UNIT 2

THE ISLAM

Created by Cristina de la Vega

Lienhart.
2nd graders
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT

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 1. THE ORIGIN AND
E X PA N S I O N O F T H E I S L A M
Islam originated on the Arabian
Peninsula, a huge desert land.

Its interior was inhabited by tribes of

polytheistic Arab nomads.

The main cities of this peninsula were:

Medina and Mecca, located in the western
part of the peninsula. Both were prosperous
cities.
These cities were a crossroad (encrucijada
de caminos) for the merchant caravans
comming from the Far East.

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Muhammad, the prophet, was born in the year
570. Muhammad’s teachings were written
down in the Koran-their sacred book-.

He soon had followers in the Arabian Peninsula.

However, not all the Arabian inhabitants

supported him. Because of the spread of his
doctrine-monotheistic- to believe just in one
god, he was victim of numerous attacks. As
Jesuschrist suffered when he started preaching

Muhammad and his followers fled (escaparon)

from Mecca to Medina in 622. This moment is
called Hegira(huída). Revelations from the
archangel Gabriel

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He decided to organise an army and they conquered Mecca in
630. Then he continued across the rest of the Arabian
Peninsula.

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 2. ISLAMIC POLITICS
Muhammad’s successors continued to conquer territories. The caliphate
went through various stages:

1. THE ORTHODOX CALIPHATE (632-661): caliphs were people

close to Muhammad. (Califato Ortodoxo)
2. THE UMAYYAD CALIPHATE (661-750): power was in the
hands of the Umayyad dynasty, who established the capital in
Damascus (Syria). (Califato Omeya)
3. THE ABBASID CALIPHATE (750-1258): in the year 750, the
Abbasid family took control and transferred the capital city to
Baghdad (Irak). (Califato Abasida)

In 1258, Baghdad was conquered by the Mongolians.

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Baghdad a round city

Baghdad nowadays

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The main authorities in Islamic society were:

The caliph: highest political and religious

authority.

The vizier: prime minister.

The royal treasurer: collected taxes.

Emirs: governors of provinces.

Judges: responssable for applying laws.

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 3. ECONOMY
3.1. AGRICULTURE

• Hardly any agriculture in the Arabian Peninsula.

• The Arabs needed to obtain water and used various techniques like
water-wheels and irrigation channels.

3.2. CRAFTWORK

• Practice in cities.
• Activities: tanning of hides, tapestries, carpets, cotton, silk, woolen
fabrics, jewellery, ivory, perfumes and weapons.

3.3. TRADE

• One of the main sources of wealth (riqueza)

• City markets (souks) zocos.
• They used coins (dinar and dirham)

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They commerce over land and also by the sea.
One of the main routes was the SILK ROUTE

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 4. SOCIETY
Islam society was mainly urban.

Cities were made up of different

areas:
1. The alcazaba: walled area
on high ground were the
emir lived.
2. The medina: central part of
the city (mosque, madrassa,
souk, baths, hospitals)
3. The arrabales: where low
classes lived.

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