Introduction

Environment and Lifestyle

• Arabian Climate– Harsh env’t– Small pockets of agr

Environment and Lifestyle

• Arabian Climate– Harsh env’t– Small pockets of agr– Bedouins and Traders

Environment and Lifestyle

• Arabian Climate– Harsh env’t– Small pockets of agr– Bedouins and Traders

• Social Groups– Bedouins– Trading Towns– Overlap

Clans and Tribes

• Social Organization– Clans and Tribes– Hierarchy

Clans and Tribes

• Social Organization– Clans and Tribes– Hierarchy

• Lifestyle– Clans control…– Need for clan

Clans and Tribes--Fighting

• What do you fight over?• Blood Feud and Central Authority• Honors and Values– Values of Warfare?– Muruwah

• Results

Towns and Trade

• Cities– What do you need for cities?

Towns and Trade

• Cities– What do you need for cities?

• Mecca– Trade and Kaaba

Towns and Trade

• Cities– What do you need for cities?

• Mecca– Trade and Kaaba– Quraysh and Umayyads

Towns and Trade

• Cities– What do you need for cities?

• Mecca– Trade and Kaaba– Quraysh and Umayyads

• Medina (Yathrib)– Compared to Mecca– Political Division

• Crisis of Urbanization

Poetry and Religion

• Poetry– Art/Arch– Oral Poetry • Clan and Tribal Bards• Themes

– Impact on Qu’ran

Poetry and Religion

• Poetry– Art/Arch– Oral Poetry

• Clan and Tribal Bards• Themes

– Impact on Qu’ran• Religion– Gods– Locations– Ethics

Poetry and Religion• Poetry

– Art/Arch– Oral Poetry

• Clan and Tribal Bards• Themes

– Impact on Qu’ran• Religion

– Gods– Locations– Ethics

• Trending Towards Monotheism– Outside Contact– Prophets– Allah– Coming of Islam