unit 1/2 set Flashcards
an inn in some Eastern countries with a large courtyard that provides accommodation for caravans
caravanerai
An instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the position of the stars and planets
astralobe
Poll tax that non-Muslims had to pay when living within a Muslim empire
jizya
a high government official in ancient Egypt or in Muslim countries
vizier
nomadic people from central Asia (Turco-Persian) who converted to Islam and took command of the empire in 1055
seljuk turks
was a medieval Muslim territory and cultural domain occupying at its peak most of what are today Spain and Portugal.
muslim iberia
small groups of nomadic people in Arabia
bedouins
the Arab prophet who founded Islam (570-632)
muhammad
the stone cubical structure in the courtyard of the Great Mosque of Mecca, believed to have been built by Abraham and regarded by Muslims as the sacred center of the earth
ka’ba
the system of Islamic law, based on varying degrees of interpretation of the Qu’ran
sharia law
A pilgrimage to Mecca, performed as a duty by Muslims
hajj
A branch of Islam whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs (Abu Bakr) as the rightful successors of Muhammad
sunni
A muslim group that accepts only the descendants of Muhammad’s son in law (Ali) as the rulers of Islam.
shi’ite
A member of the more mystical third sect of Islam famous for their dance and their poetry. They sought a direct connection with god through a more mystical means.
sufi
Muslim house of worship
mosque
towers attached to the outside of a mosque, from where a crier calls Muslims to worship
minarets
Literally “people of the book”; applied as inclusive term to Jews and Christians in Islamic territories; later extended to Zoroastrians and even Hindus & Buddhists
dhimmi
Ship of small to moderate size used in the western Indian Ocean, traditionally with a triangular sail and a sewn timber hull.
dhow
The holy book of Islam
koran
the separate part of a Muslim household reserved for wives, concubines, and female servants.
harem
Centralized Indian empire of varying extent, created by Muslim invaders.
delhi sultanate
A cult of love and devotion that sought to erase the distinction between Hinduism and Islam during the 12th century.
bhakti cult
African societies organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority associated with states
stateless society
Formed in 1240 when Sundiata took control of Ghana Empire. It controlled trade across Sahara, the South and the Niger River.
mali empire
Ruler of Mali (r.1312-1337 CE) who made a hajj to Mecca; on the way there, he spread enormous amounts of gold showing the wealth of Mali; on the way back, he brought back education and Islamic culture.
mansa musa
Port city of Mali; located just off the flood plain on the great bend in the Niger River; population of 50,000; contained a library and university.
timbuktu