APW: Unit 2 Part 1 – Post Classical Civilizations (600 CE – 1450 CE)

Chapter 14: THE EXPANSIVE REALM OF ISLAM

1. Survey

2. Read chapter and do “New to you” vocab (5-15 words you are unfamiliar with that are not strictly “historical” terms).

3. Take notes on the chapter that thoroughly answer the study guide questions. Be organized and make them “studyable”.

4. As you are taking your notes, complete your ID terms in the given format on index cards.

DUE: 11/14

The religion of Islam emerged on the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh centuryC.E.as a result of the vision and the teachings of Muhammad. His message attracted a rapidly expanding circle of devout believers, known as Muslims. After Muhammad's death, Arab conquerors spread the word of Islam throughout a vast territory extending from the Indus River to the Iberian Peninsula within one century. This rapid expansion of Islam contributed to the development of a massive trade and communication network in which goods and ideas spread freely. The realm of Islam became one of the most prosperous and cosmopolitan societies of the postclassical world. This new society was characterized by

•Strong commitment to the monotheistic belief system, resting on the Five Pillars of Islam, first articulated by Muhammad and later elaborated on by scholars and mystics.

•The development of overland and maritime trade and communication routes that facilitated the spread of new crops, trade goods, and ideas, from improved techniques in agriculture to the writings of the classical Greek philosophers.

•Engagement with and sometimes adoption of various cultural traditions encountered by the far-flung realm and its trade contacts. Hence elements of Persian, Indian, Christian, and Greek cultures found their place into Islamic society and thought.

Historical Terms and Concepts to know

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and So What?

  1. Muhammad
  2. Islam/Muslim
  3. Quran
  4. dar al-Islam
  5. Five Pillars
  6. jihad
  7. hajj
  8. caliph
  9. Sunni
  10. Shia
  11. Umayyad
  12. Abbasid
  13. Harun al-Rushid
  14. Ibn Rushd/ Averroes

Study Guide Questions

  1. How did Muhammad’s background influence his beliefs and the early development of Islam?
  2. What were the fundamental tenets of Islam ?
  3. After Muhammad died, what were the challenges faced bydar al-Islamand how were they resolved within the first century?
  4. How did the Abbasids come to power, and how did their rule differ from the Umayyads?
  5. How did the growth of the realm of Islam contribute to agricultural, industrial, and urban development?
  6. What factors contributed to the expansion of Islamic overland and maritime trade?
  7. What was the status of women in the early centuries of Islam?
  8. What people and institutions helped to promote and spread the values of Islam?
  9. What is the significance of the hajj to Islamic religion and culture?
  10. How did Persia, India, and Greece influence the realm of Islam?