Overview
This lecture explores the development and influence of Dar al-Islam (the House of Islam) from 1200 to 1450, focusing on its religious foundations, political changes, cultural achievements, and the ways Islam expanded across regions.
Major Monotheistic Religions
- Three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—originated in the Middle East and interacted during this period.
- Judaism: The ethnic religion of the Jews, notable for its monotheism (belief in one God). It served as the foundation for both Christianity and Islam.
- Christianity: Began with Jesus Christ, a Jewish prophet who claimed to be the Messiah. After his crucifixion, his followers spread his teachings of salvation by grace. Initially persecuted, Christianity later became the official religion of the Roman Empire, leading to the rise of a powerful hierarchy of popes, bishops, and cardinals that influenced entire states in Europe and Africa.
- Islam: Founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century on the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad claimed to be the final prophet in a line stretching back through Jewish and Christian scripture. He taught that salvation came through righteous actions such as almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. After Muhammad’s death in 632, Islam spread rapidly across the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and South Asia.
The Expansion of Dar al-Islam
- Dar al-Islam refers to regions where Islam was the majority religion, forming a vast area by 1200.
- The spread of Islam was facilitated by Muhammad’s background as a merchant, which encouraged trade and economic prosperity in Islamic states, especially compared to Christian states at the time.
- Trade networks connected regions within Dar al-Islam, promoting cultural and economic exchange.
- The expansion of Islam also led to the rise of large empires and the integration of diverse societies under Islamic rule.
Decline of the Abbasids and Rise of Turkic Empires
- The Abbasid Caliphate, an Arab dynasty, led the Islamic world during its Golden Age, marked by significant advancements in science, mathematics, literature, and technology.
- By 1200, the Abbasid Empire was fragmenting and losing its dominance as the center of the Islamic world.
- The Abbasids had replaced the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century, but by the end of their rule, new powers emerged.
- Turkic peoples began to establish new Islamic empires as the Abbasid power waned:
- Seljuk Empire: Originated in Central Asia in the 11th century. The Seljuks, initially brought in as military support by the Abbasids, eventually took political control, leaving the Abbasid caliphs as figureheads.
- Mamluk Sultanate: Established in Egypt after the decline of the Ayyubid Sultanate. The Mamluks were originally enslaved Turkic warriors who seized power and formed their own state.
- Delhi Sultanate: Founded by invading Turks in northern South Asia, ruling over the Indian population for about 300 years.
- These new empires were primarily governed by military elites and continued the use of Sharia law, maintaining continuity with earlier Arab Muslim states.
- The shift from Arab to Turkic leadership marked a significant change in the Islamic world, as power moved from Arab dynasties to Turkic rulers.
Spread of Islam
- Islam continued to expand across Afro-Eurasia through three main methods:
- Military conquest: New states like the Delhi Sultanate were established through military expansion.
- Merchant activity: Trade networks, especially in North and West Africa, facilitated the spread of Islam. For example, the Empire of Mali converted to Islam in part to gain access to trade within Dar al-Islam.
- Missionary efforts: Sufi missionaries played a major role in spreading Islam. Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, emphasized personal spiritual experiences accessible to all, regardless of class or gender. Although some Islamic scholars criticized Sufism for lacking theological rigor, it became a powerful force for conversion.
Intellectual and Cultural Achievements
- The Islamic world saw remarkable advancements in science, mathematics, and literature, especially during the Abbasid Golden Age.
- Nasir al-Din al-Tusi: Developed trigonometry to better understand planetary and stellar movements. His work later influenced European scientists like Copernicus in developing the heliocentric theory.
- House of Wisdom: A major academic center in Baghdad where scholars from around the world gathered to study religion and the natural sciences. The House of Wisdom played a crucial role in preserving and translating Greek philosophical and scientific works, such as those by Plato and Aristotle, into Arabic.
- These Arabic translations and commentaries were later transferred to Europe, where they became foundational for the Renaissance and the subsequent cultural and scientific developments.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Dar al-Islam: Regions under Muslim rule where Islam is the majority faith.
- Monotheism: Belief in a single God.
- Abbasid Caliphate: Arab dynasty that led the Islamic Golden Age, centered in Baghdad.
- Turkic Peoples: Central Asian groups who established major Islamic empires after 1200.
- Seljuk Empire: Turkic-ruled state in Central Asia that gained power from the Abbasids.
- Mamluk Sultanate: Turkic-ruled state in Egypt formed by former slave soldiers.
- Delhi Sultanate: Turkic-ruled Muslim state in northern South Asia.
- Sufism: Mystical branch of Islam focusing on personal spiritual experiences.
- Sharia Law: Islamic legal code derived from the Quran.
- House of Wisdom: Major academic and translation center in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the origins, structure, and influence of the Seljuk, Mamluk, and Delhi Sultanates.
- Study the role of Sufi missionaries in the spread of Islam and their impact on different societies.
- Explore the contributions of the House of Wisdom in preserving and transmitting classical knowledge to later civilizations.
- Examine the economic and cultural effects of trade networks within Dar al-Islam.
- Investigate the transition from Arab to Turkic leadership and its significance for the Islamic world.