Expansion
Rightly Guided Caliphates
Stop of Expansion
Legacy
Potpourri
100
From what area of the world did Islam first grow?
The Arabian Peninsula.
100
Who was the first caliph of Islam after Muhammad's death? What was his relation to Muhammad?
Abu Bakr. His father-in-law.
100
What was the battle that effectively ended Islamic expansion into Europe?
Battle of Tours
100
What is one of the main forms of artistic decoration for Islamic mosques?
Calligraphy
100
Where did the Umayyad caliphate move the capital of the empire to?
Damascus.
200
How big was the Islamic Empire compared to that of the Roman Empire?
At its height, it was 5.8 million square acres and was TWICE the size of the Roman Empire.
200
Why are the first four caliphs called "The Rightly Guided" caliphs?
They have a direct connection to Muhammad and helped establish many of the dogmatic practices of Islam.
200
What civilization effectively held the spread of Islam in check from the east for many years before finally being defeated by the Ottomans?
They Byzantines? Location, location, location!
200
What are two forms of recreation that Islamic culture spread to popular culture?
Polo and Chess.
200
What were the nicknames of the leaders on each side of the Battle of Tours?
Charles "The Hammer" Martel Adb-ar-Rahman, “The Just”
300
What did ruling caliphates force non-Muslims to do once they conquered them?
To pay a tax if they wanted to keep worshipping their own religion.
300
Why was Ali assassinated under his rule as caliph?
A support of his did not like that he made peace with a rebellion instead of simply destroying them.
300
Why did the Islamic Empire think that Europe was weak and would be easy to conquer?
There was no unified leader, instead there were a fractured group of smaller kingdoms, each with their own leader. It did not seem like any single one of them would be able to stop the Islamic army.
300
How did ancient Rome help along the expansion of the Islamic empire?
They used their system of roads to move troops and supplies as they expanded.
400
What is the Umayyad Caliphate most know for?
Uthman, the first Umayyad caliph, selected the official version of the Qu'ran. They expanded the territory across Northern Africa, further into Asia, and into Spain and Portugal. They were also known for living very lavish lifestyles, appointing family members to key positions, and taxing all non-Arab people.
400
How did Omar change the structure of rule for the Islamic Empire?
He was the first to let non-Muslims keep their religious practices if they paid a tax. This system was followed for decades and became a great incentive to convert people to Islam without "forcing" them.
400
What is the reasoning for some historians as to why Muslims never again tried to push that far north into Europe again?
There were not enough big and rich cities for them to bother coming to fight. The climate was also not suited for their agricultural practices.
400
What sciences did Islamic culture help provide great advances to?
Zoology, astronomy, city planning (irrigation, underground wells)
400
What direct connection to Muhammad did the Abbasid caliphate have?
The great grand nephew of Muhammad lead a rebellion against the Umayyad.
500
Why was Islam able to spread so much more quickly than Judaism or Christianity?
There were already establish monotheistic religions in the region - Christianity/Judaism - so it would not have been as new and crazy. Also, Islam was much more welcoming under their rule by allowing people to keep their rulers, religion if they paid a tax, and provided services and charity to those in need. They also had a professional and dedicated army.
500
How did the rule of the Islamic empire change after the death of Ali? What major impact did it have on the religion and culture as a whole?
Rulers no longer had a direct connection to Muhammad and began to incorporate other leaders/ideas/philosophies into Islamic culture. The lack of a leader directly related to Muhammad cause a schism between followers and created the Shia and Sunni sects of Islam.
500
How did the victory of Charles Martel change the future of Europe?
It solidified that Europe was Christian and also finally gave rise to a clear leader of Europe. Martel established a lasting family dynasty that went on to lead and shape modern Europe as we know it.
500
What was one of the most innovation feats of their mathematical accomplishments?
They developed a full field of algebra, we still use their number system today, they spread the idea of "0".
500
How were the Franks able to defeat the invading Islamic troops?
They fought on higher ground, they raided their camp during the battle for their treasure, they maintain strict lines of pikes to defeat cavalry, they killed the Islamic leader forcing the withdraw of the rest of the army.