DBQ-The Spread Of Islam

    During the times leading up the 1500s Christianity and Islam both had different views on merchants and their craft with people from both faiths having varying degrees of opinions on it. Trade increased dramatically after the Mongols came into power and secured the Silk Roads making trade a lot more profitable and a lot less dangerous. This made the issue of trading come to light even more as it became more prevalent in people's everyday life.After the fall of the Mongols western nations raced to find new ways around the Silk Road as they did not want to trade through Muslim controlled land. The following documents dealing with

During the time period between 600 CE and 1450 CE, Afro-Eurasia experienced a deepening of old and new human interactions across the region. This resulted in an increase in wealth and cross-cultural exchanges. During this time, the prophet Muhammad spread Islam throughout the Afro-Eurasian region. Also, the expansion of empires like imperial China, the Byzantine empire, and Mongol empire helped Afro-Eurasia trade and communication as new people developed their conquerors economies and trade networks, as well as ideas. Like many empires, migrations also had a significant environmental impact on the Afro-Eurasia region. For example, the Bantu speaking people who spread iron technology and agricultural techniques throughout Africa, as well as the maritime migrations who cultivated foods and domesticated animals as they moved. However, migrations also brought about diseases, like the plague, which killed 30% of the population in Afro-Eurasia. Ultimately, the increase of interregional trade, in Afro-Eurasia, can be seen through the spread of religion and cultural diffusion, expansion, and knowledge/technology throughout different regions.

Islam spread through trade. Muslim traders journeyed end to end of caliphate, exchanging good and information. Exchange brought Islam to west Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia. Mecca was a trade center because it was crossroads of the lucrative caravan trade. In Document A it shows the routes of the trade it expands to west Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia exchanging goods and information. Mecca was connected to many global routes. In Document A three cities that are easy to reach by trade routes from Mecca are Yemen, Petra and Muscat. Mecca had South to North points for trade routes. In Document A it shows the Mecca was the trade center because it was the crossroads of the lucrative caravan trade. People are exposed to Islamic beliefs and embrace Islam’s message while trading with each

The Islamic religion spreaded quickly because of trade. Based on the fact, that Islam had trade over many empires. Corresponding to the map on Document A, “ Adding from the profits of caravans was a brisk pilgrimage trade, for Mecca was the site of Arabia 's holiest shrine. In addition, the holy city, Mecca was the main site for trade. According to the map, followed by Document C, ”Mecca, the holy city, had military campaigns and was in the middle of Arabia, near the coastlines.” Ultimately, Arabs transported goods to market places. Document A state 's,”Vast camel trains, bearing species, perfume, precious metals, ivory and silk, filed through the town, headed north on the way from Yemen … to the

After Islam grew it gained more ground giving a major advantage in battles. Once arabs started attacking, the muslim communities had to start defending because they didn’t permit to attack one another as stated in Document D.

In the city of Mecca, a man started a new religion known as Islam. This man was Muhammad who was born in about 570 C.E. While going to pray in a cave in the mountains of Mecca, an angel named Gabriel visited Muhammad. Gabriel proclaimed that Muhammad was a prophet, messenger of God. As he received messages from God, Muhammad began to teach and recite them to others. Over time, Islam attracted new followers through military conquest, trade, and the appeal of message, which contributed to the rapid spread of Islam.

Firstly , Islam spread quickly through government. In Document B it states,” Do not devour one another’s property by unjust means, nor bribe the judges with it in order that you may wrongfully and knowingly usurp [take] other people’s possessions…” The town and people liked the rules and justice that Islam set. Plus in Document E it states,” To defend the lands of Islam and to protect from intrusion so that people may earn their livelihood and travel at will without danger to life or property.” The non-Muslims liked Islam because the government provided

While opponents of the empire fought, it helped Islam become a strong empire. Karen Armstrong, a modern writer about the culture of Islam explains how Persia and Byzantium engaged in long and exhausting wars (Doc D). These two empires weakened each other, without Islam having to get involved in the wars which would have weakened themselves. The empire that the Muslims upheld was extremely strong in its military and political aspects, which helped it to spread geographically. The success of military conquests led to the spread of the culture. In a map created from various sources, it shows how the spread of Islam relates to the military campaigns (Doc C). The map shows how the empire started in the Arabian Peninsula, then as the military conquests spread on throughout the middle east, the empire also spread along with it. These successful conquests are because other opponents of the empire weakened each other while the the strong, resourceful Muslim army carried

