chapter 4 history

The Decline of Al-Andalus

By the time of Maimonides' death in 1204, al-Andalus had begun to fall apart. Different Muslim factions fought for control. Christians in the north launched attacks and by the 1240s had pushed as far south as C ordoba and Seville. Over the next 250 years, Christian forces slowly regained control of the entire Iberian Peninsula.

Literature

The Thousand and One Nights became popular as Muslim literature. The collection of tales is still popular today. A poetry form called the quatrain was very popular. A Persian-born Muslim named Omar Khayyam was a master of this form.

Bookmaking

750s - Abbasids learned how to make paper from the Chinese 800s - Baghdad had become a major papermaking center 830s - House of Wisdom in Baghdad opened to meet the demand for knowledge. It held books from around the world.

A New Capitol

Abbasids moved their capitol to Baghdad where they had more supporters. Located on the Tigris River, Baghdad lay on old east-west trade routes. Baghdad soon became one of the world's major trading centers. Goods were bought and sold from China, India, Northern Europe and Africa.

A Common Language & Coinage

Abd al-Malik, who became caliph in 685, declared Arabic the language of government for all Muslim lands and helped people throughout the empire communicate with other regions. Around 700, Abd al-Malik further unified the empire by introducing a common coinage. The coins were engraved with quotes from the Qur'an The coins helped the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language

background

After Muhammad died, several groups fought for control. The Umayyad family won and built a great empire with Damascus (located in present-day Syria) as its capital. In less than 100 years, their empire spanned parts of three continents - Asia, Africa and Europe.

A Great Leader

Al-Andalus reached the height of its power some 125 years later during the reign of the 8th emir, Abd al-Rahmnn III. The empire was threatened on all sides when he first came to power, so Abd al-Rahmnn III built a huge standing army. Many of the soldiers were non-Muslims from all over Europe. Some were mercenaries, or soldier paid to fight. With their help, he secured the empire.

Mathematics & Astronomy

Al-Khwarizmi helped further the Arabic numbering system and form the basis for the word "algebra" The poet Omar Khayyam furthered the world's understanding of geometry and astronomy and helped develop a calendar

Medicine

Al-Razi helped identify and describe diseases such as smallpox and measles. Ibn Sina wrote the Canon of Medicine around A.D. 1000 that organized all known medical knowledge, even describing conditions such as "love sickness" The Abbasids set up hospitals throughout their empire that would treat poor people who couldn't pay as well as wealthier patients Hospital in Baghdad also served as a training center for young doctors

expansion to the east

At first the Umayyad armies fought with hit-and-run raids, attacking such major trading centers as Bukhara and Samarkand. Soon they began organized military campaigns for conquest and expansion. By the early 700s, the Umayyads had taken control of much of Central Asia to the east of traditional Muslim lands.

THE GLORY OF CORDOBA

By 1000, Cordoba was the largest city in Western Europe. Its population stood at about 500,000 people, which made it several times larger than other major European cities such as London, Paris or Rome.

Abd al-Rahman III

By 929, he declared himself caliph of Cordoba, because he wanted everyone to know that he was ready to challenge the power of the Abbasid and Fatimid caliphs.

A Prosperous City

By the early 800s, the city had a population of more than 900,000 people, requiring food and clothing Ancient irrigation canals were repaired, and farmers grew, rice, sugar cane and cotton. A variety of fruits and vegetables were also grown. Industry also flourished - craftspeople made leather goods, textiles, carpets, ironworks and perfumes. Merchants paid top prices for these goods.

A Great Cultural Center

By the late 900s, the city had 70 libraries. The largest of these has about 400,000 books. Muslim scholars translated many books into Latin, and these books were sought after by Christian scholars in other European countries. The caliphs of Cordoba were eager to outshine their Abbasid rivals, so they encouraged scholars to leave Baghdad for al-Andalus. The new arrivals brought fresh ideas, new learning methods and added to Cordoba's reputation.

Poor Leadership & Revolt

Factions (opposing groups) challenged Abbasid rule in the early 800s The Abbasids behaved selfishly - lived luxuriously, raised taxes and didn't protect the merchants from bandits The Fatimids supported simple living and eventually won most of Northern Africa and set up their capital in Cairo, Egypt

a great scolore

Maimoides stands above the other Jewish scholars. He became known as a great writer, doctor and philosopher. His family had to flee Cordoba when he was a child because a Muslim group from North Africa (the Almohads) took over the city. They did not allow non-Muslims to practice their religion. Maimonides best known work, the Guide for the Perplexed, was published in 1190. In it he tried to show that religious faith could be supported by the study of philosophy.

Art & Design (Continued)

Many Muslim artists became very skilled at calligraphy, or the art of fine handwriting. The Abbasids employed calligraphers to decorate everything from buildings to swords and armor.

Art & Design

Muslim art emphasized plant life and geometric patterns rather than human forms. Abbasid artists became famous for designs using tile, pottery and wood. The famous arabesque showed the intertwined stems, leaves and flowers of a plant.

