ABBASID DECLINE & THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA

Chapter 7

ABBASID & ISLAM IN ASIA TIMELIME

ABBASID & ISLAM IN ASIA TIMELIME

The Abbasid Empire at Its Peak

ABBASID & ISLAM IN ASIA TIMELINE

MIDDLE AND LATE ABBASID ERAS

Abbasid empire weakened, 9th-13th centuries peasant revolts Shi’a un-reconciled succession not secure

As early as the third Abbasid Caliph, al-Mahdi (775-785), issues related to the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate were apparent.

Caliph abandons frugal ways Caliph does NOT establish clear pattern of succession

Wives/concubines became involved in the various palace intrigues associated with the succession crises.

THE LATE ABBASID ERA Harun al-Rashid (786-809)

ascended to the throne after the death of al-Mahdi

Harun al-Rashid enjoyed excess & sumptuous palace living

Emissaries sent in the 9th century were dazzled with the splendor of Baghdad

Led to gradual disintegration of the Empire

HARUN AL-RASHID & SLAVE ARMIES Power of Royal Advisors grew throughout the rule

of Harun al-Rashid. Caliphs became pawns in the factional royal court

battles Upon al-Rashid’s death, full-scale civil war broke out

amongst those vying for power. While al-Ma’mum (813-833) was the victor he

changed the Caliphate He was convinced to conscript thousands of mostly

Turkic-speaking slaves as his personal bodyguards Numbers reached 70K slave regiment = power center

846, they murdered the reigning caliph, and in the coming decades would murder at least four more!

ABBASID DECLINE

Caliphs struggle to control the Slave Regiments became civil wars Some Caliphs want to move capital away from

Baghdad’s turmoil Increased spending drained the treasury

Then peasant revolts against new taxes Spiraling taxation/pillaging, etc… New irrigation, old irrigation and public works fall into

disrepair Slavery increased and the position of women eroded

Abandonment of some of the earlier provinces of the empire.

LATE ABBASID DECLINE…WOMEN The Harem and the

Veil are the twin emblems of women’s increasing subjugation to men and confinement

The Abbasid court created the concept of the Harem for the Caliphate Not for pleasure, but

for ensuring bloodlines

ABBASID DECLINE Three major invasions of

Baghdad: 1st capture of Baghdad in 945, Persian

Buyids, Muslim Splinter group Persian gradually replaced Arabic as the

court language and literature 2nd group that successfully captured

Baghdad in 1055 was the Sunni, Seljuk Turks

3rd and last group the captured Baghdad in 1258 was the Mongols

Buyidflag

Buyid Kingdom 970CE (light blue)

THE SELJUKS By 1055, the Buyid control

over the Caliphate was broken

In 1055, Central Asian Nomadic warriors known as the Seljuk Turks ruled over the Abbasid lands. Staunch Sunnis…forced Shi’a

out of governmental positions

Resisted the Byzantines who were taking advantage of Muslim disunity Defeat of the Byzantines in

Asia Minor, later become the seat of the Ottoman Empire

THE CRUSADES 1099- 1291

THE CRUSADES Pope Urban II, in 1095, after calls for help from the

Byzantines, rallied Catholic Europe to wrestle the Biblical Holy Lands from the Seljuk Turks Knights from Western Europe launched crusades in 1096.

Muslim divisions and the element of surprise made the first Crusade a Christian success. 1099: Christian knights took Jerusalem. Muslim, Jewish, & Christian inhabitants were massacred

Non-whites For the next two centuries, Europeans would mount in

excess of 8 crusades. Varying degrees of success

When Muslim were united under powerful rule like Salah-ud-Din (Saladin) they re-conquer most of the lands they lost.

FIRST CRUSADE

IMPACT OF CRUSADES The Crusaders’ experiences in the Eastern

Mediterranean intensified European “borrowing” from the Muslim world.

Through increased cultural contacts, Europeans began to recover much of the Greek learning lost during the waves of nomadic invasions after the fall of the Roman Empire

For the Muslim world, the Crusades did not change much of anything. Islam continued to spread.

AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT Even though the caliphate was steeped in

political turmoil, the Muslim Empire still experienced growth and prosperity until late in the Abbasid era Declining Revenue Deteriorating conditions in the countryside/town life

Expansion of the professional classes Muslim/Jewish/Christian entrepreneurs amass great

fortunes supplying cities with staples (grain/barley), essentials (cotton, woolen textiles for clothing), and luxury items.

