Major Islamic Empires
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Transcript of Major Islamic Empires
Major Islamic Empires
Ms. CatsosWorld 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?