Unit 1: Topic 2 - Developments in Dar al-Islam from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Question 1

What city became a center for culture and learning under the Abbasid Caliphate?

Answer 1

Under the Abbasid Caliphate, Baghdad became a center for culture and learning, attracting scholars from as far away as Europe.

Question 2

Who were the Mamluks?

Answer 2

The Mamluks were Turkish horsemen from Central Asia who were often purchased and enslaved by Arab leaders to serve as soldiers and later as bureaucrats. Because of their roles, Mamluks had more opportunities for advancement than most enslaved people and ended up seizing control of Egypt, establishing the Mamluk Sultanate (1250-1517). Mamluks prospered, facilitating the cotton and sugar trade between the Islamic world and Europe until European powers, such as the Portuguese, developed new sea routes for trade, resulting in a decline of Mamluk power.

Question 3

Who were the Seljuk Turks?

Answer 3

The Seljuk Turks were nomads who’d converted to Islam and, starting in the 11th century, challenged Abbasid authority by unifying the Turkic tribes of the Central Asian steppes, thus creating the Seljuk Empire. Although the Seljuk Turks took over the governmental functions of the Abbasids, they did allow the Caliphs to continue their religious functions.

Question 4

What was the Delhi Sultanate?

Answer 4

An Islamic state formed in Northern India in 1206 that reigned for 300 years. Due to the lack of an efficient bureaucracy and the constant threat of Mongol invasion, the Delhi sultans had difficulty imposing their policies across India and ultimately lost power to the Mughal Empire in 1526.

Question 5

Caliphate

Answer 5

A state that is ruled by a caliph, a Muslim ruler who is both the ruler of a state and the leader of an entire ummah (an Arabic word referring to the entire Muslim community)

Question 6

Christianity

Answer 6

a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. With its emphasis on compassion, grace through faith, and the promise of eternal life regardless of personal circumstances, Christianity appealed widely to the lowers classes and women. By the 3rd century C.E., Christianity had become the most influential religion in the Mediterranean basin. Following a period of sporadic and localized persecution, it eventually became legal and then the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Question 7

Hajj

Answer 7

One of the five pillars of Islam; is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Muslim is expected to make at least once in their lifetime. The Hajj is associated with the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century AD, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Abraham. During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of millions of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals

Question 8

Islam

Answer 8

A monotheistic faith that was founded by the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century C.E. Muslims believe that salvation is won through submission to the will of God and that this can be accomplished by following the five pillars, which state that believers must accept Allah as their only God, pray daily facing Mecca, give charity to the poor, fast during the holy month of Ramadan, and, if possible, make a pilgrimage called a hajj to Mecca at least once. Islam’s sacred text, the Qur’an, is the collected revelations of Muhammad; Muslims believe these to be the direct words of Allah to the prophet.

Question 9

Judaism

Answer 9

The first of the monotheistic faiths, Judaism is a religion based on the spiritual and ethical principles in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the Talmud. Jewish people believe that they were created by a personal, sovereign God, as was the world, for them to live in and enjoy and in which they could exercise free will. The destiny of the world is paradise, reached by human beings with divine help.

Question 10

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

Answer 10

An Islamic scholar who is celebrated for laying the groundwork for trigonometry, as well as for contributions to other subjects such as astronomy, law, logic, ethics, philosophy, and medicine.

Question 11

House of Wisdom

Answer 11

A renowned center of learning located in Baghdad, established in 830 C.E. under the Abbasid Caliphate. Some achievements attributed to the students of the institution include translating Greek classics into Arabic, studying mathematics from India, and adopting paper-making techniques from China.

Question 12

A’ishah al-Ba’uniyyah

Answer 12

A Sufi poet and mystic considered one of the most prolific female Muslim writers. Her best-known work is a long poem honoring Muhammad called “Clear Inspiration, on Praise of the Trusted One.”

Question 13

Mongol

Answer 13

A nomadic group from Central Asia that conquered the Abbasid Empire in 1258 and ended Seljuk rule.

Question 14

Muhammad

Answer 14

The Arab founder of Islam, Muhammad, is held by Muslims to be the chief prophet of God. Muslims believe that the Qur’an was dictated to him by an angel sent from God.

Question 15

Spread of Islam

Answer 15

The spread of Islam across the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia resulted from a combination of military conquest (particularly under the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires), Trans-Eurasian trade, and missionary activity. The area controlled by Muslim powers ultimately became known as Dar al-Islam, meaning “all under Islam.”

Question 16

Sufism

Answer 16

Sufism is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ritualism, asceticism, and esotericism.
Practitioners of Sufism are referred to as “Sufis” and historically typically belonged to “orders” known as tariqa – congregations formed around a grand wali who would be the last in a chain of successive teachers linking back to Muhammad. Sufism emerged early on in Islamic history, partly as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750). Although Sufis were opposed to dry legalism, they strictly observed Islamic law and belonged to various schools of Islamic jurisprudence and theology. Sufis also played an important role in spreading Islam through their missionary and educational activities.