mohammad had his revelations
After Muhammad’s death, the Muslim community
chose a caliph, Abu Bakr
Muslim religious practice is based on the
Five Pillars
Muhammad’s revelations from the angel are compiled in a book called the
Quran
The subsequent split of supporters to different caliphs divided the umma into
shi’ites and Sunnis
The muslims fought the Battle of the Camel in a dispute over the
Legitimacy of ali as caliph
Why is the martyrdom of Husayn a significant event in Muslim history
It marks the beginning of the sect of Shi’ism
The found of the Umayyad Caliphate was
Yazid, son of Mu’awiya
The first caliphate to begin expansion outside of Arabia was
Umar
The capital of the Umayyad caliphate was in
Damascus
The decline of the Umayyad dynasty was due to
growing unrest among non-Arab Muslims who demanded access to political power
Why is the Abbasid rule considered a “golden age”?
It created a refined and cosmopolitan culture in Baghad
Despite the fact tht conversions to Islam were at their peak, Abbasid power declined because
the empire had become too big to rule effectively
After failing to reform the government and military, the Abbasid Caliphate fell under the influence of the
Buyid family of northern Iran
Umayyad Spain developed a distinctive Islamid culture becuause of the
blending of Roman, Germanic, Jewish, Arab, and Berber traditions
Under Islamic leadership, the Jewish people of Spain
contributed to the cultural growth of Spain as great thinkers and writers
The ulama were
religious scholars
Byzantine power was significantly diminished by the Seljuks with
the Battle of Manzikert
The foundation fo Isalmic civilization is the Shari’a, or
law
The great vision of the Shari’a is an umma with
common moral values, minimzing ehtnic and political divisions
What was the leading motivation for unification of the Muslims?
To fight against the Crusaders
Sufism was significant in being a
quest for a direct union with God through rituals and training
