Western Civ. Ch. 8

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Middle Ages --- Definition and time period

Back 1

The term Middle Ages refers to the period between the ancient and modern civilizations from about the fifth to fifteenth centuries. Medieval culture rested on the foundations of three great civilizations: the Greek Christianity of Byzantium; the Arabic-speaking Islamic caliphates of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain; and the Latin Christian kingdoms of western and northern Europe.

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3 Medieval Players:

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The Latin West, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic Caliphates.
Latin language in Rome, Greek language in Constantinople

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Orthodox Christianity

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One of the institutional pillars of the Orthdox church in Byzantium was the clergy. They were organized hierarchically like the imperial bureaucracy. The patriarch, or chief bishop, of Constantinople headed several thousand clergymen in the capital and directed church affairs throughout the empire. Emperors generally controlled the appointment of patriarchs, and often the two worked together. The patriarch helped impose religious unity throughout the empire by controlling the network of bishops based in cities near and far.

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Icons

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The images of Christ and saints found everywhere in Byzantine worship.

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Iconoclasm

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The destruction of icons, known as iconoclasm (image breaking), divided Byzantine society until 842.

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Muhammad

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Prophet Muhammad was born to the powerful Hashimite clan of the Quraysh tribe in the cosmopolitan and wealthy west Arabian trading city of Mecca.
507 - Muhammad was Born
610 - Gabriel Came to him while he was meditating and told him to spread the word and to call to all Arabs to worship the one true God (god of Abraham) and to warn of the fires of hell if people failed to answer that call.
622 - Muhammad and his followers moved from Mecca to Medina, 200 miles to the north. Medina, known as the Hijra, is the starting date of the Muslim calendar. The event marks a turning point in the development of Islam.
632 - Muhammad dies and Abu Bakr becomes the first caliph, or successor to Muhammad.

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Gabriel

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Muhammad reported that while he was meditating in solitude an angel appeared before him, saying, "Muhammad, I am Gabriel and you are the Messenger of God Recite!" According to Muhammad's account the angel gave him a message to convey to the people of Mecca. Muhammad's message was a call to all Arabs to worship the one true God (god of Abraham) and to warn of the fires of hell if people failed to answer that call.

Front 8

Qur'an "meaning the Recitation"

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The Holy Book of Islam

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Medina

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Muhammad's emigration from Mecca to Medina, 200 miles to the north, where feuding tribes had invited him to settle their disputes, In 622.

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Hijra

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Muhammad's emigration to Medina, known as the Hijra, is the starting date of the Muslim calendar.

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Mosque

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At the center of this Islamic community lay the mosque the place where his followers gathered to pray and hear Muhammad recite the Qur'an.

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5 Pillars of Islam, or "the rules"

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1. All Muslims must acknowledge that there is only one God and that Muhammad is his prophet.
2. They must state this belief in prayer five times a day. On Fridays, the noon prayers must be recited in the company of other believers if possible.
3. Must must fast between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan, the 9th month of the Muslim calendar.
4. Muslim must donate money and food to the needy. Islam expects its followers to be kind to one another, especially to orphans and widows, and to work for the good of the entire Islamix community.
5. Muslims must take pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives of it is possible.

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Jihad

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Muhammad taught his followers to struggle for the good of the Muslim community. This struggle is called jihad. Islam teaches the duty of Jihad should be fulfilled by the heart, the tongue, the hand, and the sword.

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Jizya

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Jihad of the sword is to wage holy war against unbelievers and enermies of Islam who can avoid attack by converting or paying special taxes, called the Jizya.

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Caliphate

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The Islamic government that evolved under Abu Bakr leadership, the caliphate, combined religious and political responsibilities.

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The Umayyads--Damascus

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661 AD - 750 AD. In 661 the Umayyads arranged Ali's assassination and took control of the caliphate, establishing a new dynasty, the Umayyads, that would last until 750. The Umayyads made Damascus in Syria their new capital city, which shifted Islamic power away from mecca.

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The Abbassids --- Baghdad

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750 AD - 1258 AD. After he Umayyad caliph dies in a battle in 750, the Abbassid clan, who were descendants of Muhammad's uncle seized the caliphate and tried to exterminate the Umayyad family. The Abbasid caliphate quickly altered the character of the Muslim world. In 762-763, the Abbasids built a new capital in Baghdad where they were exposed to the ceremonial and administrative traditions of Persia, which helped expand the intellectual horizons of caliphs, their, courtiers, and bureaucrats.

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"Arabian Nights" or "1,001 Nights"

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The Arabian Nights, stories written down for the caliph Harn al=Rashid, were based on Hellenistic, Jewish, Indian, and Arab legends. The Arabian Nights and the rich tradition of Arabic poetry, which often recounted tales og thwarted love in turn influenced the western Christian poetry of romantic love. Harun al-Rashid began the grand project of translating into Arabic the literature of ancient Greece and texts from Syria, India, and Persia.