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10-2 Notes

Muhammad did not leave a successor after his death.

A group of prominent Muslims chose a new leader, a caliph.

The 1st four caliphs were elected for life (all relatives or close friends of

Muhammad).

Abu Bakr (Muhammads father-in-law) was the first.

They were called the rightly guided caliphs for ruling like

Muhammad.

They ruled from Mecca and emphasized religion.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs sought to protect and spread Islam.

(They were also eager to acquire the wealth of the Byzantines and Persians.)

By 650 AD they had taken Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Persia & Egypt.

They were successful because1. faith united them (common goal to spread Islam)

2. jihad is the struggle to take Islam to other land

3. warriors who died in a jihad immediately enter paradise

4. efficient fighting methods camel and horse cavalry aggressive and

mobile offensives overwhelmed more traditional armies

5. Byzantine & Persian Empires were weakened from fighting each other6. Muslims preached tolerance rather than persecution, viewed as liberators

from harsh Byzantine or Persian rule; special tax for non-Muslims, but

allowed to practice own faith [many converted Islam had no hierarchy,emphasized equality]

Muawiyah was a powerful rival to the fourth caliph, Ali. He became the first

caliph of the powerful Umayyad in 661 AD. They move the capital to Damascus.

Followers of Ali never accepted Muawiyah and this produced a permanent split

in Islam. The Shiite (Shia) are followers of Ali (the smaller group of Muslims

Iran, Lebanon, Iraq & Yemen). They believe the caliph must be a descendant of

Muhammad.

The majority are the Sunni (90%). The caliph may be any devout Muslim.

A third group emerged, Sufi, Muslim mystics.

The Umayyad Dynasty made Arabic the official language, minted the first Arabic

currency, built roads and established postal routes.

732 AD the Battle of Tours in France, marks the end of the Islamic invasion into

Western Europe. Spain flourished as a center of Islamic civilization.

750 AD the Abbasids overthrew the Umayyad. They moved the capital to

Baghdad on the Tigris River.

The Abbasid Empire reached its height from 786 AD to 809 AD under Harun al-

Rashid. Worked for equality among all the empires peoples. They ended Arab

dominance and helped make Islam a universal religion.

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They ruled until 1258 AD. Their wealth was based on caravans that traveled

through the region (silk, spices, etc.)