The Pilgrimage or "Hajj"

Muslims from across the empire made the pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca. On the hajj, pilgrims shared their languages and cultures and helped blend the various peoples together into one culture. Knowledge of the Umayyad rule was brought back to homelands across the empire

The Abbasids

One group, the Abbasids, gained support from other Muslims who opposed the Umayyads. By 750, these combined forces had taken power. The Abbasids invited Umayyad leaders to a meeting and murdered them. The only prominent Umayyad to escape was Abd al-Rahman. He fled to Spain and re-established the Umayyad dynasty. After this, the Muslim Empire was permanently split into eastern and western sections.

Mathematics, Astronomy & Geography

Scholars extended the mathematical and astronomical study of previous scholars They created accurate calendars They developed tables that showed the location of the sun and other planets at various times of the year They built precision instruments for viewing the skies They constructed a planetarium with model planets that moved Al-Idrisi completed an encyclopedia of geographic knowledge of more than 70 maps in AD 1154

Rising Protests

Some Muslims felt that the Umayyads were too interested in living a life of luxury instead of attending to their duties as Islamic leaders. The Umayyad rule began to be protested across the empire.

Abbasid Power

The Abbasids built their empire in the east and held on to power, first and foremost, through force. They built a huge standing army that they based at military posts throughout the empire. A standing army is a fighting force that is maintained in times of peace AND war. They used a policy of inclusion to persuade people throughout the empire to accept their rule. All Muslims, whether Arab or non-Arab, were equal Christians and Jews were also encouraged to serve in the government, but they were not considered equal

Mezquita Mosque of Cordoba

The Great Mosque, one of the largest houses of worship in the world, could hold 52,000 people for services. It is the second-largest mosque.

The Seljuk Turks

The Seljuk Turks from Central Asia captured Baghdad in 1055. The Seljuk leader became the ruler of the empire. However, he allowed the Abbasid caliph to remain as the religious leader, and the Seljuks converted to Islam. They expanded the empire and captured Jerusalem in 1071. When they began threatening the Christian Byzantine capital, Constantinople, the European Christian countries launched the crusades to drive the Seljuks away. In 1285 the Mongols overran Baghdad and killed the Abbasid caliph. The Abbasid dynasty died with him.

weastward expansion

The Umayyads also expanded westward. By 710, they controlled North Africa from the Nile River to the Atlantic Ocean. They also moved northward into the Iberian peninsula (modern day Spain and Portugal) From the European peninsula, they launched raids into the rest of Europe. Christian forces stopped their advances in 732 at the Battle of Tours. Muslim forces retreated back to Spain.

Umayyad Government

The Umayyads patterned their government, which was based in Damascus, on the bureaucracy used in the lands they won from the Byzantine Empire. A bureaucracy is a system of departments and agencies that carry out the work of the government. To rule the different provinces of the empire, the caliphs appointed Muslim governors called emirs. The emirs relied on local clan leaders to help them govern.

A GOLDEN AGE IN THE WEST

The atmosphere of learning in Cordoba helped create a golden age for culture throughout al-Andalus. Scholars there made important contributions to the study of mathematics, astronomy, geography, medicine and philosophy.

ABBASID ADVANCES

The brisk economy made the Abbasids very rich. Some wanted to display their wealth. So they began to support the arts and learning. As a result, in the years after 800, Muslim culture enjoyed a golden age. A golden age is a period during which a society or culture is at its peak.

A City of Wonders

The city streets were paved and were lit by lamps. A water system fed the 900 public baths and the many fountains located around the city. The city's economy was very good. Hundreds of workshops that produced silk, leather, carpets, paper, weapons and crystal glass Goods were carried by merchants as far away as Central Asia & Europe Farming flourished, and water wheels irrigated the fields. Farmers grew rice, figs, cherries, apricots, peaches, cotton and olives. Farm foods were sold at more than 4000 markets throughout the city

Medicine & Philosophy

The greatest doctor of the time was al-Zahrawi. In the late 900s, he published a 30-volume medical encyclopedia that covered everything from surgery to caring for, repairing and replacing teeth. He even included entries on how to raise children. Many doctors were all-around scholars. Ibn Rushd worked as a doctor, but as better known as a philosopher. His studies of Plato and Aristotle were considered his most important work. Latin translations of these studies helped reintroduce classical Greek philosophy to Europe.

A Golden Age for Jews

Under the Umayyads, Jews enjoyed an end of persecution. Some even held high government offices. Samuel ha-Nagid served as the first minister to the Muslim leader of Granada Hasdai ben Shraprut served as Abd al-Rahman III personal doctor and advisor A Sephardic, or Spanish-Jewish, culture with its own languages - Ladino - developed Jews who faced persecution in Christian lands flocked to al-Andalus to enjoy this freedom They contributed greatly to the golden age of al-Andalu

Defending Muslim Spain

When Umayyad loyalists heard of Abd al-Rahman's success, many headed west to Spain. However, Abd al-Rahman faced several internal revolts during his reign. He also had to fight off threats from outside forces. Yet, when he died in 788, al-Andalus was strong and united.