Study Guide: The World History of Islam

*I’m only putting everything that’s on the sheet she gave us yesterday (Tuesday). If she adds anything in class, feel free to throw that in here, since I have no idea what she’s going to add, she told me I have to find out through other people. Also, by the time you read this it’ll probably be incomplete still, but I’ll try to get in as much as I can while y’all are still in school. ­K.G.

Vocabulary Rise of Islam Vocab:
Umma:
A word used to describe the collective community of those who believe/practice in the Islamic faith. Important because _____________. Caliph:
The successor of the prophet Muhammad; important because caused the religion to split into two factions based on who they believed should become the next Caliph (Sunni and Shi’ite). Sunni:
A faction of Islam that believed the next Caliph should be the most qualified
Muslim to take the position; larger of the two factions. Important because since Islam is divided into 2 groups with different beliefs, instead of 1 empire, there are many empires with different ways of life, innovations, ways of ruling, and interpretations. Shi’ite:
A faction of Islam that believed the next Caliph should only be a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad himself. Important because since Islam is divided into 2 groups with different beliefs, instead of 1 empire, there are many empires with different ways of life, innovations, ways of ruling, and interpretations. Kharijites: faction of Islam that broke away from the Shi’ites. Most radical­ believed if one committed a sin they were no longer a Muslim . Important because it further divided the Muslims. Qur’an (or Koran):
The Holy Book of the Islamic faith. It’s important because it’s used to dictate the law and daily lives and beliefs of all Muslims living in the Arabian Peninsula.

Hadith:
Somebody who reported the words or actions ascribed to Muhammad and the
Companions (his followers); important because it became the chief source of Muslim legal and religious norms, alongside the Qur’an. Ulama:
“persons of right knowledge”; important because they’re scholars whose legal opinions and collective decisions of issues established the basis for religious and social order in the Islamic Empire. Mecca:
The city where the Ka’ba was located; considered to be a Holy City for the Islamic faith; the rulers of the city tried to have Muhammad and his followers killed because they needed the Ka’ba and the polytheistic religions in the area in order to keep the area surrounding the Ka’ba to be a safe place to trade, which is what contributed to Mecca being as prosperous of a city as it was. Ka’ba:
A structure in the city of Mecca that held the idols of all of the polytheistic religions believed in by the warring Bedouin tribes; the area surrounding it was an extremely successful marketplace, and was very peaceful since all who came in the area were linked by a common need to practice their religion (however fighting immediately continued once away from the area). The 5 Pillars:
5 basic duties of a Muslim. Important because in order to be considered a good Muslim, one must complete all:
1) Declaration of Faith ­ “There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
2) Daily Prayer: Takes place 5 times daily in the direction of Mecca, after a ritual washing
3) Giving charity (or alms ) to those in need
4) Fasting from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan
5) The Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca once during their lifetime to visit the Ka’ba, the “first
House of God” built by Abraham and his son Ishmael at God’s command People of the Book:
Those who followed a monotheistic religion (Christianity, Judaism,
Hinduism) and lived in Islamic territory, had to pay a head tax (jizya) to keep being able to practice their religious beliefs. Important because Muhammad let them keep their religious beliefs, surprising everyone when there was no bloodshed. Jizya:
Head tax paid by non­Islamic monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism,
Hinduism) that were practiced in Islamic territory in order to keep the right to continue

practicing their religion. Important because it separated Muslims from non­Muslims in the empires. Financial conflict was caused by this, ultimately leading to the downfalls of many empires. Sharia:
Laws based on the Qur’an. Important because they were used to regulate government, family, and community. Imam: the person who stands in front to leave the ritual prayer. Urdu hindi: a language that combines Persian ­Arabic and native Indian elements.
Important because new language is an important innovation. Islamic Renaissance:
House of Wisdom:
Located in Baghdad (now capital of present­day Iraq) where all of the best scholars/best in every profession in the Islamic Empire resided, and was the center of learning, and new inventions and innovations quickly made their way there Cordoba:
City in southern Spain, which was the only European area controlled by the
Islamic Empire, most prosperous city on the continent since the remainder of Europe was going through the Dark Ages; Alhambra, which was located there, was one of the greatest pieces of Islamic architecture; Cordoba was, for some Christians, their first exposure to the rest of the Muslim world

Ottoman Vocab
Janissaries:
Elite Ottoman troops who were recruited through the devshirme. Devshirme: the system under the Ottoman empire that required each province to furnish a levy of Christian boys who were raised as Muslims and became soldiers in the Ottoman army. Important because it let to the Janissaries, which greatly contributed to the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Safavid Vocab
Shah Abbas I:
One of the greatest leaders of the Mughal Empire. Important because he brought able leadership to them, opening trade with the English and Dutch, bringing wealth to Iran, and pushing the Ottomans and Uzbeks out of Azerbaijan.

