Theme-4

THE CENTRAL ISLAMIC LANDS

Prepared By
HARIDASAN.NADUVALATH
Govt.HSS Kottila,Kannur.
The Central Islamic Lands
 Islamic lands brought three aspects of human civilization:
Religion, Community and Politics
Sources to understand the History of central Islamic land
 1. Semi-historical works, such as biographies, records of
the sayings and doings of the Prophet (hadith) and
commentaries on the Quran (tafsir) are available.
 2. Large collection of eyewitness reports (akhbar)
transmitted over a period of time either orally or on paper.
The authenticity of each report was tested by a critical
method called isnad.
 3. Christian chronicles, written in Syriac are fewer but they
throw interesting light on the history of early Islam.
 4. Besides chronicles, we have legal texts, geographies,
travelogues and literary works, such as stories and
poems.
Arabs before Muhammad (Bedouins)
 Before the Prophet Muhammad, the Arabs were
divided in to tribes(qabila).
 A chief was chosen on the basis of his family as
well as his personal courage, wisdom and
generosity.
 Many Arab tribes were nomadic (Bedouins),
moving from dry to green areas (oases) of the
desert in search of food
 Some settled in cities and practised trade or
agriculture.
 Muhammad belongs to tribe known as QURAYSH.
Life of Muhammad
(AD 571-632)
Muhammad was born in Muhammad in

Makkah (571AD) in present- Arabic Calligraphy

day Saudi Arabia to a

merchant family. His
parents died when he was
young and he ended up
living with his uncle who
was a merchant and he
became a caravan manager.
The Life of Muhammed
Muhammad married an older widow named
Khadija.

Over time, he found the richness and

corruption of the merchants and townspeople
to be troubling.

He decided to visit the hills to meditate.

Muslims believe that while he was meditating
in the hills he received revelations from God
through the Angel Gabriel.
Muhammad’s Revelation
Muslims believe the Angel Gabriel told
Muhammad to recite what he heard, it was
believed that Allah had already revealed
himself through Moses and Jesus, but now
had a final revelation for man.

This final revelation became the religion of

Islam. Which means submission to the will
of God.
The Quran (Koran)
The Quran,the holy book of Islam, is written
in Arabic, which was the language of
Muhammad.
The Quran contains ethical
guidelines and laws by which
Muslims (followers of Islam)
should live their lives.
The Muslim observance of
Ramadan is to commemorate
the recording of the holy text.
After the Revelation
After Muhammad received his revelation
he went to his wife Khadija, she was his
first convert to the new religion.
He began to try to convert the people of
Makkah to his message, but he was
unsuccessful because of the opposition
of wealthy merchants.
Islamic Calendar
 The Muslims and their new religion had
faced considerable opposition from the
Meccans.
 In 622,Muhammad was forced to migrate
with his followers to Yathrib. (Renamed as
Medina-430 km from Mecca)
 The year of his journey marked the
beginning of the Muslim calendar.
(Hijrah Era)
Rise of Islam in Arabia
In Yathrib, renamed Medina (which means the city
of the prophet) Muhammad was accepted and
gained followers.
One of the groups which converted to the new
religion of Islam were the Bedouins who were
desert Arabs. This new community became the
first to practice the religion.
After several years, Muhammad became both a
spiritual and political leader, there was not an
idea of the separation of church and state. He
raised an army and conquered the city of
Makkah.
The Kaaba
After Muhammad took the city
of Makkah he cleansed the
Kaaba of idols and dedicated it
to Allah, who he taught was the
one true God.

All Muslims are encouraged to

make a pilgrimage to Makkah
known as the Hajj at least once
in their life if they are
physically and financially able.
Importance of Mecca
 It was in this city that Muhammad lived and
controlled the main shrine, a cube like
structure, known as Kaba in which idols were
placed.
 Tribes outside Mecca also considered the Kaba
holy, and placed their idols in it and made
annual pilgrimage to this shrine called Hajj.
 Mecca was located on the crossroad of a trade
route between Yemen and Syria which added
to the importance of the city.
Mecca
Principles and Messages of Prophet Muhammad
 He declared himself to be a messenger of God (rasul)
and commanded to preach that Allah alone should be
worshipped.
 He preached that worship should involve simple rituals
such as daily prayers(salat)
 His followers should follow moral principles such as;
(a)Abstain from theft,(b)Distribute alms, and(c)Be
bound together through common religious beliefs.
 He preached to found a single community of
believers(umma). His followers were called Muslims.
 They were promised salvation on the Day of Judgment
(qiyama) and a share of the resources of the community
while on earth.
The Teachings of Muhammad
Islam is Monotheistic, like Judaism and
Christianity.

