The Early Middle AgesThe Early Middle Ages(ca. 600-900)(ca. 600-900)

The Early Middle AgesThe Early Middle AgesHow can we compare and contrast How can we compare and contrast

Islam with Christianity and Judaism? Islam with Christianity and Judaism? How can we compare and contrast How can we compare and contrast

the Islamic world, the Byzantine the Islamic world, the Byzantine Empire, and western Europe?Empire, and western Europe?

Islam

• The Arabian Peninsula– Desert– Home of the Arabs

• No centralized authority• Pastoral nomads• Loyal to tribes

Islam

Ka’ba

• Arabian Religion– Animistic, pagan– Mecca

• Commercial, religious center

• Ka’ba

Islam

• Muhammad (570-632)– Involved in Meccan

caravan trade– Pious– Night of Power

(ca. 610) Prophet of Islam

Muhammad visited by Gabriel

Islam

• Islam on the Rise– Converts UMMAH– Overall response to

Prophet was negative– Flight of Muhammad

• Invited to Medina• Hijrah (622)• Gained power base,

subdued enemies

Islam• The Return to Mecca

– Ummah wanted to see city converted

– March on Mecca (630)

• Muhammad, 10,000 men• Offer made to city,

accepted by religious leaders

• Muhammad entered city, cleansed Ka’ba

March on Mecca

Islam• Questions?

Islam

• The Quran– Muhammad’s

revelations– Significant teachings

• Absolute monotheism• Jesus: “apostle”• “People of the Book”• Judgment Paradise,

Hell

Islam

• The Five Pillars– “There is no God but

Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet”

– Prayer– Ramadan– Alms levy– Pilgrimage

Islam

Islamic Conquests (622-733)

Islam

• Why the Successful Conquest?– Arabs were fighters!– Exhausted

opponents– Tolerated, relied on

service of other monotheists

Islam

• The Caliphate– Muhammad died 632– CALIPHS

• Prophet’s successors• First were early converts, from his inner circle

(Rashidun)• Office: political, religious

Islam

Islam

• The Great Civilization– Sophisticated,

advanced– Access to classical

learning– Books, libraries– Contributed to science

and math– MOSQUES

Islam

• Dome of the Rock (687-692)– Tribute to Islam’s

triumph in Jerusalem– Erected on sacred site– Domed octagon

Islam

Islam

• Status of Women– First convert: Khadijah

(d. 620)– In the Quran

• Men superior to women• Infanticide banned• Polygyny permitted• Some inheritance rights

Khadijah

Islam• Questions?

The Byzantine Empire

• The Byzantine Empire– Remnants of Eastern

Roman Empire– Constantinople

survived– Strong army, navy– “GREEK FIRE”

The Byzantine Empire

Greek Fire

The Byzantine Empire

• The Iconoclastic Controversy– Emperor ordered

destruction of icons (726)– Iconoclasts vs. iconodules– Iconoclasm condemned at

Nicaea II (787)– Iconoclasm resurged,

condemned for good 843

Virgin and Child between

Sts. Theodore and George,

6th or early 7th cent.

The Byzantine Empire• Questions?

The Rise of the West• The West during the Early Middle Ages

– Italy, British Isles, Spain, Kingdom of the Franks

– Traits of West• Impoverished, fragmented• Roman cities were shadows of antiquity• Disintegrated infrastructure

– Yet West came to dominate the world!

The Rise of the West

• Kingdom of the Franks– Dominant in Western

Europe– Unified by 700– Catholic– Ruled by Merovingians

The Rise of the West

Battle of Poitiers

• The Carolingians– CHARLES MARTEL

(d. 741)• Frankish statesman• Halted Muslim advance

at Tours (732-33)

– Family deposed last Merovingian king

– Allied with papacy

The Rise of the West

• Charlemagne (r. 768-814)– Devoutly Christian– Promoted education– His government

• Ruled “by God’s will”• Local rule: counts• Missi dominici

The Rise of the West

• Emperor Charlemagne– Pope in trouble, fled to

Charlemagne – Pope returned to Rome

with Frankish escort– Charlemagne followed,

crowned “augustus” (800)– Emperor Charlemagne and

“new” Roman Empire?

The Rise of the West

• The Empire’s Disintegration – Divided into three– Centralized

government vanished– Foreign invasion,

fragmentation collapse (late 9th cent.)

The Rise of the West• Questions?

The Early Middle AgesThe Early Middle AgesHow can we compare and contrast How can we compare and contrast

Islam with Christianity and Judaism? Islam with Christianity and Judaism? How can we compare and contrast How can we compare and contrast

the Islamic world, the Byzantine the Islamic world, the Byzantine Empire, and western Europe?Empire, and western Europe?