The early Islamic empire has expanded throughout the years and over time. Throughout the Documents I found out that the Islamic empire expanded by coming together and reunited. In Document A I found that the Muslims gathered gather together, the Greeks and their followers tied themselves together therefore none of them could run away. In

The new religion of Islam was able to spread so quickly due to trade. The first reason is Mecca was the center of trade for the Arabian Peninsula. In document A of the Why Islam Spread So Quickly reading it states, “...Mecca was prosperous and important.

In Africa during the Post-Classical era, 600-1450 CE, the Saharan was no longer a barren wasteland hardly suitable for travel, but, an essential part of both North African and Sub-Saharan West African societies. Camels and caravans allowed for quicker and more effective traveling. With trading becoming increasingly popular in this area, it provided the resources to build new and larger political structures. During this era, Africa’s economy began to change and the western part of Sub-Saharan was no different. With the Trans-Saharan trade routes ability to increase with the help of wealthier Islamic states, it allowed for the spread of religious and political ideas such as larger empires and the Islamic faith in which both greatly influenced

Throughout their empire, giving gifts became a regular practice for securing the empire. “There was established a system of stipends or direct salary payments (ata-’) to warriors serving in the Islamic armies.” (Document C, Excerpt from Fred Donner, The Early Islamic Conquests, 1981). People who cooperated with the Muslims, like the Persians, were also given stipends as long as they embraced Islam. By having this trade, it encouraged people to convert because they benefited economically as well as learning the traditions of Islam. However, it wasn’t only money that made Islam spread so quickly, it was also because information spread rapidly since people were so open to learning and discovery. Collectively this openness lead the Muslim people to read and learn from one another. They made many discoveries and created beautiful communities with hospitals and schools to spread their knowledge. The discovery of paper made it possible to create books which allowed the spread these ideas to anyone who could read. In conclusion, the Islamic Empire and the Muslim religion expanded quickly because they were powerful and smart conquerors who used new ideas of education and fairness in the way that they treated people, all of these creations and ideas improved the quality of the

Islam is one of the largest religions today and this is how Islam started. Muhammad was from Mecca which was a spiritual place for many religions. Mecca is where Muhammad began his preaching. Mount Hira was where Muhammad first realized their was one god, Allah in the year 610 CE. Muhammad was sent away in the year 622 CE and came back to Mecca in 628 CE with all of his new followers to continue preaching to other people. He died 4 years later in 632 CE. Muhammad learned that their was one god named Allah and began to preach in Mecca. The people of Mecca were worried that Muhammad's preaching would scare of the Pagans. When Muhammad moved to Medina, he would always face towards Mecca to pray. Islam spread quickly for two main reasons,

Trade was a very significant part of Muslim society. The trade network is expansive and the routes extend across Europe, North Africa and Asia (Document 6). According to Marco Polo, an italian merchant, the people living in the cities make a living off of trading various textiles and goods. Merchants came from a vast number of countries to purchase and sell and the cities were well populated. In document 3, a persian Muslim traveler estimated about twenty

Islam. During the 7th and 8th century Islam spread immensely. This was partly due to Muslim military campaigns that in the 600s spread as far east as India and as far north as France (Doc C). So that Islam could spread so quickly we can infer they had organized, skillful fighters. Also, it is almost sure that Muslim fighters used both coercive tactics and Allah's message to spread quickly. One way that Muslim conquered other tribes was with the Ghazu, which started as being a raid for Arabian tribes to fight over resources (Doc D). Muhammad changed the way Ghazu worked. He made sure that Muslims could only attack non-muslims. This way, Muslim fighters had to go out into the Arabian peninsula and eventually Persia, Byzantium, and furthermore. “Persia and Byzantium had been both engaged for decades in a long… series of wars with one another. Both were exhausted.” (Doc D). This shows why the Arabs were able to conquer both Persia and Byzantine and could spread Islam even more. All the resources that were acquired during this raids went straight to the ummah (the Muslim community). The tactics Muslims fighters used almost always ensured the defeat of their opponents. This made Islam powerful, and power was very well seen during those