Islam teaches a belief in an afterlife, those who

hope to achieve this afterlife must submit to the
will of Allah.

Muslims do not believe the Muhammad was

divine, they believe that he was a man.

Islam is seen not just as a religion, but as a way of

life.
Muslims feel that in order to achieve
salvation that they must obey the will
of Allah, or God.
In order to do this they must follow the
five major principles of Islam known as
the Five Pillars of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam
 1-Declaration of Faith
 Muslims must state that there is one God-Allah
and Muhammad is his prophet.

 2. Daily Prayer
 Muslims must pray five times a day facing the
Kaaba in Mecca.
 Pre Dawn
 Noon
 Afternoon
 Sunset
 Evening
Five Pillars Continued . . .
3. Charity
 Muslims are supposed to help others and
donate part of their income to charity.
(Zakat)

4. Fasting-Ramadan
 Muslims must fast from sunrise to sunset
during the holy month of Ramadan which
celebrates the recording of the Quran.
Hajj
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca: Hajj
 The fifth pillar of Islam is the Hajj.
 Once in a lifetime, if they are
physically and financially able, Muslims are to
journey to Mecca (Makkah) in Saudi Arabia and
perform the rituals of the Hajj.
The Caliphate and its Objectives
 After the death of Muhammad in 632 AD, no one
remained there to succeed him as prophet.
 So his authority was transferred to umma with no
established rule of succession.
 Then began the process of innovations which led to
the formation of the institution of Caliphate in which
the leader of the community (amir al-muminin)
became the deputy (khalifa) of the prophet.
 There were two main objectives of Caliphates
First was to retain the control over the tribes
constituting umma and Secondly to raise resources for
the state.
Creation of An Arab Empire
The First Four Caliphs
 The friend and father-in-law of Muhammad,
Abu Bakr, was chosen to be the first Caliph, or
successor to Muhammad.
 The second caliph was Umar. He shaped the
umma's policy of expansion.
 The third caliph was Uthman. He packed his
administration with his own men and this led
to opposition in Iraq and Egypt.
 The fourth caliph was Ali. It was in his time
that Muslims broke in to shias and Sunnis
The administration of the conquered territories by the
Caliphs
 The administration of conquered territories was headed by
governors (amirs) and tribal chieftains (ashraf).
 The central treasury(bait-al-mal)obtained its revenue from taxes
paid by Muslims as well as its share of booty from raids.
 The caliphs soldiers,mostly Bedouins,settled in camp cities at the
edge of the desert, such as Kufa and Basra.
 So that they remained within their natural habitat and at caliph's
command.
 The ruling class and soldiers received shares from booty and
monthly payment(ata)
 The non-muslim population retained their rights on property and
religious practices on payment of taxes. Such as kharaj and jiziya.
 Jews and Christians were declared as protected subjects of the
state(dammis) and were given a measure of autonomy in the
conduct of their communal affairs
The Umayyads and the changes introduced by
Umayyads in Politics or administration
 The Umayyad Dynasty was centered in Damascus, in
modern-day Syria and was wealthy. This was also a
very diverse empire as many different peoples had
been conquered in new territory.
 Muawiya was the first Umayyad caliph. He had made
himself the caliph after the death of Ali, in 661 C.E
 Umayyads were a prosperous clan of Qurayshi tribe.
 The Umayyads implemented a series of political
measures which first consolidated their leadership
within umma.
 Muawiya was the first Umayyad caliph moved his capital
to Damascus and adopted the court ceremonies and
administrative institutions of Byzantine Empire.
Damascus, Syria
Damascus, Syria
Changes introduced by Umayyads
 Muawia also introduced hereditary succession
and persuaded the leading Muslims to accept his
son as his heir.
 Although there were Christian adviser in
administration and Zoroastrian bureaucrats and
scribes, it was Islam that provided legitimacy to
