Developments in Dar al-Islam
Allah will admit those who embrace the true faith and do good works
to gardens watered by running streams.
—The Quran, Chapter 47
Learning Objectives
- D: Explain how systems of belief and their practices affected society in the period from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
- E: Explain the causes and effects of the rise of Islamic states over time.
- F: Explain the effects of intellectual innovation in Dar al-Islam.
After the death of Muhammad in 632, Islam spread rapidly outward
from Arabia. Through military actions and the activities of merchants and missionaries, Islam’s reach extended from India to Spain. As the quotation suggests, many Islamic leaders showed tolerance to Christians, Jews, and others who believed in a single god and did good works. Under the Abbasid Empire, scholars traveled from far away to Baghdad to study at a renowned center of learning known as the House of Wisdom. The Islamic community helped transfer knowledge throughout Afro-Eurasia. When the Abbasids declined, they were replaced by other Islamic states.
Sections
Invasions and Shifts in Trade Routes
Cultural and Social Life
Free Women in Islam
Islamic Rule in Spain
Think As a Historian: THINK AS A HISTORIAN: IDENTIfY HISTORICAL CONCEPTS, DEvELOPMENTS, AND PROCESSES
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Reflect
REFLECT ON THE TOPIC ESSENTIAL QUESTION
1. In one to three paragraphs, explain how Islamic states arose and how major religious systems shaped society in the periods between c. 1200 and c. 1450.
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