ch.6b-early russia & islam
DESCRIPTION
BJUTRANSCRIPT
Early RussiaChapter 6
Part 2
Intro
• Russia covers 1/6th of globe
• Largest group = Slavs
– West Slavs = Poles, Czechs
– South Slavs = Balkan area (Yugoslavia)
– East Slavs = Baltic, Black Sea
• Ancestors of most Russians
• rich trade river routes
• Varangians (8th and 9th centuries)– Swedish Norsemen – Plundered Slavic villages• Settled along river routes
– City of Novgorod invited Varangian ruler
• Rurik (862 AD) started rule– Established first ruling dynasty of Russia– After his death Kiev becomes center of early
Russian state (Dnieper river)• 300 years Kiev is important city
– area becomes known as Russia
• Rus = seafarers, rowers
• Trade routes using rivers of Europe
Novgorod
RURIK
“9th century, when Rurik and the Vikings were having a blast sailing their totally rad dragon-headed longships down the twisting waterways of present-day Russia, stopping every so often to bludgeon anything stupid enough to be situated on waterfront property. Their basic m.o. was to plunder, incinerate, slaughter people, gank all their valuables, and then go down the Dnieper and sell the captured slaves, furs, and honey off to Constantinople for a 100% profit”
• Inviting Rurik and brothers to take over city, Novgorod
Byzantine Empire Influences Russia
• Kiev and Constantinople = commercial ties
• Vladimir I 988 AD– Adopts Christianity – Destroys Pagan temples– Christianity official state religion– Russia cut off from Western
Empire• Eastern Orthodoxy
Cyril & MethodiusByzantine Missionaries
• written language– Created an alphabet– Translated Greek works into Slavic– Growth of national literature
• Russian artists made icons for churches• Russian churches followed Byzantine style– Onion shaped dome = Russian invention
Height of Kievan Russia
• “Yaroslav the Wise” (1036-54)– Married his family to nobility of• France• Sweden• Norway• Poland • Hungary• Byzantine Empire
– Russian code of law– Kiev prosperous– Built their own Hagia Sophia, schools, libraries,
monasteries, cathedrals and fortifications
Russian Cathedral of St. Sophia
After Yaroslav
• Civil war and unrest • 1240- Tartars come and destroy Kiev– Mongolian warriors who ruled Russia over next
200 years
Use of Red in Clothing
Protection from evil spirits carrying diseases
• Heavy embroidery at neckline, collar, sleeve and ankles
• These were considered the most vulnerable spots on the body
ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION
Land of Arabia
• Peninsula between Persian Gulf and Red Sea• Abraham Ishmael– Blessed – multiplied his descendants• little or no unity
• Bedouins = nomadic, travel through desert– Search for land and water
• Others settled along coast• Made cities along trade routes
Founding of Islam
• Muhammad (570 – 632)– “last and greatest prophet of god Allah”– His teachings became Islam religion• Islam = “submission”
– Born into poor family, orphaned at 6 yrs old– Raised by grandfather and uncle– Married rich and wealthy merchant widow• leisure time
– Influenced by Judeo-Christian religions– Polytheism was prevalent in Arabia at this time
Messenger of Allah• At age 40 Muhammad has first vision – Only one god, Allah
• Little success with converts at first• Mecca was main city of trade and commerce• Kaaba – stone shrine to many Pagan gods• People made pilgrimage to Mecca to worship at
shrine– Good for business!!!– Merchants afraid Muhammad would hurt business, so
they persecuted him
Hagira (The Flight)
• Muhammad moves to Medina– Followers grew in number – Military and political power grew
• 630 AD – returns to Mecca with forces– Destroys Kaaba shrine– Turns it into center of Islamic worship
• Mecca is now holy city of Islam
Teachings of Islam
• Koran- sacred book of Muslims– Believe that angel Gabriel revealed words to Muhammad– Followers composed writings into book• 114 chapters• New Testament
– Moral guide for conduct• Encourages:
– Humility, duty, kindness, benevolence
• Discourages: – Idolatry, gambling, drinking of wine, adultery
Teachings of Islam
• Allah will reward good and punish bad• Judaism and Christianity– Noah, Abraham, David and Jesus• Calls them all prophets of Allah
– Echoes truths of the Bible• Prayer, moral conduct, day of judgment, heaven and hell
• Imitation of Christianity but distorted• Allah is NOT same as Christian God• Rejects deity of Jesus Christ and Hold Spirit
5 Pillars of Islam
1. No other god but Allah2. Pray 5 times a day3. Money to the poor4. Fast on Ramadan 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca
Punishment if you don’t do these
Spread of Islam• Muhammed dies without naming successor
– Caliph- spiritual, political and military authority
• Abu Bakr (father in law of Muhammed) – Military conquests for Islam
• Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Persia
• Umayyad Caliphate (661- 750)– Spread to India, N. Africa, Spain, stopped in France (Battle of Tours)
• Abbasid Caliphate (750 – 1000)– Discontent with Ummayad caliphs– Appointed many non-Arabs to government positions– Peak of Muslim Empire
• Controlled more land than Rome• New capital = Baghdad
Turks….
• During Abbasid Dynasty, political unity began to crumble– Many caliphs wanted power– Began inner fighting
• Turks entered and accepted Islam– Began new wave of expansion– United much of former Arab empire– Also controlled Asia Minor
…and Crusades• Byzantines ask for help from
West– To free Holy Land from Turks and
Islam• Did not
– DID weaken the power of Seljuk Turks • Until the Mongols take over later
• Ottoman Turks topple the Byzantine Empire later in in 1453
MUSLIM CONTRIBUTIONS
• Borrowed from cultures they conquered and interacted with on trade routes– China – India – E. Africa
• Items never heard of in Europe before:– Silk, muslin cotton, linen, damask– Oriental carpets– Dates, oranges, lemons, apricots, peaches, melons
Paper Making from China
• Trade battle with Chinese, Muslims took prisoners– They taught Muslims how to make
paper– Muslims improved technique using
linen fibers– Paper industry flourished• Reached Morocco and then Europe
500 years after Arab world
Medicine
Studied works of Galen &
Hippocrates
Al Razi – small pox
Ibn Sina- TB
Surgery Skills – remove cancer & eye cataracts
Hospitals and
Drugstores
Thought that dirt caused disease
“a fever was not part of the
illness, but the body's way of fighting the
illness”
Literature
• Omar Khayyam– Poet and mathematician– Picturesque poetry
• Arabian Nights (1,001 Nights)• Aladdin and the Magic Carpet• Ali Bab and 40 Thieves
Libraries
• Europeans learned about:– Book binding– Translating– Illustrating– The concept of a public library
• Preserved ancient Greek texts– Greek explains better than Latin certain concepts• Repentance is much better explained in Greek• Led to the spiritual revival during Reformation
Mathematics
• Borrowed concept of 0 from India– Arabic numerals– Zero– Decimal system
• Studied and improved algebra• Studied and improved geometry and trigonometry
Arabic Numerals vs. Roman Numerals
• Which is easier to write?• 35 or XXXV?• Which is easier to solve?
Art & Architecture
• Religion important in art– Muhammad forbid them to use human or animal
images– Excelled in calligraphy
Architecture• Drew from Persian and Byzantine• Best example = Mosque– Minarets • towers call to prayer
– Dome • covers main part of mosque