HISTORY 1CC3 Lecture 5: Diffusion of Islam
15 Feb 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Diffusion of islam, the golden age : 620s to 1258: continuation of con icts and contacts between east (persia) and west (greek city states; Expansion of islam and arab language: rising up against byzantine empire and persian empire (& successors). These empires were exhausted, weakened, and vulnerable; and islam took advantage of this. Geographic factors: assisted the spread of islam/arabic language, flat and open territory, few obstacles, capacity to move rapidly with horses and camels, islam did not have superior military technology but used geographic factors to triumph. Other factors: arab conquerers were usually a minority so they did not want to impose. It was important to have cultural power: wanted to turn into a rival of constantinople as a great centre of learning, went into collection of manuscripts. From 800-1400: the three monotheisms and the three powers centred on the mediterranean: orthodox christianity (byzantine empire, islam and the dynasties, the holy roman empire.
