Semester 2 Final Exam Flashcards
What geographical features influenced the development of cultures on the Arabian Peninsula?
- The Arabian Peninsula linked Africa, Asia, and Europe, becoming a cultural and trade crossroads. Due to this location, diverse cultures were passed on to many people.
- Only a little fertile land existed, and only a few oases could support agriculture. People settled in oases and market towns, facilitating the trade.
- Nomadic Arab herders emphasized the ideals of courage, loyalty, and warrior skills while organizing into clans to survive in the extreme conditions of deserts.
How did trade routes affect the spread of ideas in the Arabian Peninsula?
Trade connected Arabia to major empires and regions, such as the Byzantine and Sassanid empires, facilitating the exchange of goods and ideas. These complex, closely linked trade routes helped spread information and new ideas from the world outside Arabia.
Describe Muhammad’s early life and how he came to be a prophet.
He was born in Mecca in 570 and worked in the caravan trade. He then married Khadijah, forming a business partnership. At around the age of 40, he received revelations from the angel Gabriel, and he believed Allah was the one who spoke through Gabriel. He was convinced that he was the last of the prophets and preached to spread Islam, a religion that believed Allah is the only God.
What are the Five Pillars of Islam and their significance?
The five pillars were Faith(Allah is the only god, and Muhammad is his prophet), Prayer(praying five times a day facing Mecca), alm (paying a religious tax to help the poor), Fasting(during Ramadan from dawn to sunset), and Pilgrimage(Hajj to Mecca at least once). These basic religious duties became the fundamental moral conduct and provided shared practices among the Muslims, which would help unify them.
How does Islam relate to Judaism and Christianity?
They shared similar beliefs in monotheism, heaven, and a day of judgment. Also, they had their holy scriptures and books of teachings, Qur’an for Islam, Torah for Jews, and Gospels for Christians. Shri’a law mandated religious tolerance towards them, regarding them as “people of the book.”
Who were the “rightly guided” caliphs, and what characterized their rule?
Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali were known as the “rightly guided” caliphs. They followed the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions.
What factors contributed to the successful expansion of the Muslim Empire?
Muslims were kept motivated to spread the faith because they thought Allah supported their victories.
Their armies were well-disciplined and expertly commanded.
At that time, opponents, the Byzantine and Sassanid empires, were weakened due to prolonged conflicts.
Also, the Islamic equality and hope, along with economic benefit for not having to pay a poll tax, attracted many persecuted people from Christinaity and Zoroastrianism.
How were conquered peoples treated under Muslim rule?
Muslims showed tolerance in many ways. Conquered people could pursue their own religions. “People of the book” were exempted from military service as long as they paid a poll tax, and they could become officials, scholars, and bureaucrats.
What led to the Sunni–Shi’a split, and what are the main differences between these groups?
Significant changes made by the Umayyad rulers, along with their leadership issues and luxurious lifestyle, fundamentally led to division in the Muslim community.
Shi’a believed the caliph should be a descendant of Muhammad, resisted the Umayyads’ rule, and rejected the authority of the Sunna.
Sunni accepted the Umayyads’ rule, acknowledged four caliphs as “rightly guided,” and believed in following Muhammad’s example.
How did the Abbasid Caliphate consolidate power and manage their empire?
- moved the capital to Baghdad, a strategic location for trade,
- established a bureaucracy that helped to develop a strong administrative system with specialized departments,
- and taxed land, imports/exports, and non-Muslims’ wealth.
Describe the Muslim trade network and its significance.
The trade network included two major waterways, the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, and land-based routes that connected Silk Roads and India with Europe and Africa.
Arabic and the Abbasid dinar unified trade practices. Also, the banking system, with the use of sacks (letters of credit), facilitated trade across the empire.
What were the major cultural and scientific achievements of the Muslim Empire during this period?
Cities like Córdoba, Damascus, Cairo, and Baghdad grew as centers of learning and attracted poets, philosophers, and scientists. Many non-Muslims adopted Muslim customs.
