Major Islamic Empires

1
Major Islamic Empires

• Ms. Catsos
• World History

2
Where was each picture taken?
All three were taken in Baghdad, Iraq- the former
capital of the Abbasid Empire
3
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

4
Essential Question

• How do empires rise and fall?

5
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.

6
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

7
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

8
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.

9
New Capital Baghdad

• Moved the capital to Baghdad (today in Iraq)
• Strong Persian influence
• Huge center of trade and culture
• Leader during Baghdads peak Harun al-Rashid

10
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?

11
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

12
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

13
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?