The Islamic World Flashcards
Rising in the 600s, Islamic forces quickly dominated much of the Middle East. This deck describes Middle Eastern and African history through the 1400s.
Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, what did the Eastern Roman Empire come to be called?
The Eastern Roman Empire came to be called Byzantium after the former name of its capital, Constantinople.
Although Byzantine residents continued to call themselves Romans and use Roman law, the Empire was profoundly influenced by Greek ideals, from culture to language.
Which Byzantine Emperor attempted to re-conquer the lands of the Western Roman Empire, beginning in the 530s?
Justinian, with the aid of his able general Belisarius, attempted to re-conquer the lands lost to the barbarians. Justinian’s forces re-conquered North Africa by defeating the Vandals, and Spain, by defeating the Ostrogoths. Byzantine forces even took back parts of Italy, but were forced to retreat when a plague wiped out most of Justinian’s troops.
Procopius, an historian in Justinian’s court, claimed that Justinian had a habit of removing his own head and carrying it around under his arm. Modern-day historians question Procopius’s account.
What led Byzantine Emperor Alexius to call for help from the Christian states of Europe in 1095?
Byzantine forces had suffered significant military reverses for centuries, as Muslim forces conquered much of the Middle East, and Seljuk Turks pressed the Empire from the Central Asian steppes. In desperation to save his Empire, Alexius called for assistance from the Christian states of Europe, resulting in the Crusades.
What was the result of the Fourth Crusade, which lasted from 1202 to 1204?
Originally intended to land in Egypt and march northward to retake Jerusalem, the Fourth Crusade instead invaded and sacked Constantinople, dealing the Byzantine state a blow from which it would never recover.
Who founded Islam in the seventh century?
In 610, Muhammad, a merchant from Mecca, a town on the Arabian Peninsula, founded Islam. While meditating in the mountains near Mecca, Muhammad had a spiritual encounter with the angel Jibril, during which Jibril revealed the word of Allah (God) to him. Muhammad returned to Mecca and began preaching to a small band of loyal followers.
Define:
Hegira (or, alternatively, Hijra)
In 622, Muhammad and his band of followers were forced to leave Mecca and flee to Medina, a city in the interior of the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad’s journey is known as the Hegira. Ten years later, Muhammad and his followers returned and were successful in converting the city. By the time of Muhammad’s death in 632, the entire Arabian Peninsula had been converted.
Define:
People of the Book
People of the Book is an Islamic term for Jews and Christians. Islam pays great respect to Jewish and Christian leaders, such as Moses and Jesus.
What religious text contains the teachings of Muhammad?
The Koran (Qur’an) contains the teachings of Muhammad as well as the revelations of God to Muhammad through Jibril.
Islam prescribes Five Pillars of Faith. What are they?
The Five Pillars of Islam are:
- there is no god but Allah
- daily prayer in the direction of Mecca
- fast during the month of Ramadan
- giving alms
- pilgrimage to Mecca at least once
Define:
Sharia
Sharia is the codification of Muslim law and bars such activities as eating pork and drinking alcohol. It requires Muslim women to veil themselves in public. Under Sharia, however, Muslim women have the right to inherit and own property.
What is the Umma?
The Umma is the religious, social, and political community of Muslims. Especially in early Islam, no distinction was made between religious affiliation and social allegiance.
Who was the first Caliph?
Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, served as the first Caliph (leader of the Umma).
After Muhammad’s death in 632, Abu Bakr and his successors led the Muslims in wars of religious conquest; by 661, Muslim forces had conquered Egypt, the Middle East, and Persia, destroying the Sassanid Empire.
What caused the Muslim community to split into two factions: the Sunnis and the Shiites?
In 656, two factions were competing for the title of Caliph. The Sunnis believed that Abu Bakr was rightfully named Caliph, that the Caliph should be chosen by believers, and that the Umayyad family were his rightful successors. The Shiites believed that Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, was his rightful successor and that the Caliph was determined by descent from Muhammad.
Most Muslims were (and are) Sunnis, although approximately 20% are Shiites. Although the Sunnis were triumphant and established the Umayyad Caliphate, the rift continues to this day.
What city was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate?
The capital of the Umayyad Caliphate was at Damascus, where the Caliphs directed the continual military expansion of Islam.
By the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate in 750 after a series of internal revolts, Islam had expanded throughout North Africa into Spain and conquered both Armenia and the area of modern-day Afghanistan.
Besides their military conquests, the Umayyad made Arabic the official language of Islam and instituted a tax on those who did not convert.
Define:
Sufism
Sufism is an Islamic religious group that stresses Islam’s mystical traditions and places an emphasis on meditation, fasting, and devout prayer.
Sufism arose during the Umayyad Caliphate out of a reaction to the increased worldliness of the Caliphs.