their rule.
 In the Umayyad state the imperial power was not
based directly on Islam but on statecraft. They
appealed for unity and suppressed rebellions in
the name of Islam.
 The contribution of Abdul Malik(685-705)
 He was the 5th Umayyad ruler and it was in his
time that Arab and Islamic identity was
emphasized.
 Arabic was adapted as language and
administration and Islamic coinage was
introduced.
 Cross symbols and seals were removed from the
early coins and used Arabic scripts and seals.
 He built the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem
which is an Arab-Islamic identity.
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
Difference between the Islamic and other
coins that were circulating in the caliphate.
 Before the introduction of Islamic coins the
gold Dinar and silver Dirham were in
circulation in the Caliphate which were the
copies of Byzantine and Iranian coins(denarius
and drachm).They had symbols of crosses and
fire altars and Greek and Pahlavi(the language
of Iran) inscription on them. Abdul Malik and
his successors removed these symbols and
introduced coins with Arabic inscriptions.
The Abbasid Revolution
 The Umayyads were replaced by a
movement called dawa, led by Abbasids ,
another family of Mecca origin in 750.The
Umayyad regime was portrayed as evil by
the Abbasids. They promised to restore the
original Islam of prophet.
 Their army was led by an Iranian slave, Abu
Muslim, who defeated the last Umayyad
caliph, Marwan, in a battle at the river Zab.
The Abbasid Rule
 Under the Abbasid's rule the influence of Arabs declined
and the importance of Iranian culture increased.
 The Abbasids established their capital at Baghdad.
 The army and bureaucracy were reorganized on a non-
tribal basis to ensure greater participation by Iraq and
Khurasan.
 The religious status and the functions of the caliphate
were strengthened under their rule.
 They patronised Islamic institutions and scholars.
 They retained the centralized nature of state .
 They maintained the splendid imperial architecture and
elaborate court ceremonials of the Umayyads.
Bagdad
 Harun al-Rashid
 The greatest of the caliphs of the
dynasty. This is called the
golden age of the Abbasid
Dynasty (Caliphate)
 He was known for his charity
and was a great supporter of
culture and the arts.
 His son continued the tradition
and supported the study of
astronomy and began to
translate classical Greek works
into Arabic.
Causes for the Break-up of the Caliphate
A number of causes were responsible for the decline of the
Abbasid state.
1.The Abbasid state became weaker because the control
from Baghdad to distant places of the empire declined.
2. A conflict between pro-Arab and pro-Iranian factions of
the army and bureaucracy also led to the decline.
3. In 1810, a civil war broke out between the supporters of
Amin and Mamun, the sons of Harun-al-Rashid which led
to the creation of a new power block of Turkish slave
officers.
All these developments led to creation of number of
dynasties and Abbasid power limited to central Iraq and
western Iran.
 In 945 the Buyids, a Shiite clan from the
Caspian region of Iran captured Baghdad.
They kept the Abbasid caliph as the
symbolic head of their sunni subjects.
 Fatimids were of shiite origin and had
ambition to rule the Islamic world. They
claimed descendants of Fatima the daughter
of Prophet Muhammad and hence rightful
rulers of Islam. They had their base in
North Africa and conquered Egypt and
established new capital at Qahira (Cairo).
THE TURKS
 The Turks were nomadic
tribes from the Central Asian
steppes who gradually
converted to Islam. They were
skilled riders and warriors and
entered the Abbasid, Samanid
and Buyid administrations as
slaves and soldiers, rising to
high positions on account of
their loyalty and military
abilities.
The Rise of Sultanate
 The Ghaznavid sultanate was established by
Alptegin (961). It was consolidated by Mahmud of
Ghazni (998-1030).
 Ghaznavids were a military dynasty with a
professional army of Turks and Indians.
 The Abbasid caliphs were not rivals but a source
