A Brief History of Islam: Rise, Expansion, Current Issues, and Orientalism

F O R W O R L D L I T E R A T U R E I I F A L L 2 0 1 0 – R . R A M O S I N F O A D A P T E D F R O M P A U L F L E S H E R A L L M A T E R I A L © C O P Y R I G H T 1 9 9 8 . T H I S P A G E L A S T U P D A T E D O N O C T O B E R 2 8 , 1 9 9 8 H T T P : / / U W A C A D W E B . U W Y O . E D U / R E L I G I O N E T / E R / I S L A M / I H I S T . H T M

Islamic World Today

Origins—Mohammed (570 AD-632 AD)

Life & Death in the Arabian Peninsula

      Mohammed's birth in Mecca (570) Mohammed marries Khadija (595) Mohammed begins receiving the Quran (611) Hijra to Medina (622) Mohammed's followers conquer Mecca (630) Mohammed dies (632)

Map of “Arabia before the Prophet”

Expansion of and Changes in Islam after Mohammed’s Death

Formative stage— Four Righteous Caliphs (632-661)

      Abu Bakr (632-634) Islam moves West to Egypt, North to Syria, East to Iran.

Umar (634-644) Text of Quran established Uthman (644-656) Ali (656-661)

The Early Empires— Classical Islam (661-1258)

         Islam moves West across N. Africa to Spain, East to India, and north to Samarkand.

Umayyad Dynasty (661-750) Shia group separates from rest of ummah (Sunni) (680s) Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258) Ismaili Shia founded (765) Twelver Shia founded (874) Fatimid Dynasty in Egypt (909 1171) Authoritative Hadith ( prophetic traditions ) collections (800s-900s) Christian Crusades to the Holy Land (1095-1270)

Map of the Expansion of Islam, by 800 AD

Islam in the next 800 Years

 

The Later Empires (1258 1918)

Dehli Sultanates of North India (1200-1526) Muslim States in Southern India (1350-1680)   Ottoman Empire (1380-1918) Ottomans conquer Christian-ruled Constantinople, rename it Istanbul (1453)  Christians drive last of Muslims out of Spain. (1492)  Safavid dynasty in Iran (1501-1799)   Mughal dynasty in India (1526-1857) Taj Mahal completed (1654)  Napolean invades Egypt (1798)  Christian colonization of N. Africa and Middle East (1815-1900)           

Modern Period: 20 th Century & 21 st

Ottoman Empire divided among European powers (1918) Muslim Brotherhood founded in Egypt (1928) Arab-Israel war (1948) Palestine Liberation Organization founded (1964) Iranian revolution (1979) Liberation of countries from various European colonial rule (1919-1984) First Gulf War in Iraq (1991-1992) Taliban rule of Afghanistan (1994 2001) 9/11/2001 Terrorist attacks by al Qaida, funded by Saudi Arab Osama bin Laden War in Afghanistan (2001-present) Second Gulf War in Iraq ( 2003-present)

The Ottoman Empire Dismembered in the 20

th

Century

In 1900 After World War I, 1918

Edward Said on “Orientalism”

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