Chapter 11: The West End of the Old World Web: New Patterns of Power and Faith, 200 to 800

When the Prophet of God . . . died, the (Medinese) Helpers assembled . . . and said, "Let us give this authority, after Muhammad . . . to Saʿd ibn Ubada [a native of Medina].". . . Saʿd said . . . "O company of Helpers! You have precedence in religion and merit in Islam possessed by no other Arab tribe. Muhammad remained for more than ten years (here in Medina) among his people. . . . But among his own people (in Mecca) only a few men believed in him, and they were not able to protect the Prophet of God or glorify his religion. . . . Therefore keep this authority for yourselves alone. . . . [After Abu Bakr arrived at the meeting, he said:] "God singled out the first Migrants of his people by allowing them to recognize the truth and believe in him. They consoled him and shared in his suffering. . . . They were the first in the land to worship God and to believe in God and the Prophet. They were his friends and his clan and the best entitled of all men to this authority after him. . . . Here is Umar and here is Abu Bayda [of Mecca]. Swear allegiance to whomever of them you choose." The two of them then objected: "No, by God, we will not accept this authority above you. . . . Give us your h

. But among his own people (in Mecca) only a few men believed in him, and they were not able to protect the Prophet of God or glorify his religion

Place the following phases in the spread of Christianity in order.

1. Christians made up about 10 percent of the roman population, and their communities tended to be small, cohesive, and very loyal to each other. 2. After assuming command over the entire roman empire, Constantine sought to settle major disputes at the council at nicaea 3. Christianity was the majority religion within the roman borders. 4. Monarchs in Armenia, Georgia, Ethopia, Nubia, and france became christian eventually so did their populations. 5. Christianity spread along the established trade routes all the way to china.

The fall of the western Roman Empire and the rise of Islam caused the center of power in the Old World web to shift eastward. The shift in the flow of surplus grain in Egypt, North Africa, and Syria is an indicator of this trend. Place the following events of that process in order.

1. Roman forces gained control of Sicily. 2. Rome gained defeated Carthage in North Africa and then Egypt, two major grain producers. 3.Urban life and military power for Rome expanded dramatically. 4.Rome lost North Africa to the Vandals and Syria and Egypt to the Arabs. 5.Rome's ability to support urban life and military power declined as Umayyad and Abbasid power increased.

How did the climate change over time, and what effects did that have on people living in the Old World web? Place the following phases in order.

1.Cooler, drier, and more unstable climate changes began to cause harvests to suffer 2.fiscal and military crisis set in for the roman empire 3.climate conditions began to improve for roman agriculture 4.a cluster of volcanic eruption likely caused plummeting temperatures and diminished rainfall throughout the northern hemisphere 5. harvests throughout the norther hemisphere failed repeatedly, there was widespread famine, and entire villages in some places were completely abandoned

Muhammad said, "A scholar's ink is more precious than the martyr's blood." How did the Abbasids exemplify this sentiment in their caliphate?

Abbasids had foundational texts translated into Arabic and Persian from Chinese, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin. Abbasid legal scholars clarified specific issues within Shari'a law and established schools to educate others on the subject. Abbasids funded works of poetry and scientific inquiry, especially in their capital city of Baghdad, which became a center of knowledge and learning in the Old World web.

Place the following events of the first phase of the Arab conquests in order.

After Muhammad's death, various tribes broke away and Arabs were fragmented. Umar, Abu Bakr, and Uthman rose up and forged a community of Muslims into a formidable fighting force. Some Christians and Jews in Syria and Egypt welcomed Arab rule as it meant more religious freedom. The Sassanian Empire had fallen, and Byzantium had lost its richest provinces. Arabs fought a civil war between rival factions of Muslims.

The second monotheistic religion to spread over the western part of the Old World web came from the who mostly lived as nomadic people organized into tribes and survived by herding and trading. Until the spread of most people in Arabia were polytheistic, with a variety of gods and one supreme god, called The founder, had received a vision while in solitude and believed he had been chosen as a messenger of God. After fleeing to Medina in 622, he established the first mosque and organized his followers who were called Muslims.

Arabs. islam. allah. muhammad

What were the lasting effects of climate change and disease for the Sassanian and Roman empires?

Both assisted in the demise of Sassanian Iran and the decline of the Byzantine Empire. Tribal and nomadic peoples fared better in the aftermath of the plagues and climate disasters. Extremely bad health became prevalent for about two centuries.

