Major Islamic Empires

World History

Where was each picture taken?

All three were taken in Baghdad, Iraq- the former capital of the Abbasid Empire

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

Essential Question

• How do empires rise and fall?

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.

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

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

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.

New Capital: Baghdad

• Moved the capital to Baghdad (today in Iraq)

• Strong Persian influence

• Huge center of trade and culture

• Leader during Baghdad’s peak: Harun al-Rashid

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?

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

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

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?