Islamic golden Age
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IslamicGoldenAge1.pptxAbbasid caliphate and the golden age of Islam
The Golden Age
Abbasid Caliphate 750-1258 AD overthrew the Umayyads
Under Abbasid leadership, the Islamic world flourished, leading to a Golden Age
A centralized government dominated by a theocratic outlook helped create a sense of unity and purpose for the new caliphate
The unity of the empire allowed for the flourishing of the arts
The Golden Age
Byzantine and Sasanian knowledge was spread throughout the vast empire and impacted many European kingdoms
Persian becomes the language of the court
Stressed conversion and turned against the Shi’a and other allies to support a less tolerant Sunni Islam.
Large bureaucracy worked under the vizir, or chief administrator.
The Golden Age
The Muslim conquerors inherited a rich and diverse world from Byzantium and the Persians
At first, the new Arab rulers let the political and governmental structures in place—they just ruled over them
One of the first measures they took was to develop schools
The primary function of this was to teach and organize the practices of Islam
The Quran served as the primary text to teach people how to read
Sunna
Sunna is the oral tradition passed down of those early Muslims living in Medina
Despite the expansion and migration of Muslims across the Mediterranean, the Medinese community still provided the most important example
This is because they formed the Companions of Muhammad—those who observed the Prophet
Muslims looked at their lifestyle for guidance on how to practice Islam
These observations were known as sunna
Hadith
Out of the Islamic schools came the hadiths
Hadiths are important collections of sayings or teachings that are attributing to Muhammad
These are linked through an isnad, which is a chain of people that links the saying back to someone who heard the prophet say it or do it.
Major schools of Islamic thought developed around the study and practice of hadiths
In Sunni Islam there are four major schools, though others exist, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’I, and Hanbali
Sharia
The study of the Quran and sunna, the Islamic legislation, led to the creation Sharia
Sharia means path or way
It is a system of laws based upon the study of the Quran and hadith
Sharia’s main function is to instruct the believer on how to live properly and worship Allah
These new laws and regulations also led to new spiritual and ascetic practices in Islam
Here the influence of Christian, Hindi, and Zoroastrian monks are seen upon Islam such as celibacy
Possible Evolution of the Lesser Jihad
As the boundaries of the caliphate stopped growing (Battle of Tours 732 and failed sieges of Constantinople 717), new perspectives on jihad emerged
With the rise of Sufism, Islamic mystics, jihad began to take on notions of spiritual warfare
By the ninth century, two hundred years after Muhammad, ideas that jihad was an internal war against passions emerged in the writings al-Dunya and al-Muhasibi
These writings on the lesser jihad are outside the canonical texts
In most cases the spiritual aspects continued to be linked to the greater aspects of battle and holy war
Baghdad
Baghdad was the greatest Muslim center of learning. Harun al-Rashid builds the House of Wisdom in Baghdad
The Abbasids created Baghdad and built it near the proximity of the old Persian highways
The city flourished and was unrivaled in its size and prosperity
Baghdad continued as a major center until the Mongols sacked the city in 1258
Banks: Created partnerships, bought and sold on credit, formed banks for exchange of currency
The House of Wisdom
Al-Mansur founded a library in the city of Baghdad
This became known as the House of Wisdom and served as a private library to the Abbasid dynasty
Scholars from all over the empire came to study and learn at the House of Wisdom
Jews, Christians, and Muslims worked under the patronage of the Abbasid Caliphate
The library was completely destroyed in 1258 by the Mongols
It was said that so many manuscripts were thrown into the river that it turned black from the ink
Al-Andalus: Cordoba
The Islamic conquest expanded west and eventually included the Visigoth kingdom of Spain
The invading Berbers were astonished at the great cities of Toledo, Cordoba, and Seville
Cordoba became the Umayyad capital of Al-Andalus, which is present day Spain
It continued as an important center of learning, architecture, and arts for centuries
The library of Caliph al-Hakam II contained tens of thousands of volumes
Cordoba
Cordoba flourished as one of the most influential cities in the west
Cordoba at its height had a population of around 500,000, which surpassed that of Constantinople
The Muslim conquers built palaces and mosques throughout the region that rivaled the cathedrals of the Latin west
The city became an important city of banking, commerce, and agriculture, pioneering forms of irrigation
The famous Islamic scholars Ibn Rushd and Ibn Sina both resided in Cordoba
Medieval Cairo
Cairo was founded in 969 by the Fatimids
It became the capital of Egypt
The mosque al-Azhar was built in 970
The Islamic school associated with mosque became the central school for Sunni Islam
Jews and Christians continued to work under Islamic rule
The Christians in Egypt were known as Copts and were part of the Coptic Church
The Golden Age: Leading Figures
Great literary tradition emerges in this period
The caliphate patronized many scholars and providing funding for the translation of many works
This resulted in many lost works of Greek, Syriac, Persian, and other languages to be recovered
Firdawsi- He wrote Book of Kings which tells the history of Persia.
Medical advances were also made thanks to the contributions of Syrian Christians, who served at the Abbasid court
Bukhtishu-This Nestorian Christian family served the court for over 250 years
The Golden Age: Leading Figures
Ibn Khaldun: Set standards for the scientific study of history
He stressed that economics and social structure were the causes of historical events.
Philosopher- Ibn Rushd: Put all knowledge, except the Quran, to the test of reason--would influence Christian scholars.
Omar Khayyam- Muslim scholar, astronomer and writer.
He also wrote about Aladdin and his Magic Lamp and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
Ibn al-Haytham- was a polymath who developed ideas on optics and the eye. He also created a new understanding of human anatomy
One Thousand and One Nights
It is a collection of stories that have origins in Persian and Arab tradition
Stories such as Aladdin and the Lamb, Sinbad, and Ali Baba and the Forty-Thieves were later editions
Story revolves a Sasanian king who is betrayed and only wants to marry virgins and then have them killed the next day
His new wife begins a story each night and does not complete it to extend her life
Her stories are filled with romance, horror, comedy, lovers, jinn, ghouls, and other creatures
Islamic Poetry
Poetry played an important role in the Bedouin culture and continued to play an important role across the Near East
Themes of battle, intense love and sexual intercourse provided rich themes for poetry
Sufi poetry also developed during the Islamic Golden Age
These spiritual and mystical poems often describe man’s relationship with God
Science and Technology Innovations
1005- A science library was founded in the major city of Cairo
1030- Ibn al-Haytham publishes major work on optics
1035- Ibn Sina publishes Canon of Medicine, which contained Greek and Arab remedies and explanations for sicknesses
1075- Astronomers posit the elliptical orbits of the planets
1150- Al-Idrisi prepares a geographical survey of world maps
Golden Age of Islam Overview
Political decline and social disturbances were pacified by urban wealth, incentives, and artistic creativity
Increase in trade and intellectual creativity
Schools, libraries, and institutions are created in large numbers by the 12th century in Cairo, Baghdad, and Cordoba
Ancient Greek, Roman, and Persian knowledge is preserved by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars living in the Abbasid Caliphate
