Islam

The Coming of Islam to South Asia

 * outsiders entered India in waves of small nomadic invaders or small groups of people seeking refuge
 * they converted to Hindu or Buddhism, found place in caste system, dressed and ate same as people there
 * Islam was very strict while Hinduism was very leniant to allowed worship of idols and more than one god
 * in early centuries of Muslim influence there was a lot of violence
 * but there was a good deal of trade and religious interchange
 * muslims hired hindus to govern large non-muslim population

Political Divisons and First Muslim Invasions

 * Muhammad Ibn Qasim ﻿led more than 10,000 warriors into Sind to avenge assault on Arab shipping (only 17 years old)
 * conquered land became provinces of the Umayyad Empire
 * local leaders surrendered towns because conquerers promised less taxes and more religious freedom
 * Jews and Christians had to pay seperate taxes to worship whoever they wanted to
 * Jews and Christians had to pay seperate taxes to worship whoever they wanted to

Inidan Influences on Islamic Civilization

 * Islamic civilization was enriched by skills and new discoveries
 * works on algebra and geometry was translated into Arabic
 * Arabic numerals- originated in India
 * two scientific revolutions:
 * 1) Middle East
 * 2) Europe
 * Inidan doctors were able to cure Arab rulers who Greek doctors declared uncurable
 * Arab colonies were established in this area like Malabar and Bengal

From Booty to Empire: The 2nd Wave of Muslim Invasions

 * **__ ﻿Mahmud of Ghazni __** third ruler of turkish slave dynasty who led a series of expeditions which started two centuries of Muslim raiding and conquest in Northern Inida
 * **__Muhammad of Ghur__** Persian military commander that brought military victories that brought Indus valley and parts of north central Inida under his control
 * **__Qutb-ud-din Aibak__** Ghur's slave lieutenant who seized power after Ghur was assassinated

1. How did Islam spread? Islam spread primarily through Sufi Missionaries who preached the good word of Allah and Islam. Also through Arab migration and trade, ideas of Islam spread to other parts of the Middle East. Because the idea of Islam was so attractive with all of the advantages Muslims would get over non-Muslims, like not paying as many taxes and all the career and education opportunities, Islam spread very quickly to all sorts of people. Islam converts were also won peacefully and in a time of wars and chaos, this was very helpful in getting more people to join the Islamic movement.

2.Growth of Trade within the Islamic world 3. Urbanization and Islam 4.Architecture throughout the Islamic world
 * great urban expansion linked to revival of Afro-Eurasian trading network
 * Arab dhows (sailing vessels with triangular sails) invented to improve trade over seas
 * some ventures were created by jews and christians and muslims and since they all had different days for the Sabbath, their business could be open all week
 * Islamic and Arabic commitment to trade was necessary to building connections with Asia, Africa, and Europe with the Middle East.
 * as cities grew so did handicraft production
 * there were both government-owned and private workshops that sold goods like furniture and carpets and luxury items like glass, jewelry, and tapestry.
 * artisans were poorly paid but worked in great workshops...they were not considered slaves or laborers
 * Islam's influence caused people to preserve theories and writings and everything they could from earlier time periods...no other civilization did this
 * big part of wealth coming in was used for mosques, schools, baths, and rest houses
 * hospitals were established and became the best hospitals of their time
 * domes and minarets of mosques stood for Islam
 * qibla- Mecca wall...always faced towards Mecca for when the Muslims prayed
 * there was a higher platform area and it became used as a pulpit from where sermons could be delivered.
 * courtyards in the middle of mosques and some houses too
 * decorations with bright-colored ceramic tiles, semiprecious stones, and gold and silver filigree on the sides of the mosques and on the domes
 * geometric designs and plants were mostly used since human forms and animal images were forbidden in the Qur'an

5.Examples of Syncretism and Islam 6.Reactions to Islam.
 * mosques and great palaces tended to show influences of Islam in the first stages of the spread of Islam
 * Persians came to dominate the upper levels of imperial administration
 * most people liked the idea of Islam because it "looked good" and all the people of the empire were Muslims
 * Muslims had advantages over non-Muslims: they didnt have to pay the head tax and they had more opportunities for education and their careers

= classwork notes and question on Islam = Explain how the expansion of Islam created a global trading network. (minus Americas) Make specific references to trading zones, cities, ideals, methods of spread, technology.