Byzantium & the Rise of Islam330-1453 C.E.

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• Byzantine culture got its name from the ancient city of Byzantium, which got its name to its mythical founder, Byzas.

• A new city was built there in 330 C.E. by the Emperor Constantine, who renamed the city Constantinople.

• Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, which is also referred to as Byzantine Empire.

Geography of Constantinople• The ancient city of Constantinople is the

modern city of Istanbul.• This location was strategic to the empire

flourishing.

The city is surrounded on three sides by water. The empire itself is located on both sides of the Bosporus.

It is at the entrance to the Sea of Marmara.

To the northeast lies the entrance to the Black Sea.

To the southwest lie the Dardanelles. These are straits, or narrow water passages, through which ships can enter the Aegean and then go to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus form a water passage that divides Europe from Asia.

The Byzantine Rulers• Byzantine rulers had absolute power.• Unlike Western Romans-they were not

worshipped as gods.• Ruler was servant of God, but was chosen by

God.• Not hereditary, although in many cases it was

passed from father to son or daughter.• Future emperor was sometimes chosen by the

reigning ruler with help from the army. The senate, the people, and the church.

The Byzantine Rulers

• The empress often held and exercised a great deal of power.

• As a symbol of this power, the portrait of the empress appeared on the coins of the realm.

• Sometimes, empresses ruled alone

The Byzantine Rulers• The emperors were called basileu,

or king of kings. (BAHZ ihl yoo)• The emperors ruled from

Constantinople• The empire was divided into two

military districts. Each district was ruled by a general who was directly responsible to the emperor.

• Soldiers in the district armies fought for the emperor and received the land on which they lived as payment.

• Because they were fighting for their own land or farms, they tended to be brave and loyal fighters.

Hippodrome• Built by Constantine

• Similar to the Colosseum

• Constantine held chariot races in it.

Emperor Justinian (527-565 A.D.)

Emperor Justinian (527-565 A.D.)

• Tried to unite the Eastern & Western Roman Empires

• Failed to unite the two Empires but he was able to encourage trade between them.

• He re-conquered North Africa, parts of Spain, Italy, Greece and the Mediterranean Islands from the Barbarians.

• Codification of Roman Law.

Corpus Juris Civilis(Body of Civil Law)

Justinian’s Code• Lawyers organized & simplified Roman

law.• Four parts:

– The Code: All Roman laws since Emperor Hadrian.

– The Digest: Laws of Roman Republic & summary of opinions of Roman Lawyers.

– The Institutes: General textbook on law.– The Novellea: Laws created by Justinian.

Written in Greek.

Heraclius• Reorganized the Byzantine imperial

administration and the imperial armies and strengthened the Empire in the process.

• He divided the land into four Themes (military districts), each ruled by a military governor.

• By giving prospective soldiers land grants, he recruited a considerable number of native fighters.

• No longer was Byzantium to rely on foreign mercenaries.

• On the economic front finances were revived in the form of new taxes and fines as well as contributions from the Orthodox Church

Leo III• Known as Leo the Isaurian or Leo

the Syrian• He defended Constantinople

against the last Arab siege and he succeeded in ending serious Arab threats for nearly two centuries

• He reorganized the military provinces (themes) of the empire for greater efficiency.

• His civil code, the Ecloga, written in Greek rather than in Latin, was a practical handbook that had considerable influence in Byzantium.

• He is also credited with issuing military, maritime, and rural codes

Basil I

• Founded the Macedonian dynasty and formulated the Greek legal code that later became known as the Basilica

Basil II

• Became one of the strongest Byzantine emperors, winning territory in the Balkans, Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Georgia. He was noted for his victory (1014) in the war with Bulgaria, which ended with his blinding all the soldiers in the defeated Bulgarian army.

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Empress Theodora• Probably the most influential and

powerful woman in the empire's history. • Her father was a bear-keeper at the

Hippodrome• As a child she was an actress and later

married Emperor Justinian • She persuaded Justinian to grant some

rights to women.• She expanded the rights of women in

divorce and property ownership, forbid exposure of unwanted infants, gave mothers some guardianship rights over their children, and forbid the killing of a wife who committed adultery. She closed brothels and created convents where the ex-prostitutes could support themselves.

• She was a constant, skillful and cunning advisor to Justinian.

