Major Islamic Empires World History
Jan 18, 2016
Major Islamic Empires
World History
Where was each picture taken?
All three were taken in Baghdad, Iraq- the former capital of the Abbasid Empire
Objective
• Understand the rise and the fall of the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires, the two major empires of the medieval Islamic world.
• Know how these two empires spread Islam and the lasting effects of that spread today
Essential Question
• How do empires rise and fall?
The Umayyad Empire 661- 750
• After the death of Ali, the Umayyad family set up a dynasty. They were Sunnis.
• Their capital was Damascus, in Syria.
• They spread Islam across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Why were the Umayyads so successful in spreading Islam?• Byzantine and Persian Empires were
weak• Fighting methods: camel and horse
cavalry• Common faith inspired army• Fair treatment of conquered people
The Umayyad Empire- Challenges
• Had to adapt from desert life to ruling large cities and huge territories
• Arabs had more rights than non-Arabs• Shiites still angry about murder of Ali• When conquests stopped, money
stopped coming in, and people turned to a new leader
Abbasid Empire (750-1258)
• The new leader was Abu al-Abbas, who captured Damascus in 750.
• He invited the Umayyads to a banquet, then killed them all.
• The Abbas family became Shiites to gain their support.
• The Abbasids ended Arab dominance and made Islam a universal religion.
New Capital: Baghdad
• Moved the capital to Baghdad (today in Iraq)
• Strong Persian influence
• Huge center of trade and culture
• Leader during Baghdad’s peak: Harun al-Rashid
Decline of the Abbasid Empire
• Starting in 850, Abbasid control fragmented• Spain, Egypt and other areas were ruled by
separate states• Civil Wars• Invasions: Seljuks, Crusaders, and Mongols
How was its decline similar to the decline of Ancient Rome?
Seljuk Turks
• From Central Asia• Adopted Islam• Ruled by a sultan• Took over Baghdad• Threatened Byzantines and
motivated Urban II to call the first Crusade
Crusaders
• In 1099 captured Jerusalem• It went back in forth for hundreds of
years in bloody battle• Crusades had more of a cultural
impact in Europe than in the Middle East
• The Crusaders did not take Muslim land permanently, but created centuries of hostility
Continuing Influence
• After the caliphates fell, the Middle East became very politically divided- and still is today
• Islam still linked these diverse people as a common religion
• What other effects can you think of?