Which of the following statements are true about Muhammad's life before Islam was founded in 622?

By 622, Muhammad had been a merchant, a prophet, and a judge and local leader. By his 30s, Muhammad had lost his parents, his grandfather, and three of his own children.

In one of the more remarkable cultural transformations in world history, Islam became the majority faith in many areas in little more than a century. By 650 CE, Muslim territory included parts of the Empire in Egypt, and the Levant and the Empire in Iran.

Byzantine. Sassanian

How did Christianity and Islam affect the lives of women? Match the terms—Christianity, Islam, or both—to the statements that apply to them.

Christianity - In its early stages, women were able to undertake religious discipline in convents, and some women were active preachers, achieving sainthood for their piety or courage. Both - Women had sacred roles in this religion. Marriage had to be consensual, and there were rules about the proper treatment of women. Islam - Women were able to inherit all kinds of property from their parents, but their brothers would inherit larger shares. Husbands were instructed to support their wives and treat all their wives in polygamous marriages equally.

Based on the map, what can be learned about the spread of Christianity?

Christianity spread through the mediterranean world europe, eventually making its way into modern-day Ethopia

Beginning in 284, two Roman emperors, Diocletian and Constantine, managed to bring stability to the Roman Empire following its crisis in the third century. Match each emperor to his actions that stabilized Rome.

Constantine split the Roman Empire into eastern and western halves to facilitate better administration won glory and fame as he emerged victorious in succession struggles that lasted well into his reign established a new capital near the Iranian and Danube frontiers to better protect the Roman Empire from attack Diocletian reorganized Roman bureaucracy and military so that he could exert more control reformed the Roman Empire's financial system

From its status as a minor religion around 200, Christianity had become the majority religion throughout the Roman Empire by 450. What factors facilitated the spread of Christianity?

Constantine embraced Christianity. Charitable actions of Christians during moments of violence, plague, or chaos attracted admiration. Political chaos, which brought civil war, reckless selfishness, and greed, made the Christian ethic stand out in comparison.

Select the area of the map where the information available indicates a region where Sassanian imperial power declined in the seventh century.

Egypt

How did the new caliphates (Umayyad and Abbasid) affect economic and social life in the lands they ruled?

Ethnic trade networks, especially involving Jews and Armenians, flourished under Islamic caliphates. Social inequality and the accumulation of wealth increased as a result of rapidly growing exchange networks. The economic success under Islamic rule after 680 created new markets and trade connections, and it strengthened already existing ones.

Source 2 illustrates the Byzantine use of Greek fire against enemies. Consider the illustration, and identify the claims the source supports.

Greek fire was an effective weapon against enemy ships. Naval power was important in the defense of byzantine territory

Which of the following statements describe how Augustine influenced Christianity?

He laid the foundation for a more unified Christianity, which would become Catholicism, in the Latin-speaking west. Drawing on his earlier study of Manichaeism and Neo-Platonism, his writings brought some of those influences into western Christian philosophy as well. His writings helped establish key Christian doctrines.

How did the migration of the Huns after 370 CE affect the Roman Empire?

Hun migration led the Germanic tribes living on the edges of the western Roman Empire to pour into Roman territory as refugees and plunderers. Hun migration set in motion the events that would cause Rome to lose its source of surplus grain and the ability to enforce maritime stability. As the Huns migrated into central and southeastern Europe and raided into southern and western Europe, the geopolitical balance of western Eurasia fell into chaos.

In places like North Africa, Iberia, Gaul, and Britain, the westernmost edges of the Old World web, the end of Roman rule had profound effects. Sort the following results into the correct categories according to whether a particular outcome increased or decreased following the end of Roman rule

Increased - violence and political chaos quality of life for average people Decreased - long-distance trade city populations use of Latin

The spread of both Christianity and Islam began in the western end of Eurasia, and these religions shared some traditions with earlier monotheistic religions of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism. Match the two religions with the characteristics that describe them.

Manichaeism It emphasized eternal struggle between good and evil, light and dark—all good things were spiritual or abstract, and all things evil were material and worldly. It derived from the teachings of its leader, who preached a blend of several religions, including Christianity and Buddhism, among others. Zoroastrainism Priests and texts endorsed sex and marriage between siblings and between nieces and uncles. It may have influenced and been influenced by early Judaism. For a time, it became the state religion of Iran under the Sassanids.

The Abbasids and the Byzantines were simultaneously tied together in some ways and opposed to one another in others. Which of the following statements capture how the two superpowers related to one another?

