Islamic EmpireEvolution and Achievement

EconomicsIn the centuries following Muhammad's return to Mecca, his teachings spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula into Africa, Europe, and Asia. From the 7th through the 17th century, Islam spread by two primary means conquest and trade.

An important result of the trade and interaction that furthered the Golden Age was the discovery of the Chinese papermaking process. It was much faster and easier than preparing parchment or papyrus, thus making the written word more accessible.

Trade extended from northern Africa to

southern Europe and into parts of Asia.

Intellectual and ScienceSciences advanced in many directions during the Islamic Golden Age.

Math Arabic numerals, adapted from Hindu, and the idea of zero made algebra possible. Al─Khwarizmi wrote an algebra textbook that was the standard for centuries.

MedicineThe most famous doctor of the Golden Age was Al─Razi. He was also a chemist and experimented with potential cures for ailments. He wrote about 200 books on medicine and he was a skilled surgeon

Al─Zahrawi wrote the anatomy text. His work became the standard medical text in Europe for centuries. Al─Razi with a patience

Alhazen, is credited with being the first "scientist."

He revived work in geometry and astronomy of ancient Greek works. He conducted experiments that would inspire the process of the scientific method.

He explained how eyesight works in his Book of Optics, in 1021

Alhazen

PoliticsMuhammad: The first leader was Muhammad the founder of the Islamic religion in 612 CE. He controled a large area of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Four Rulers: Between 632-661 CE after Muhammad´s dead the first four rulers to follow Muhammad were called the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs or rulers. They took control of the Arabian Peninsula as well as Persia, Syria, and much of Egypt.

Umayyad Caliphate: In 661, the last Rightly Guided Caliph was murdered. This cause the Islamic world to split and the Umayyad Caliphate rose to power. They established a dynasty that lasted from 661-750 CE. Under the Umayyads, the size and population of the caliphate grew and they conquered territory and won many converts to Islam.

The Abbasid dynasty: In 747, conquered people revolted against Umayyad rule, and a new family, the Abbasids, rose to power. They brutally took control from the Umayyads by murdering the remaining family members.

One Umayyad prince, Abd al-Rahman, was able to escape and set up a Muslim caliphate in Spain. The Umayyads had retreated to the area of the empire called Al-Andalus (Spain).

The Abbasid dynasty moved the capital city by building Baghdad in present-day Iraq. Baghdad was a key location to build a capital city. The spot was at the crossroads to major trade routes between Europe and Asia.

SocialIn the Umayyad Caliphate, there were four social classes.

Muslim Arabs: most privileged and paid less in taxesMuslim Non-Arabs or Mawali: paid more in taxes than Muslim ArabsDhimmis: People of the Book, referring to Jews and Christians who based their faiths on the Bible; higher status than slaves but did not have equal rights to MuslimsSlaves: lower status

As the Abbasid dynasty continued to spread the borders, more groups of people came under Islamic control. Arabic was the official language of the empire. As the empire expanded and more people learned Arabic, it was easier to communicate. Information from different cultures blended in the empire. Trade increased throughout the caliphate and beyond, with goods and information changing hands over long distances

The House of Wisdom: founded by Al-Ma'mun and built in Baghdad, attracted scholars from surrounding continents. Its main purpose was to translate great amounts of literature and knowledge into Arabic. Scholars preserved literature and works of history by patiently copying and translating works by Aristotle, Euclid, and other important thinkers of ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome. They also sought to understand the information and organize it into the teachings of Islam.

Important cities: Many cities in the Muslim empire became thriving places of culture, learning, and the arts. These cities include Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, and, of course, Córdoba. These cultural centers kept scholarship alive during the Dark Ages of Europe and played a major role in sparking the European Renaissance.

By the 10th century, the city of Córdoba in Spain was bustling. It had an impressive population of nearly 200,000 people and served as an impressive cultural center.

Baghdad

Córdoba