of legitimacy for Ghaznavids.
 Mahmud was eager to receive the title of Sultan
from the caliph.
 The caliph was willing to support the Sunni
Ghaznavid as a counterweight to Shiite power.
Seljuk Turks
 As the Fatimid Dynasty in Egypt became
more powerful they became the new center
of the Muslim world.
 One group which came to power in this
region were the Seljuk Turks.
 The Turks played a large role in the
military and many rose through the ranks
to gain a lot of political power.
The Seljuk Turks
 The Saljuq Turks entered the scene as soldiers.
They later established themselves as a powerful
group under the leadership of two brothers,
Tughril and Chaghri Beg.
 After the death of Mahmud of Gazni, they
conquered Khurasan and made Nishapur their
Capital.
 Then they moved to western Persia and Iraq and
restored Baghdad to Sunni rule (1055)
 The caliph, al-Qaim, conferred on Tughril Beg the
title of Sultan. The two Saljuq brothers ruled
together.
•War between European Christians & Muslims
•11th – 12th Centuries
•To reconqure Jerusalem, the holy land of Christians
•Jerusalem- part of Byzantium empire, conquered by
Arabs in AD638 but protected the Christian community
Crusades
 Crusades were the wars fought by Christians against
Muslims to free the Holy Land of Palestine.
 In 1076 Seljuk Turks conquered Jerusalem and
started torturing Christians.
 AD 1092 Seljuk Sultan Maliks died-his empire started
disintegrating.
 This gave a chance to Byzantine Emperor Alexius-I to
regain Asia Minor and Northern Syria and he tried to
conquer this region.
 Pope Urban II joined with Alexis to release the holy
land of Jerusalem.
 He advised to take arms, in the name of God.
 In between AD 1095-1291- 4 major wars and small
battles, ie, Crusades.
Crusades
Crusade I (1098-1099)
 Soldiers of France and Italy captured
Antioch & Jerusalem.
 Massacre of Muslims and Jews.
 Formation of 4 Crusade countries in
Syria-Palestine area-called Outremer.
 Other crusades for protect the
Outremer.
Crusade II (1145-1149)
 Started in 1144-Edessa,one of Outremer, reconquered
by Turks.
 Pope declared II war, but failed.
 German-French army tried to capture Damascus but
defeated by Turks.
 Salam Aldin(Saladin) founded Egyptian-Syrian
empire and declared Jihad against Christians.
 In 1187 he defeated Crusaders and reoccupied
Jerusalem.
 Jerusalem came under the Turks after a century.
 Saladin converted Christian churches to Muslim
Mosques and Jerusalem became a Muslim city.
Crusade III
 Started in AD1189.
 Major cause – losing of Jerusalem.
 No major success to the Crusaders- But the
crusaders gained little victory in Palestine and got
free access to Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims.
 The Mamluks, the rulers of Egypt, finally
expelled the crusading Christians from all of
Palestine in 1291.
 Europeans gradually lost their interest in
Crusades.
Consequences of Crusades
 (1)Muslim countries began to show
rigid and hostile attitude towards its
Christian subjects where there were
mixed populations.
 (2) Increased influence of Italian
mercantile communities in the trade
between the East and the West even
after the restoration of Muslim power.
Economy, Agriculture, Trade &
Urbanization
 Agriculture was the main occupation
 Land owned by Small & Big Peasants
 Tax collected by Estate owners
 Land gave up by owners given to Nobles, especially
in the family of Caliph
 Agricultural land controlled by Govt.
 Land Tax- major source of income
 1/5 – ½, 1/10 for Muslims
 Tendency of religious conversion
 Later - equal share from all
Economy, Agriculture, Trade &
Urbanization
 Officials paid from Agricultural revenue –
Iqta
 Cotton, Orange, Banana, Spinach,
Sugar, Water Melon
 Exported to Europe
 Construction of canals and dams,
digging of wells – encouraged by the
govt.
Agriculture
Economy, Agriculture, Trade &
Urbanization
 Cities: Khufa, Basra, Fustat, Cairo, Bagdad,
Damascus, Isfahan, Samarkhand.
 Two Important Structures: Masjid al Jami &
Central Market place
 City Population: Rulers, Scholars, Merchants
 Outer Circle: Common People, Soldiers, Church,
Masjid, Synagogue