Nearly all of western Eurasia's and northern Africa's major cities were located within these two empires. The two powerful entities were politically opposed to one another and fought regularly. Together, they represented two of the world's great religions.

From 200 to 800 CE, the Sassanids and Romans experienced several changes in farming that had important implications for the success of their empires. Match the Sassanids or the Romans to the changes in agriculture that they experienced.

Romans: Their vulnerabilities deepened as specialization grew over time. The expansion of markets and trade routes encouraged increasing specialization of agriculture. Sassanids: Farming expanded by 50 percent thanks to the heavy investment in irrigation infrastructure. The most important innovation was the use of irrigation to grow more alfalfa. They added new crops such as olives, apricots, cotton, and sugarcane to supplement older staples and expanded rice into more of their empire.

Which of the following best describes the situation on the southern tip of Spain leading up to 565 CE?

Spain was controlled by the gothic kingdom until byzantine empire gained control of the southern tip by 565 CE

Based on the main and inset maps, which of the following statements is true about the Byzantine Empire by 800 CE?

The Byzantine Empire lost its holdings in northern africa and the levant, and became concentrated in greece and anatolia

What major economic and social changes did the breakup of the Roman Empire and the Arab conquests produce across the Old World web from 200 to 800 CE?

The Old World web unraveled at its westernmost edges. Power in the western half of the Old World web shifted eastward. Social complexity and market relations remained and increased in southwest Asia. Civil violence increased.

Which of the following major political and social shifts occurred in the western Old World between 200 and 800 CE?

The Sassanid dynasty in Iran rose and fell between 224 and 651. Rome lost control over the western half of its empire by the 470s as its seat of power moved eastward to Constantinople. Islamic dynasties emerged from the Arabian Peninsula and challenged the longstanding power of the Sassanids and the Romans.

The recollections in Source 3, The Succession to Muhammad, were passed down through oral traditions until they were recorded nearly 300 years after the event referenced. Analyze the passage, and think about why unity might be important in the Islamic world at different times. Identify the claims the source seems to support.

The recollections make clear that not all Arab tribes were Muslim, or equally faithful. Abu Bakr appears to make peace by offering two choices of leader to the gathered men.

Based on the map, which of the following statements are true, and which are false?

The strongholds of the Byzantine Empire lay in Egypt, the Levant, Anatolia, and the Balkans. Rome was part of the Byzantine Empire in 565 CE.

Aspects of the murals in Source 1 suggest that Theodora held power not simply as Justinian's wife but in her own right. Analyze the mural, and identify the claims that are supported by the source.

Theodora commanded great resources. Theodora's posture and stature suggest power and authority.

How did the Sassanids build Persia into a great power on par with the empires of Rome and China?

They encouraged long-distance trade by land and sea. Their investment in irrigation canals improved their agricultural output and their revenue.

Analyze this image of a Sassanid-era rock relief. What aspect of Sassanid power does this image capture best?

This image features a cataphract, famously used in Sassanid military operations alongside war elephants when facing off against an enemy in battle, which captures Sassanid military power

Place the following events that contributed to a crisis in the Roman Empire during the third century in the correct order.

Trade goods from Rome into neighboring territory and Roman diplomacy seeking to deal with tribal leaders led to a stronger political elite class among the Germanic tribes in Rome's frontier regions. The Goths, Vandals, and Franks—north of the Danube and east of the Rhine—became more cohesive, hierarchical, and powerful. As Germanic tribes mounted more destructive attacks on the Roman frontier, Rome needed to respond effectively but could not because it lacked the funds to pay soldiers' salaries. The Roman military grew unruly and Rome's enemies wreaked havoc and pulled more money away from Rome. In the chaos, Roman military commanders attempted to seize control, leading to regular civil war, leadership turnover, and deep political, military, and economic crisis.

Which of the following statements describe the early struggles and successes of Islam under the leadership of Muhammad?

Unlike other religious founders, Muhammad was the only one to personally exercise political power. Although Muhammad and his followers initially struggled in their skirmishes with his enemies in Mecca, he eventually gained more support as he achieved victory over them by 630. Muhammad provided a cultural tie that connected Arabs across tribal identities.