These cultural flourishments further led to significant achievements in the arts and the sciences.
What were the four social classes in Muslim society during the Abbasid Caliphate?
- The upper class was Muslims at birth,
- the second class was Islam converts,
- the third class was “protected people,” including Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, and
- the lowest class was slaves, including prisoners of war and non-Muslims who performed household works and military service.
How did the Abbasid capital of Baghdad symbolize the strength and sophistication of the caliphate?
Close to the Tigris River, Baghdad underwent extensive planning and remodeling. Its distinctive circular design, formed by circular protective walls, was impressive. The caliph’s palace and grand mosque also represented the city’s magnificence.
In what ways did Muslim women have more rights compared to their contemporaries in Europe, India, and China?
They had legal rights in regard to marriage, family, and property. Depending on the husband’s income, poorer women worked in fields, while wealthier women managed households and had access to education.
How did the House of Wisdom contribute to the preservation and expansion of knowledge?
Driven by practical needs, curiosity, and a quest for truth, scholars worked in the House of Wisdom to translate scientific and philosophical texts from Greece, India, Persia, and other regions into Arabic. The House of Wisdom served as a library, academy, and translation center for scholars of different cultures.
What were the major contributions of Muslim scholars in medicine, mathematics, and science?
A Persian scholar, al-Razi, wrote significant medical texts like the “Comprehensive Book” and “Treatise on Smallpox and Measles. Al-Khawarizmi introduced algebra, and Ibn al-Haytham wrote the book “Optics” which revolutionized the understanding of vision. Muslim scholars relied on observation and experimentation, unlike Greek logical reasoning.
How did Muslim art and architecture reflect cultural blending?
Muslims adapted existing traditions to suit Islamic beliefs and practices; calligraphy and decorative arts(woodwork, glass, ceramics, and textiles are notable examples. Architecture reflected cultural blending, as seen in the Great Mosque of Damascus, which blended Byzantine architecture with Muslim ideas. Other architectures, such as baths, included Roman traditions.
Describe the impact of Muslim scholars on the later European Renaissance.
Knowledge preserved and extended by the Muslim scholars influenced the European scholars in the Renaissance to build upon knowledge.
How did Justinian seek to restore the Roman Empire, and what were his major achievements?
- With his general Belisarius, Justinian reconquered the lost territories, including North Africa and the territory of old Rome, from Germanic tribes.
- He ruled with absolute power, leading both the state and the church.
- His major achievements were Justinian’s code and public building program, including rebuilding the fortifications, church building (Hagia Sophia), enlargement of his palace, and creation of infrastructure (baths, aqueducts, law courts, schools, and hospitals).
What were the main components of the Justinian Code?
It contains old Roman laws(Code), opinions of legal thinkers(Digest), the application of law for law students(Institutes), and new legislation after 534(Novellae). It impacted marriage, slavery, property, and other parts of people’s lives.
How did the Byzantine Empire preserve and continue the traditions of Rome?
Byzantium developed its own identity but was still rooted in the Roman tradition, and Greek was the dominant language. Byzantine education preserved Greco-Roman literature and learning(Greek/Latin grammar and philosophy, Euclid geometry, history from Herodotus, and medicine from Galen), passing on classical knowledge to future generations.
What were the causes and outcomes of the Nika Rebellion?
The civil unrest against Justinian rule led to the uprising, but it was suppressed by Belisarius. This kind of constant street riots weakened the Justinian reign.
How did religious differences contribute to the split between the Eastern and Western Churches?
Diverging practices and beliefs eventually led to the division of the Churches. Patriarch led the Eastern Church, and emperor was powerful in religious matters. The controversy over iconoclasm showed the Emperor Leo III’s authority over the religion when he banned icons in 730. This caused the riots, and conflicts grew as Western Church supported the use of icons. This led to the excommunication of a Byzantine emperor and later between the pope and the patriarch.