 Out side the city: Cemetery, Rest houses.
Economy, Agriculture, Trade &
Urbanization
Economy, Agriculture, Trade &
Urbanization
 Development of Trade;
 Spices, Cotton textiles, gunpowder from
India and china.
 Coinage: Gold, silver,copper
 Use of Sakk (Cheque) – Banking
 Sea trade monopoly for 5 centuries with
China, India and Europe- Arab & Iranian
Traders.
Islamic Coinage
ISLAMIC COINAGE
Society
Social divisions;
1. Muslims of ruling class
2. Newly converted Muslims
3. Non-Muslims
4. Slaves
Learning & Culture
 Ulamas – Interpretation of Quran
 Islamic laws – Sharia
 The sharia provided guidance on all possible legal
issues within Sunni society.
 The Qasi- the judge appointed by the state in each city
or locality.
 Differences in the interpretation of laws in the 8th & 9th
centuries.
 Four Schools of law(mazhab): Maliki, Hanafi, Shafi
and Hanbali.
Learning and Culture
 Quran: A book in Arabic divided into 114 chapters
(Suras), arranged from big to small, except 1st chapter
(short prayer- Al faitha or opening)
 According to Muslim tradition, the Quran is a
collection of messages which God sent to the prophet
Muhammed between AD 610 and 632, first in Mecca
and then in Madina.
 The task of compiling these revelations(messages)was
completed some time in AD 650.
The Holy Quran
Learning & Culture
 Higher education Centre-Nizamiya-
Bagdad(Estd.1065)
 Mustansiriya Madrasa of Bagdad, founded in 1233.
 The Madrasa was a college of learning for students
who had finished their schooling in maktab.
 Madrasas were attached to mosques.
 Educational Institutions: Alexandria, Syria,
Mesopotamia.
 Greek philosophy, Maths, Astronomy, Medicine
 Translation of books in to Arabic.
Learning & Culture
 Introduction of paper from China.
 In 1896, a huge collection of medieval
Jewish documents was discovered in a
sealed room(Geniza) of the Ben Ezra
synagogue in Fustat (Egypt) – Geniza
records.
 Thanks to the Jewish practice of not
destroying any piece of writing that
contained the name of God.
Learning and culture
 Ibn Sina(AD980-1037), Avisenna in Europe
 Al-quanun fil tibb(Laws of medicine).
Learning and Culture
 Abu Nawas, Persian Poet
 Questioned the cultural domination of Arabic.
Omer Khayam(1048-1113)
 Poet, Astronomer, Mathematician
 Author of Rubayiath.
Omer Khayam
Rudaki
 Father of modern Persian Poetry.
Firdousi
 The author of Shanama (Book of kings)
 Lived in the Court of Muhammed Gazni
Literature
 Jahid : Kitab-al-Bukkala(Book of misers)
 1001 Nights-Collection of stories told by a single
narrator, Shahrzad, to her husband night after
night.
Historical Texts
 Baladhuri’s Ansab-Al-Ashraf.
 Tabari’s Tarika-al-Rusul walmuluk(History of
prophets and kings)
 Al-Mazudi’s Muruj Al Dhahab
 Albiruni’s Tahkik ma lil-Hind (History of India)
Art & Architecture
Mecca and Madena – centre of Music,
poetry and love during Umayyad
Period.
Tuva isa (AD 632-710) - Father of
Arabian music.
Art & Architecture
 Religious buildings were the greatest
external symbols of Islamic world.
 Mosques, shrines, palaces, tombs, caravan
serais and hospitals from Spain to Central
Asia showed the same basic design – arches,
domes, minarets and open courtyards.
 Keerbath-al-mafjer-desrt palace-Palestine
 Qasar Amra-desert palace-Jordhan-
Umeyyads
Keerbath-al-mafjer, Palestine


Qasar Amra, Jordhan


SUFISM
A group Muslims sought a deeper and more
personal knowledge of God through asceticism
and mysticism.
The word ‘sufi’ means a person who wear wool.
Sufism
 A group Muslims sought a deeper and more personal
knowledge of God through asceticism and mysticism.
 The word ‘sufi’ means a person who wear wool.
 Devotion and love of God-Unity with God can be
achieved through an intense love for God(Ishq), which
the woman-saint Rabia of Basra preached in her poems.
 Bayazid Bistami, an Iranian Sufi, was the first to teach
the importance of submerging the self(fana) in God.
 Sufis used Music to preach their ideas. Followed
simplicity.
 Sufism is open to all regardless of religion, status and
gender. Sufism gained popularity and posed a challenge
to orthodox Islam.
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