Mughal Vocab
Akbar the Great: founder of the Mughal Empire. Important because he was the greatest
Indian ruler since Ashoka. Rajputs:
The Hindu warrior class whose military prowess was used to fiercely fight against Muslim expansion into India, but ultimately failed due to a lack of unity between the groups. Urdu­Hindi:
The language that was used to try and create a better communication medium between Muslims and Hindus in India to better open up trade and everyday communication since the two cultures were already radically different to begin with in both class system and religion Vijayanagar:
Region of India that stayed center of Hindu culture, political, and religious activity for the longest amount of time after Muslim expansion

Short Answer Origins of Islam
Muhammad who was born in Mecca was disgruntled by the violence that was getting worse in the Arabian Peninsula and hoped to find religion. So one day he went to a cave to pray and was visited by the Archangel Gabriel and he was told to preach the idea of there being only one God. He started preaching to his family. Women and the poor were the first to accept his message. The leaders of Mecca, who wanted polytheism to continue since it gave the Ka’ba a purpose economically since it was the only safe place in the area for peaceful trade amongst the warring Bedouin tribes out in the surrounding deserts, were not fond of Muhammad’s teachings. After Muhammad’s uncle, the leader of one of the more powerful Bedouin tribes, died, Muhammad and his followers were vulnerable for attack.
The city of Yathrib, which was experiencing trouble between the Jewish and Arabic tribes in that area, reached out for help from Muhammad, who had a reputation as a good mediator, despite only being a merchant. Muhammad and his followers embarked on a journey to Yathrib, where they’d be given protection upon arrival, and this journey would soon be known as the Hijra, which took place in 622 A.D. When they arrived there, the city was then renamed Medina, and Islam was recognized as an official religion.

Success of the Islamic Empire
● Relatively little bloodshed
● Little destruction
● All monotheistic religions allowed to continue to practice as long as they paid the jizya (tax)
● Garrison towns ­ strategically placed military towns in order to protect territory from outside invaders, put down uprisings, and didn’t affect overall daily life of citizens in newly conquered areas
● Daily life in all areas not majorly affected
● Fair taxes instituted for people
● Adopted existing political systems and personnel
● Almost everyone was united under the common belief of Islam
● Arabic language was a common medium of communication Islam’s Effect on the Daily Life of Citizens
1. Basic Duties: Five Pillars:
● Faith
● Daily Prayer
● Charity
● Fasting during the day during the month of Ramadan
● Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
2. Holy Book: Qur’an ­
Base of entire culture ­ Considered sacred word of Allah ­
Final authority on all matters ­
Complete guide for life
3. Arts
1. Ban against presenting symbols of Allah (Muhammad can only be shown with a veil over his face)
2. Elaborate decorations and architecture in mosques 4. Women
● Men and women considered spiritual equals
● Women’s rights and role limited in worldly affairs
5. Arabic
­ Language in which Qur’an must be read

­ Language learned by converts to Islam
­ Unifying force for Muslims from many regions 6. Law & Government
● ALWAYS based on Qur’an
● Sharia ­ laws based on the Qur’an; regulate government, family, and community life. Declines of Empires
Ottoman Empire
­It got financially stressful to keep the
Janissaries in strict fighting condition because they kept trying to get involved with stuff (tried to influence decisions and successions to the throne). ­The decline of economy contributed, fluctuations of silver led to inflation of population and increased unemployment.
­Division between Muslims and non­Muslims and discrimination. Safavid Empire
­continued pressure from Ottoman+Uzbek armies.
­concentration of wealth at the center of the empire+corresponding economic decline.
­power+bigotry of Shi’ite Ulama. ­encouraged hate of Sunni Muslims. ­persecuted religious minorities. ­Shi’ite Ulama introduced Legalism+emphasized authority over the Safavid monarch. Mughal Empire
­uprisings.
­Persian invasion of North India.
­Afghan tribe invasions.
­rise of powerful Islamic state in Deccan.
­Hindu Marathas rose religiously and nationalistically to form their own empire.
­Sikhs formed military force due to persecution
SIMILAR REASONS FOR DECLINE BETWEEN ALL EMPIRES
­lack of unification/division.
­poor economy.
­religious differences.
­military issues/outside invasions.
­unstable leadership.