The Islamic World
Teacher Resources
Driving Question: Why did the Islamic world experience a golden age in this period?
Today, Islam is a world religion practiced all over the globe. But it didn’t start out that way. The beginnings of Islam can be traced back to the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century. Islam rapidly spread across the Arabian Peninsula and across Afro-Eurasia through a combination of trade networks, military conquests, and cultural interactions. In many areas throughout the Islamic World, the religion formed the basis of a new form of state known as the Caliphate. During Europe’s Middle Ages, the Islamic world was experiencing a golden age.
- Examine the extent to which the Islamic world experienced a golden age.
- Analyze how the collapse and recovery of empires affected the spread of belief systems and the expansion of trade networks like the Silk Road.
- Use the historical thinking practice of claim testing to evaluate the spread of Islam along networks of exchange.
- Use a graphic biography as a microhistory to support, extend, or challenge the overarching narratives from this time period.
-
Guiding Questions
-
Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What are some reasons the Arab armies were successful in conquering surrounding regions under the Rashidun Caliphate?
- How did the Umayyad Caliphate learn to govern a large and diverse empire?
- What were attitudes toward non-Muslims under Umayyad rule?
- How did the Abbasids transform who governed the Caliphate?
- What were attitudes toward women in the Caliphate?
- What are some reasons the Caliphate broke into several parts between the tenth and thirteenth centuries?
Evaluate
- The Caliphate is sometimes called a “successor to the Roman Empire,” along with western Christian (Catholic) and Byzantine communities. What evidence can you find here to support or refute this argument?
- The Caliphate was both a religious community and a political state. Does it seem like this arrangement was effective? What are some ways it might have been an advantage or disadvantage?
-
Guiding Questions
-
Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What is Dar al-Islam?
- What were some of the cultural and technological innovations of Islamic scholars during this period?
- What were the effects of these innovations in Dar al-Islam?
- Islam experienced a political fragmentation while it also saw a cultural expansion. What does this mean?
- What does Ibn Battuta’s experience on his travels have to tell us about Dar al-Islam?
Evaluate
- Does it make sense for historians to define a region based on a shared belief system, rather than a single government? Why or why not?
Causes and Consequences of the Crusades
Key Ideas
-
Guiding Questions
-
Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- Why did the Byzantine Emperor reach out to the pope for help? Why did the pope agree?
- Were the crusades successful and how did they impact networks in the Mediterranean world?
- Which European powers benefited the most from the Crusades?
- What evidence do we have that the Crusades impacted both Christian and Islamic culture?
- How did the Crusades affect scholarship in Europe?
- How did this period of exchange lead to the Renaissance and Columbian Exchange?
After you watch
- How does this video change your thinking about the concept of a European “Dark Age”?
-
Guiding Questions
-
Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads for Graphic Bios – Introduction activity.
Observe
Skim the full comic, paying attention to things like prominent colors, shapes, and types of text and fonts. How do you know where to start and which direction to read? What’s in the gutters (the space between panels)? Who is the focus of the comic? What big questions do you have?
Understand
- How was Khanzada Begum related to the first Mughal Emperors, Babur and Humayun?
- Why did Khanzada Begum marry Muhammad Shaybani Khan, and why were they divorced?
- How did Khanzada Begum help her brother in his conflict with the Uzbeks after her divorce?
- How did Khanzada Begum help her nephew rule?
- How does the artist use art and design to demonstrate the power and authority of Khanzada Begum?
Connect
- What does the story of Khanzada Begum tell you about the experiences of women in this period?
As Islam spread, so too did the power of Islamic leaders and the influence of Islamic merchants. Use the claim cards to evaluate several claims about the Islamic world.
Extension Materials
The Emergence of Islam
Key Ideas
-
Guiding Questions
-
Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- According to the Islamic faith, who received messages from God?
- What are the five pillars of Islam?
- What are Hadith?
- How far did Islam expand in the first century after the death of the Prophet? How was this expansion achieved?
- How did Islam spread from 750 to 1700?
- What do most historians agree on about early Islam?
- What are important sources of Islamic history for Muslims?
After you watch
- Why do you think understanding Islamic history is important for practicing Muslims? In what aspects of your life is understanding history important for your own activities?
- In this video, Nate Bowling talked about different narratives about Islam that may be politically motivated. Can you think of a politically motivated narrative about a religion that you have heard? Do you think this narrative is credible? Why or why not?