What does this map tell us about the Byzantine Empire from 476 until 565?

between 476 and 565, the Byzantine Empire grew in power and territory

As Umayyads sought to govern an ever-growing empire and the size of the Muslim community grew alongside it, Umayyads had to find new ways to maintain power and legitimacy. Which of the following are methods Umayyads used to bolster their authority after 680?

built monumental architecture to exert soft power recruited experts from among those they conquered to handle technical aspects of the state (finance, irrigation, architecture)

In the murals, Theodora and Justinian wear similar that reinforce their image as strong rulers. The around their heads suggest that they have authority as well.

crowns. halos. spiritual

After 476 when the Roman Empire collapsed, it was replaced by a new group of invaders from farther north who called themselves the Byzantines.

false

Around 200 CE, the vast majority of the 75 million or so living in the Old World web lived in urban areas.

false

The early Christian patriarchates were strategically placed in areas that were not early adopters of Christianity in order to better spread the faith.

false

When Muhammad's armies defeated a community, he typically mandated that they convert to Islam or face destruction. He tolerated no other religious belief than his own.

false

How did education change in the western half of the Old World web between 200 and 800 CE?

learning became increasingly center on religious study both christian and islamic societies.

What made the populations of the Sassanian and Roman empires more susceptible to epidemics after 200 CE?

populations living more densely in urban areas Roman transportation networks throughout its empire long-distance trade connections throughout the Old World web

As early Christianity grew more successful as an institutionalized religion, it also began to experience divisions over doctrine, called The first major dispute was over which held that Jesus Christ was the son of God but was not a co-equal part of the deity. Another argument revolved around the importance of Mary, the mother of Jesus. argued that church leaders should cease treating Mary as though she were divine by calling her the Mother of God. Another major disagreement came because of which broke from the Nicene Creed and held that Christ had not three but one, singular divine nature. All these issues threatened to tear the early Church apart and, by extension, the Byzantine Empire.

schisms. Arianism. Nestorianism. Monophysitism

For many years, Rome's economy had flourished because of its commercial economy supported by two parts. Through farmers could choose to raise the crops that grew best in their environment, and craftsmen could hone particular skills. Through Romans could use money to pay for what they needed or wanted at markets. However, as increased across the empire, the economy shrank, and less money flowed into the empire. Without enough Rome could not afford to pay enough for soldiers to defend its borders, which left it vulnerable to attack.

specilization. exchange. disorder. revenue

Observe the division of the Roman Empire in this map. Based on that division and other map clues, which of the following statements is true about the Roman Empire after 378 CE?

the eastern roman empire remained largely intact, whereas the western roman empire struggled to defend itself against invaders

Based on the map, which of the following statements is true about the Sassanian Empire's relationship with its neighbors?

the sassasnian empire challenged and fought the byzantine empire for control of the lands between them

The critical turning point for the Byzantine Empire was 642, when Arab invaders captured Egypt, the empire's crucial grain-producing region. Before the 640s, the Byzantine Empire remained a force to be reckoned with, but after the loss of Egypt, every emperor lost territory as their wealth and power diminished.

true

While economic and social life simplified in the westernmost regions of the Old World web after the end of Roman rule, social complexity and market relations in Byzantine, Iranian, and Arab lands survived, partly because the roots of those features were much deeper there.

true

When the Prophet of God . . . died, the (Medinese) Helpers assembled . . . and said, "Let us give this authority, after Muhammad . . . to Sa'd ibn Ubada [a native of Medina]." . . . Sa'd said . . . "O company of Helpers! You have precedence in religion and merit in Islam possessed by no other Arab tribe. Muhammad remained for more than ten years (here in Medina) among his people . . . . But among his own people (in Mecca) only a few men believed in him, and they were not able to protect the Prophet of God or glorify his religion. . . . Therefore keep this authority for yourselves alone. . . ." [After Abu Bakr arrived at the meeting, he said:] "God singled out the first Migrants of his people by allowing them to recognize the truth and believe in him. They consoled him and shared in his suffering. . . . They were the first in the land to worship God and to believe in God and the Prophet. They were his friends and his clan and the best entitled of all men to this authority after him. . . Here is Umar and here is Abu Bayda [of Mecca]. Swear allegiance to whomever of them you choose." The two of them then objected: "No, by God, we will not accept this authority above you. . . . Give us your

You have precedence in religion and merit in Islam possessed by no other Arab tribe. But among his own people (in Mecca) only a few men believed in him, and they were not able to protect the Prophet of God or glorify his religion "God singled out the first Migrants of his people by allowing them to recognize the truth and believe in him. They consoled him and shared in his suffering They were his friends and his clan and the best entitled of all men to this authority after him