Military Power• The borders of the empire were constantly threatened.• The superior military strength of the Byzantines allowed them to remain in

power until Constantinople finally fell to the Turks in 1453.• Warfare became almost an art to them• The music of military bands sent carefully trained and armed soldiers off to

battle in high spirits• Mirrors were used to flash signals for attack or retreat.• A medical corps was created to bring the wounded back from battle for the

finest medical aid then available.• The navy were renowned. At one point, they launched 1330 ships against

Crete.• The navy used an ancient Greek device known as Greek Fire, a

combination of naphtha and sulphur, which could burn a ship on water.• This device was an effective defence against those who tried to defeat

them.

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

• The emperors were supported by the Byzantine church.

• The church was part of the government. It was a political and religious force.

• Constantine was the 1st Christian emperor of the Roman Empire and the emperors who followed him were also Christian.

• Until the 5th century, the pope was the head of all Catholic Churches

• In the 5th century, there were numerous disagreements between the Eastern church and the Western church, which became known as the Roman Catholic Church.

• The Eastern church split into the Orthodox church and the Greek Orthodox church.

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

West – Roman Catholic Church• The Roman Catholic Church was more powerful

than Western monarchs. It was not only a spiritual institution but a strong political institution

• The pope was the centre of the Roman Catholic Church – virtually all power presided in the Pope and a hierarchy of bishops existed below the Pope

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

East – Greek Orthodox Church• Religious leaders in the East, who were

called Patriarchs, were unwilling to recognize the Pope, the emperor controlled religion and did not want to be subservient to the Pope

• Byzantine church leaders were consulted for political decisions, very important political figures as well, this was seen as a successful and wealthy career.

• Religion and the Byzantine Empire were strongly intertwined

• The emperor was near divinity, therefore held a high degree of theological authority

• The first religious disagreement had to do with the nature of Jesus.

• The pope believed that Jesus had 2 natures: human and divine

• The Monophysites, who were influential in the churches of the East, believed that Jesus had one nature: divine

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

Council of Chalcedon• 451 A.D. – Pope Leo I decreed that Jesus, although

one person, had two natures• This public pronouncement did not satisfy religious

leaders in the Eastern Orthodox Church – they also didn’t like that the Pope had made the decision for them

• Eastern religious leaders refused to recognize this decision

• The issue was never resolved.

• The second religious disagreement had to do with the question of whether or not images, or pictures and statues, were to be allowed in the church.

• The Western church believed that images were essential in helping people to imagine the divine.

• Saw opposition to religious icons as a threat to traditional Christianity

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

• The Eastern church opposed the use of images.– Worship of images or icons was fundamentally a

pagan belief– Products of human hands should not be worshipped,

only God should be worshipped– This philosophy was most likely inspired in part by the

Islamic faith

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

• 726 – Pope Leo III issued an edict forbidding the use of images or icons of the sacred personages of Christianity including Christ and all the Saints

• Rioting broke out in Constantinople and were suppressed

• Eastern religious leaders again refused to recognize this decision

• 1054 A.D – the issue was the use of leavened bread vs. unleavened bread in the communion service and this issue caused the pope and the patriarch of Constantinople to excommunicate each other which led to an open schism that still exists in the catholic world today

• Churches permanently separated in 1054

Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity

• This division between the two churches is known as schism.

Legacies of the Byzantine Empire

• Economy and Trade• At first, animal skins and furs, salt, wine,

slaves, spices, and precious gems were common articles of trade.

• Later, silk became a major item of Byzantine wealth

• For hundreds of years, only the Chinese knew the secret of making silk.

• Around 550 C.E., the Byzantines learned the secret.

• Legend has it that two monks brought silkworm eggs to Constantinople in the hollowed parts of their walking sticks.

• The silk industry grew and was controlled by the emperor.

• Economy and Trade• Because Constantinople had a vital role

in the economy of the empire, it was governed separately.

• It had a police force to catch criminals and courts of law

• Workers were organized into trade guilds.

• Guilds were organized groups of people in the same trade or craft who set rules to uphold standards and protect their members.

• Those merchants who tried to cheat buyers were punished b the guilds.

Legacies of the Byzantine Empire

Legacies of the Byzantine Empire

Education• Education was free and available to everyone

in accordance with a church law that stated: “Knowledge is a gift of God, therefore it cannot be sold.”

• The missionaries Cyril and his brother Methodius knew the Slavic language and invented an alphabet that is still used today by the Russians, Bulgarians, and Serbs.

• The brothers are often referred to as the “Apostles to the Slavs.”

• The Cyrillic alphabet played an important role in bringing Christianity to those countries.

Legacies of the Byzantine Empire

Art and Architecture:• Hagia Sophia or St.

