The Umayyad Empire

Territory • • • • • • •

Mesopotamia North Africa Spain Crete, Sicily, and Sardinia Northwest India Dominated eastern Mediterranean Sea Capital at Damascus

Islamic Expansion

Subjects • Only Muslim Arabs firstclass citizens and shared in booty • Local populations converted to Islam (Mawali). What was motivation? • Non-Arab Muslimsdiscrimination • Number of conversions during Umayyad low • Dhimmis- “People of the Book.”

Family and Gender • Islam under Muhammad stressed family and equality of women • Women had some freedom under Umayyadspursued wide range of occupations • Rising Arab urbanization = decline of women’s rights • Persian custom of seclusion / harem

Decline and Fall • Umayyad became soft and corrupt due to increasing wealth and power • Warrior lifestyle declined • Decadent living sparked revolts • Indian frontier - warrior settlers revolted under banner of Abbasid party aided by Shi’ites and Mawali • 750 CE victory over Umayyads

Decline and Fall • Umayyads wiped out • Grandson of Umayyad caliph escaped to Spain- founded Caliphate of Cordoba

The Abbasids • • • • • • •

Abbasids turned on Shi’ite allies Built centralized state- absolute power Capital at Baghdad Bureaucracy under Wazir Royal executioner - intimidation Revenues in form of tribute and taxes Abbasids grew less powerful at distance

The Abbasids • Caliphs placed themselves above Islamic law • Rulers called themselves “Shadow of god on Earth” Divine rule? • Caliphs became remote from people • Practice of dividing booty discarded • New emphasis on conversions

The Abbasids • Mawali gained equality with Arab Muslims • Persians became powerful force in Abbasid court

Commerce and Urbanization • Wealth and status of merchant and landlord class grew • Muslims and Tang China became engines behind revival of world trade • Technology - Arab Dhows & lateen (triangular) sails • Business partnerships between Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

The Astrolabe

Commerce and Urbanization • Increase in handicraft production (furniture, carpets, glass, etc) • Guild associations formed • Wealthy landed elite formed called Ayan • Many farmers were tenants, sharecroppers, or migrant laborers • Towns flourished despite political instability A shop in a bazaar

Slavery • Unskilled labor done by slaves - some brutality • Slaves could gain freedom and/or serve in positions of power • Most drudge labor slaves were Zanj slaves (non-Muslim Africans) • Beautiful / educated slaves prized • Slave women had more freedom than Muslim women Zanj Slaves

Slavery • Caliph had up to 4,000 slave concubines • Most slaves from Balkans, Central Asia, and Sudanic Africa • Word “slave” derived from “Slav”

A caliph and his concubine

Women • Women increasingly subjugated to men (harem / veil) • Women from lower classes worked to help support family • Rich women had no outlets • Marriage age at puberty (legal age= 9)

Purdah: wearing of the veil and seclusion

Islamic Culture • Muslims influenced by conquered peoples • Islamic technological advances • Despite decline of Abbasids, professional classes expanded (towns) • Persian culture dominated Abbasid court • Persian court and cultural language • Poetry - Rubiyat- Omar Khayyam

The Rubiyat

Religious Trends • Religious scholars (ulama) became increasingly reactionary • Sufi movementwandering mysticsfactor in spread of Islam Whirling Dervish – Sufi whirls himself into trance-like state

Abbasid Decline • Shi’ite revolts plagued Abbasids • Decadent living strained revenues • Problem of succession • Court intrigue- wives, concubines, ministers, eunuchs, etc • Increasing influence of Persian ministers over caliphs

Abbasid Decline • Harun al-Rashid – most famous caliph • Rashid’s death resulted in civil wars over succession • Successors created bodyguard of slave mercenaries - Turks (70,000) • Turks became power behind thronemurdered and replaced caliphs.

Abbasid Decline

A Turkish warrior

• Turkish mercenaries became violent force in Muslim society- source of constant riots • Expense of putting down Turks, paying other mercenary forces, construction projects caused financial crisis • Villages placed under rule of mercenaries in lieu of payment

Abbasid Decline • Pillaging led to destruction / abandonment of villages • Irrigation structure collapsed • Peasants fled, died, or turned to banditry • Loss of territory as regions split from Abbasid rule • Buyids of Persia (breakaway region) captured Baghdad- caliphs became puppets (945 CE)

Seljuk Turks • Buyid control broken in 1055 by Seljuk Turks • Turkish military rulers ran empire in name of caliphs • Turks crushed Byzantine army and opened Anatolian Peninsula to settlement • Crusades

End of the Caliphate • Mongol assaults on Muslim Persia by Chinggis Khan • Hulegu Khan (grandson) completed conquest of Baghdad in 1258 • Last Abbasid caliph executed • Mongols turned back by Mameluk Turks (rulers of Egypt) • Islamic center of gravity shifted to Cairo Islam

Islamic Civilization