Long-Distance trade & new trade links thrive

AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT Intellectual Creativity grew dramatically:

Expansion of professional Artisan classes Mosques and palaces became more ornate. Tapestries and rugs from Persia were in great demand from

Europe to China (Persian Rugs) Persian becomes the language of “high culture”

Arabic remains language of religion, law, and the advancement of the Sciences

they developed their own theories: Major corrections to algebraic and geometric theories Advances in trigonometry

Persian was language of literary expression, administration, and scholarship

Write on many subjects from love affairs, to statecraft, to incidents from everyday life.

AGE OF MUSLIM LEARNING AND REFINEMENT

Great advances in chemistry and astronomy.

Cairo: best hospitals in the world

Muslim traders introduce techniques like papermaking and silk-weaving that was developed in China.

Development of cartography

RELIGIOUS CONTRADICTIONS Orthodox religious scholars “Ulama” stressed an

increasingly restrictive conservatism within Islam, particularly with respect to scientific inquiry Felt that the revival of Greco-Roman philosophical

traditions would erode the absolute authority of the Qur’an

Sufi were wandering mystics who sought a personal union with Allah

Conservative interpretation of the law and religious texts

"a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God."

A reaction against the abstract divinity of the Qur’an Sufis gain reputations as healers and miracle

workers…gain sizeable followings= the spread of Islam

Some led militant bands that spread Islam to nonbelievers

THE END OF THE CALIPHATE Abbasid Caliphate was

compromised by many different factions

In the early 13th century, the Mongols, united under Genghis Khan became a powerful force in Asia, smashing through Turko-Persian kingdoms to the east of Baghdad by 1220 CE. Hulegu Khan (Grandson of

Genghis Khan) invaded Baghdad 1258 and kills last Caliph

THE END OF THE CALIPHATE The Mongol advance was

stopped by the Mamluks, or Turkic Slaves who ruled Egypt

In 1401, Baghdad suffers from another capture and round of pillaging by the forces of Tamerlane (Timur) Muslim/Mongol

Baghdad’s glory becomes supplanted by Cairo to the west and Istanbul to the North

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM

ISLAM’S ARRIVAL IN SOUTH ASIA India through the Gupta Empire had been a crossroads

of migration for Central Asian nomads seeking refuge People were accepted, and assimilated into Indian Society.

Arrival of the Muslims in the 7th Century CE, altered that. Early interactions did little to add territory to the Muslim

Empire, and in some cases, lost territory BUT, in 962 CE, a Turkish slave dynasty seized power in

Afghanistan. Led by Mahmud of Ghazni, began two CENTURIES of Muslim

raiding and conquest in Northern India Throughout the 11th century, Mahmud defeated one

confederation of Hindu princes after another in the name of Islam.

MAHMUD OF GHAZNI The efforts of

Mahmud of Ghazni were continued by Muhammad of Ghur Assassinated in 1206

A slave lieutenant seizes power…Qutb-ud-din Aibak

Islam would spread into fringes of China

THE HINDU/ISLAM MIXINDIA…HINDUISM

Open, tolerant, and inclusive of varying forms of religious devotion.

Search of union with spiritual source of all creation.

Social system structured on the caste system

INDIA…ISLAM

Based on doctrines, practices (specific) and exclusive worship of a single god.

Highly egalitarian (Democratic/classless society) in the sight of God.

Religious practices are mandatory and obvious

THE HINDU/ISLAM MIX Early centuries were characterized by violent

conflict. However, a good deal of trade and religious

interchange. In time, peaceful interactions became the norm

There were contacts via traders in the Indian Ocean Trade network as early as 711 CE

Indian overlords who took over land in South Asia brought little change to most inhabitants of the Indian Subcontinent. Many people welcomed the Arabs because they

promised lighter taxation and religious tolerance

EARLY MUSLIM ENCOUNTERS IN INDIA Muslim leaders decided to treat Hindus

and Buddhists as the dhimmi, or “people of the book” even though they had no connection to the Bible. This meant that Hindus and Buddhists had

to pay the tax on non-believers, they enjoyed the freedom to worship as they pleased.

Little effort was put towards conversion, so most people remained Hindu or Buddhist.