Sophia – built in the 6th Century, the round dome was fitted into a square structure which was a Roman trait

• The interior of this structure is adorned with marble veneers, mosaic inlays and wall coverings

Empire Fell to the TurksMany causes:

– numerous wars made enemies strong and the Empire weak

– religious leaders became more concerned with worldly power than spirituality, and lost public support

1204 C.E.:• Christians from Europe were

marching to Palestine to get revenge on groups who had destroyed Christian holy places in Jerusalem.

• They were amazed by the wealth of Constantinople and attempted to take over the city

• They were unsuccessful but it greatly weakened the Empire

• 1453 – Ottoman Turks finally captured the city

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• The Arabian Peninsula, where the world of Islam began, is a large peninsula.

• Most of it is a vast desert that determined how its inhabitants lived.

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• The Bedouin people were nomads living in the desert of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• With little rain and few rivers the Bedouin has developed a special way of life.

• Their way of life centered around areas that had permanent sources of underground water.

• This fertile area is called an oasis.

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• The dromedary, or one-humped camel, is known as the ship of the desert.

• It provides transportation over the vast expanses of sand.

• It can live and work for long periods of time without water and thus made life for the Bedouins easier.

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• The Bedouins lived in loose tribal association with other clans, and informal rules governed their relationships with one another and other desert tribes.

• Because catching and punishing thieves and murderers was the responsibility of individual victims rather than a defined legal system, bitter feuds often developed among tribes.

• This kind of life bred a fierce independence, a resistance to authority, and an ability to withstand hardship.

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• Two cities played an important role in the development of Islam: Mecca and Medina

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• To the Bedouins, Mecca was a holy city.• Worship centered around the shrine called the Kaaba.• In it were statues of male and female gods and a special

black stone believed to be from heaven. Probably it was a meteor.

The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture

• The inhabitants of Mecca and Medina were part merchant, and part nomad.

• Many Bedouins left the desert for part the year and moved to the city and became traders.

• As the population grew, those who remained in the desert had difficulty finding food to feed their families.

• They were ready for a leader to improve their lives. This leader was the holy man called Mohammed.

Mohammed Began the Muslim Faith

• Mohammed (570 to 632) was the prophet a new faith.

• He was born in Mecca.• He was a merchant who

crossed the desert with caravans carrying goods to distant parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

• During these journeys, he learned a lot about Greek culture as well as about Christian ideas and the Hebrew religion.

Mohammed Began the Muslim Faith• By the time he was 40, he believed that he had been chosen by

Allah to preach a new faith to the world.• Allah is the Muslim name for God. • He was an eloquent speaker and freely shared his revelations.• He taught that there is one God (Allah) and that one person

(Muhammed) was his prophet.• Islam, like other religions, teaches kindness, humility, patience,

and charity.• The holy book of Islam is the Koran, which is a collection of

religious ideas. It contains rules of conduct, including rules on how to treat children, slaves, and animals.

• The Koran even became the basis for Islamic law and government.

Mohammed Began the Muslim Faith• The new religion was slow to gain popularity• There were many Arabs who would not accept

Muhammed as a prophet, but preferred their own tribal gods.

• Mohammed thought that Mecca would be a good place to spread his ideas, but he was driven out in 622 and he fled to Medina.

• The flight from Mecca to Medina is called the Hegira (hih JY ruh)

• In Medina, Mohammed began to win converts to his faith• Followers of the Muslim Faith count the year 622 as

Year One.

The Call to Prayer• Muhammed wondered how he should

summon people to prayer each day. The Jews blow a trumpet and the Christians ring bells.

• He had his slave, Bilal, stand on the roof of the mosque and call the Muslims together.

• Bilal was the first muezzin (myu EZ ihn).

• The muezzin proclaims the call to prayer 5 times a day.

• He cries out: “Allah is great. There is no God but Allah. Mohammed is the prophet of Allah. Come to prayer. Come to salvation. Allah is great. There is no God but Allah.”

Muslims Share Basic BeliefsThe Five Pillars of Islam• Every Muslim must repeat the Muslim creed in Arabic: “There is no

God but Allah, and Muhammed is His Prophet.”• It is the duty of every Muslim to pray 5 times daily.• They are required to fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy

month of Ramadan.• Ramadan is the 9th month in which Mohammed received his

revelations. (brainpop: culture/ramadan)• Every Muslim must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during

his or her lifetime.• Every devout Muslim must give charity (alms) to the poor.

Muslims Share Basic Beliefs

• The Kaaba is the center of worship in the holy city of Mecca.

