Caliphs and the Court
What is a caliph?
This title is given to the political and religious leader of the Muslim community, and was claimed by the Umayyad rulers.
What was the social placement of Arabs in society?
What are Mawali?
Non-Arab Muslims who converted to Islam and were often treated as "disposable."
What is an empire?
A large group of lands and peoples ruled by one government or ruler.
What is Damascus?
The city in Syria that became the Umayyad capital and center of the royal court.
Why did Arab Muslims often have higher pay than others in the empire?
The Umayyads favored Arabs for top jobs in the army and government.
What is the jizya?
A special tax that non-Muslims (and sometimes converts) were forced to pay.
What is architecture?
The art and design of buildings like mosques and palaces.
What is a dynasty?
What is the government revenue?
Money from taxes that the government uses to pay officials and soldiers.
Why were the mawali often unhappy under the Umayyads?
They were intentionally kept out of high positions and sometimes had to pay extra taxes than the Arabs.
What is the Silk Road?
A network of trade routes that linked to Asia. Africa, and Europe.
Why were some Muslims angered by how the Umayyad caliphs lived?
The caliphs lived in luxury palaces and did not live simply with good values like the Prophet Muhammad.
What is a tribal social structure?
A system where people are organized into tribes that shape identity and protection.
Why did the treatment of Mawali help the Abbasids gain more power?
The unfair treatment made Mawali support the Abbasid rebels, who promised more equality.
What are dhimmi?
Jews, Christians, and other protected non-Muslims.
What is the First Fitna?
The first Muslim civil war that helped lead to Umayyad rule.
Why did non-Arab Muslims support the Abbasids?
They were angry at Arab privilege in the Umayyad community and wanted more equality.
What is the idea of equality of believers in Islam?
The belief that all Muslims are spiritually equal before God.
Why was Arabic important under Umayyad rule?
It became the main language of government and learning across the empire.