Rise of Islam
Who was Muhammad, and what is the book of his teachings called?
He was a merchant who felt that idol worship of Arabs was wrong, so be began to fast and meditate. He heard the voice of Angel Gabriel, and became the last and greatest Prophet for the Islam religion. His teaching make up the Qur'an.
What is the unifying language of Muslims?
Arabic
Define: Golden Age of Islam
A time of peace, prosperity, and great cultural achievements.
What is the Hagia Sophia?
Hagia Sophia was a church into a mosque by Mehmed II
Define: Umma
A Muslim community
What is the name of the most sacred city for Muslims, and what important things happened there?
Mecca is the most sacred city for Muslims.
It's the city Muhammad was born in and where he heard the voice of Angel Gabriel (at the Ka'ba shrine)
How did old trade routes get revived during this time period?
The growth and spread of Islam revived the trade connections between Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Describe Islamic art styles, and how is Muhammad or God depicted in Muslim art?
Islamic artists frequently used geometric designs in their works of art.
Muhammad forbade images of God or himself. What few images there are of Muhammad, his face is always covered.
What is a millet?
A non-Muslim religious community
Define: Jihad
"Striving," to encourage the expansion of Islam
What is significant about the city of Medina in the Muslim religion?
Medina is the city Muhammad fled to in the Hijrah, or "flight" to escape threats of violence, hostility, and rejection he faced in Mecca.
What was a religious poll tax, and how did it help the growth of Islam?
People who were conquered and maintained their own religion had to pay a tax to avoid military duties. The money from the taxes helped create a strong economic base for Islam.
In what two ways did the Abbasid Dynasty help spread Islam?
Conquest: Abbasids conquered land and encouraged people to convert to Islam
Trade Network: Abbasids traded all over Europe, Asia, and Africa, leading to cultural diffusion of Islam
What is the Taj Mahal, & what is written on its walls?
Shah Jahan built a tomb for wife Mumtaz Mahal: Taj Mahal. Designed in Persian style, verses from Quran on walls
Define: cultural diffusion
The spreading of cultural elements—such as ideas, religions, technologies, and languages —from one group, person, or region to another.
What is an Abrahamic religion?
Religions that all started with the prophet Abraham. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all Abrahamic religions, and their "God" is the same.
Who was chosen as the the First Caliph after Muhammad died, and what did it lead to?
Abu-Bakr was First Caliph, and it lead to the split between the two branches of the Muslim religion.
What is a sakk, and what advances in trading and & banking did they allow?
Sakk: similar to a modern day check
Trade routes were safer for merchants and buyers because they didn't have to carry cash in order to buy/sell.
Define each empire: Ottoman, Safavid, & Mughal
Ottoman: Nomads who saw themselves as Ghazis (warriors for Islam). Their military success was based on the new use gunpowder (learned from the Chinese).
Safavid: An empire in Persia made of Shiite Muslims ruled by a shah (king). Abbas the Great formed a centralized government, powerful military, made alliances, and reduced taxes on farmers in his empire.
Mughal: Founded by Babur in Northern India, who claimed he was a relative of Genghis Khan. The empire spanned from the Himalayas to the Deccan Plateau
Define: ghazi
Warrior for Islam
Name AND describe all Five Pillars of Islam.
1. Declaration of Faith - there is only one God and Muhammad is his prophet
2. Daily Prayer - Muslims pray 5 times a day, facing Mecca
3: Alms to the poor - giving to charity
4: Fasting during Ramadan - a 30 fast, no eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan
5: Hajj - a pilgrimage to Mecca that a Muslim makes once in their life, if they are able
What is the difference between a Sunni Muslim and a Shiite Muslim?
Sunni - Abu-Bakr was the proper First Caliph, following the belief that the consensus of the early Muslim community should determine who leads next.
Shiite - Ali ibn Abi Talib was the proper First Caliph, following the belief that the family/relatives of Muhammad should determine who leads next.
Identify how the Muslims advanced the following areas: Medicine, Mathematics, & Literature
Medicine: Muslim doctors learned how to diagnose disease, understood how diseases spread through germs, and that blood was moved by the heart.
Mathematics: Muslims learned the concept of 0 from India, developed Arabic numerals (ex. 1, 2, 3...), and made advances in trigonometry, algebra, calculus, & geometry.
Literature: Muslims based literature on the Qur'an, writing stories like Aladdin (Muslim fairytale originally!), and popularizing music and poetry.
Identify & describe the following rulers: Mehmed II, Suleiman the Magnificent, Akbar the Great, & Aurangzeb
Mehmed II: Ottoman Empire, captures Constantinople & renames it Istanbul. Ruled by a sultan (political & religious leader). Law based on the Sharia
Suleiman: Ottoman Empire, Modernized army & expanded empire into Mesopotamia, Hungary to Arabia, & across North Africa. Created a law code, simplified taxes. Golden Age under his leadership.
Akbar: Mughal Empire, Created a strong central government, won support of Hindus through religious toleration, blending of cultures, & marrying a Hindu princess, modernized the army, encouraged international trade, standardized weights & measures, introduced land reforms
Aurangzeb: Mughal Empire, expanded empire, observed strict Islamic law. During Aurangzeb’s reign, the central state weakened, making the emperor more of a figurehead.
Define: religious tolerance
Being willing to accept other religions to be among your own; not forcing anybody to convert to your religion.