Transcript HERE

Source: J. J. Sanders, “The Caliph Omar: Arab Imperialist”, in History Today March
1961, pp 180-181.
Koranic revelation commanded them to “Fight in the cause of God those who fight you,
but do not be the aggressors.” The early Muslims thus fought their heathen enemies …
war against unbelievers was sanctioned by divine revelation and by example of the
Prophet. But many Arabs were Jews or Christians: What was to be done with them?
Mohammed respected the older monotheistic faiths… he called them “People of the
Book”… they were not forced into Islam but were allowed to retain their ancestral
tradition on payment of tribute.
As author of an article entitled “The Caliph Omar: Arab Imperialist”,
Sanders would naturally emphasize and choose to highlight the many
strategies that the Arabs used to expand their influence and treat
conquered peoples (Doc 5).
The creators of the map “The Growth of the Muslim Empire 632-750” are careful to
provide a map with shaded areas explaining the extent of the empire at different
times because the purpose of the map is to show how the empire has expanded over
time (Doc 8).
Source: Syed Ameer Ali, a Muslim writer, The Spirit of Islam, London:
Chatto and Windus, 1964)
Islam never interfered with the dogmas of any moral faith, never persecuted…
Islam “grasped the sword” in self-defense; Christianity grasped it in order to
stifle freedom of thought and liberty of belief. Wherever Christianity
prevailed, no other religion could be followed without molestation. The
Muslims, on the other hand, required from others a simple guarantee of peace,
tribute in return for protection, of perfect equality – on condition of the
acceptance of Islam…
As a Muslim writer describing The Spirit of Islam, Ameer Ali would
naturally be writing in a style that praised Islam because it would be in his
best interest as a Muslim writer to do so. He would not speak negatively
about a religion that he has embraced (Doc 6).
Poem, Rumi (13th century)
I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I
found Him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God
I found not…
Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was
not there even.
Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from Ibn Sina but found Him
not within his range….
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere
else.
Philosophy based on concept
of reality and reason: reason
can only progress through
levels of understanding
which will ultimately lead
you to God
Ibn Sina: 980-1037
As a Sufi poet, Rumi would naturally use a rhyming pattern of verse since this
is what his audience has come to expect of him (Doc 2).
As a Sufi poet writing in the 13th century when Islam has come into conflict
with many other world religions, it would be natural for Rumi to assess the
validity of Islam compared to other religions at that time. A thoughtful,
comparative approach would help convince doubters of the power of his own
faith (Doc 2).
Rumi uses a technique of considering other religious options in his search for
God and then carefully dismissing them. As a Sufi poet who encountered
many other faiths by the 13th century, this strategy would validate his
recommendation of Islam as the way to knowing God (Doc 2).
Source:
Observations of Arab merchant Suleiman as told by an Arab geographer,
851 CE, in Relacion de la Chine et de I’Inde, Paris: 1948, ed. Jean Sauvaget.
___________________________
The Chinese conduct commercial transactions and business affairs with equity.
When someone lends money to another person, he writes up a note documenting the
loan. The borrower writes up another note on which he affixes an imprint of his
index finger and middle finger together. Then they put the two notes together, roll
them up, and write a formula at the point where one touches the other (so that part
of the written formula appears on each notes). Next, they separate the notes and
entrust to the lender the one on which the borrower recognizes his debt. If the
borrower denies his debt later on, they say to him, “Present the note that the lender
gave you.”
Suleiman uses specific detail with an impressive tone concerning the steps
involved in securing and authenticating loans in 9th century China. As a visitor
to China and a businessman himself, it would be natural for him to use great
detail in describing activities that would be unfamiliar to him as a traveller
from a distant place.
As a Tang official and advocate of imperial rule, it is natural for Han Yu to be
critical of the Buddha, calling him a “barbarian”, since support for his message
and Buddhist religion may pose a threat to imperial Confucian rule. The
context of his comments and Han Yu’s subsequent exile however indicate that
there was some support for Buddhism at that time (Doc 1).
Skills Activities:
•
Fill out the C 13 SPICE chart with evidence that supports the following key concepts that
support that chapter
Teach one illustrative example of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
New trading cities: Baghdad
Caravan organization : caravanserai, camel saddles
New forms of credit and monetization: bills of exchange, credit, checks, banking houses
Empires: The Caliphates (how did they evolve? Effects?)
The diffusion of Turkic and Arab languages
The influence of Greek and Indian mathematics on Muslim scholars
The return of Greek science and philosophy to Western Europe via Muslim al-Andulus in
Iberia
8. New foods and agricultural techniques: the spread of cotton, sugar and citrus throughout Dar
al-Islam and the Mediterranean basin
9. Synthesis of states: Persian traditions that influenced Islamic states
10. Technological and cultural transfers: between Tang China and the Abbasids