• Any Muslim can lead people at prayer, but those who are highly educated in Muslim teachings and laws, called mullahs (MUL ahs) are treated with great respect and are considered holy.

• All worshippers are considered equal and there is no organized clergy or order of priests.

Muslims Share Basic Beliefs• Like Christians, Muslims believe in a Judgement Day.• In the Muslim faith, however, whether or not one goes to

paradise, or heaven, is determined beforehand by Allah.• No amount of prayer or good works can change Allah’s

plan.• Muslims believe in kismet, or that one’s time of death

and one’s fate in another world is predetermined.• One sure way of getting into paradise was to die in a

jihad, or holy war against non-Muslims.• Because of this belief, Muslim fighters were courageous

warriors.

The World of Islam Expanded• The conquests of Islam began when Mohammed’s forces took the

city of Medina and defeated the Bedouin tribes outside the city. By the death of Mohammed in 632 C.E. , he had conquered a large part of Arabia and had set an example for future jihads. They conquered Arabia, Persia, Egypt, northern Africa, Spain, and Portugal.

Powerful Caliphs Ruled Islam

• After Muhammed died, the Muslim world was ruled by Caliphs (KAY lihfs).

• Caliphs had total power except for the fact they could not change religious teachings.

• The first 4 Caliphs were elected by Arab leaders.

• They were: Abu-Bekr Omar Othman

Ali

Powerful Caliphs Ruled Islam

• After the death of Ali, the traditional way of choosing caliphs ended.

• The leader of the Umayyads (oo MY adz), an Arab family, proclaimed himself caliph and established the Umayyad Caliphate with Damascus as its capital.

• Leadership was then past from father to son, which lasted from 661 to 750 C.E.

• It was then overthrown by Abu al-Abbas.

• Under the Abbasid Caliphate, the Islamic Empire reached its peak. A new capital was established at Baghdad.

Harun Al-Rashid• He was from the Abbasid

Caliphate• His heroic deeds are

described in the stories called the Arabian Nights, which include the tales of Aladdin and His Lamp and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

• According to legend, the narrator of these stories had to tell one story a night to the caliph for a 1001 nights or be put to death.

Rulers of Turkey

• As a result of political disunity, the power of the caliphs fell under the control of the Turks for over 200 years.

• Although the Muslims never achieved political unity, they were united by a common faith, a common language, the pilgrimage to Mecca and ties of commerce.

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Flocabulary: Empires of Islam Mecca, Medina, Arabia, uh huh,We bow down and we raise it up,Uh huh,Imams guide Islam,So get to your mosque,And read your Qur’an.

Now deep in the desert,This guy called Muhammad,Heard a voice calling, he’s like, “Yo, I’m on it.”Started in Mecca,And he conquered it,Then it spread outAcross the continent.Converting Bedouin tribesWith Some threats and knives,Plus some smart tactics andTolerance in their lives.

Mecca, boy,Yeah that’s where I come from,By 632 Arabia was Muslim.Muhammad regarded Christians and JewsAs people of the book; said,“Just let’em do what they do.”But he spoke of jihad,That’s a struggle for faith,Said if you die for Islam,You get the Blessings of God.His successors disagreed and Fought like Tupac,You’re either caliph or you’re not.Sunnis follow the way,But it’s disputed,Shia’s only 10 percent,So they’re persecuted.Muslim empire expandedIn Pakistan,

Flocabulary: Empires of IslamAnd through North AfricaInto Spain.Turkish ottomans came inAnd they took over,Now the sultan’s commandingSome slave soldiers.Others moved on India,Bringing Urdu,Fight with spears;Spears hurt more than words do.“Babur the Tiger” earned his stripes, Fighting for the Mughals,Staying out of trouble.HookMy navigator wasn’t madeBy Lincoln,My navigator was me,My own intuition.Used the sun, moon, and stars,The astrolabe,A director with good senseLike an old-school GPS.

Bow in grace, 5 times I pray,‘Cause in Allah is whereI place my faith.Speaking SwahiliBrought to you by Africans,Because they built mosquesOn their continent.The numbers you use,We brought them to you,Arabic numerals from HindusIn 1202.Cleanliness, yeah,That’s next to godliness,And who but Allah is the purest?Our doctors knew howBlood moved, Health is vital,So we built medical schools.Attached them to templesTo show our gratitude,Caring about people,I live amongst you.As a Muslim, if you get the chance,Head on down to Mecca for the experience.Like Muhammad BattutaAnd his jouorneys throughEgypt, China, SumatraAnd Timbuktu.

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