INDIAN/MUSLIM CULTURAL DIFFUSION Muslims inherit the Indian scientific learning, which

rivaled the Greeks as the most advanced in the world.

Arabic numerals originated in India Indian learning was transferred to Baghdad in the

age of the Abbasids. Indian doctors, scientists, etc.

Muslims adopt Indian styles of dress, food, and ride on elephants as the Hindu rajas (kings) did.

Muslims also adopt and infuse Indian architectural styles

THE DELHI SULTANATE A new Muslim

empire was proclaimed with the capital at Delhi, along the Jumna river on the Gengetic Plain.

For the next 300 years, a succession of dynasties known as the Delhi Sultante (literally, princes of the heartland) ruled North and Central India

THE DELHI SULTANATE This was a period of

clashing control between the sultanate princes themselves, as well as Mongol and Turkic invaders.

CONVERSION Carriers of the new faith on the subcontinent

were often merchants and Sufi mystics Sufis shared many characteristics with Indian

gurus and wandering ascetics. Belief in magical healing powers Accepted lower-caste and outcaste groups into

Islamic faith Most Muslims were NOT from the Indo-

Gangetic centers of the Delhi Sultanate, indicating low forced conversions

CONVERSION Most conversions came from low-caste or

Buddhist groups. Buddhism became largely debased as a result

of corrupt practices Buddhist temples and monasteries

became lucrative targets for raids, etc. Many lower-caste, untouchables, animistic

tribes, and Buddhists were attracted to the egalitarian nature of Islam

ACCOMMODATION Hindus were convinced that Muslims would

soon be absorbed by the superior religions and more sophisticated cultures of India Many things pointed that way!

Muslim princes adopted regal styles Muslim rulers claim divine descent Muslim rulers mint coins with Hindu images

Muslim communities also became socially divided along caste lines Violation of the original tenets of Islam!

ISLAM IN SOUTH ASIA AT THE END OF THE SULTANATE

Attempts to fuse Hinduism and Islam soon were recognized as impossible.

Brahmans soon denounce Muslim leaders, etc. Muslims respond by strengthening their

unity within the Indian Muslim community

After centuries of political domination though, South Asia remained one of the least converted and integrated of all the areas Islam reached.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

IMPORTANCE Southeast Asia was

CRITICAL to the connection of trade from Chinese ports to Indian vessels along the Indian Ocean Trade network

SOUTHEAST ASIAN CONTRIBUTION Aromatic woods

from rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra

Spices: cloves, nutmeg from Indonesia

From 8th Century onward, coastal trade in India became dominated by Muslims

SE ASIA As a result, elements

of Islam began to filter into the southeast Asian region

The collapse of the Shrivijaya trading empire (Buddhist) in the 13th century opened the door for the widespread introduction of Islam

SE ASIA Trading contacts paved

the way for conversion NOT conquest and force

Muslim ships also carry Sufis to the various parts of SE Asia

Conversion begins in Sumatra, then across the Strait of Malacca to Malaya

SE ASIA Muslims impressed SE Asians by telling them

how much of the world had already been converted

MALACCA Mainland conversion

was centered on Malacca, a powerful trading city

Spreads to east Sumatra and to DEMAK on the north coast of Java

From there, spread to the Celebes and then the Spice Islands, then to Mindanao and Southern Philippines

THE SPICE ISLAND(S)

CONVERSION Trading was the key

to conversion. Regulation of

commonality in Muslim laws was good to regulate business.

Conversion linked centers culturally, and economically to Indian merchants and ports in India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean

SE ASIAN ISLAM Some areas (like

Central Java) saw conversion take longer than others Hindu-Buddhist

dynasties contested its spread

Mainland Southeast Asia did NOT see wholesale conversion, and remained largely Buddhist

Because it was spread primarily by Sufis, SE Asian Islam was more dynamic than orthodox Islam Infused with mythical

strains Tolerated animist,

Hindu, and Buddhist beliefs and rituals.

Magical powers

WOMEN IN SE ASIAN ISLAMIC SOCIETY Women retained a strong position in

the family and the community Trading in local and regional markets was

dominated by small-scale female merchants

As in Western Sumatra, lineage and inheritance was traced through female lines

Many cultural elements were blended from SE Asian Culture with Muslim Culture.