CHAPTER 1
Origins
Islam arose in the Arabian Penisula in the early 7th century.
The era’s superpowers (the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire) were interested
in their territory.
Conflict between Byzantine E. and the Sassanian E. Byzantines won the war.
Muhammad arose.
One decade after the Byzantine triumph, Arab armies fighting in the name of Islam
took the greater part of the Byzantine Empire and totally destroyed the Sasanian Empire.
The byzantine Empire
Zuidoost-Azië en Noord-Afrika waren erg beïnvloed geraakt door de Griekse cultuur
(Alexander de Grote) Hellenistic civilization.
Tijd van welvaart en ontwikkeling (filosofie, economie, cultuur)
Roman Republic challenged Carthage fort he control of the wester Mediterranean
but soon also wanted the eastern Mediterranean.
Between 146 b.c and 30 b.c it absorbed its Hellenistic neighbours.
The last of the Hellenistic rulers was Cleopatra of Egypt.
Octavian defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra and became: Augustus Caesar
and the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire.
When Rome took over this area, the official language was changed to Latin.
But Greek remained the most influential language of culture in the eastern Mediterranean
until the Arabs came (6 centuries later).
The former Hellenistic areas remained the most populous and wealthy part of the
empire Emporer Constatine decided to also establish an eastern capital:
Constantinople.
The west of the Roman Empire came to deal with Germanic invaders, who
succeded to occupy areas especially important for grain.
Syria and Egypt (with their rivers) became the ‘breadbaskets’ for the empire.
The grain was shipped easily, for the Empire’s coastlines and its rivers.
, They also began exporting their products to other areas. Grain was easy to ship. Olives
were made into oil and grapes into wine Started trading for furs, spices, timber and
other items they needed.
Emperor Justinian (527-565) ruled the Byzantine half. Wanted to reunite them more
with the Roman rule he spoke latin and saw himself as a Roman emperor).
During his reign, Constantinopel became the largest city west of China. (He built
buildings like the (formal) Hagia Sophia Church = now a mosque).
The Roman Empire started to lose to pay for their costs they were forced to
raise taxes. Egypt and Syria in particular, refused.
They had been hellenized and they did not agree with the religion of the Roman
Empire.
Different believes:
Orthodox Christ had two natures: human and devine.
Nestorian the devine and human in Christ were two DISTINCT persons.
Nestorians in these time got improsoned or executed.
Monophysites said that Christ had a single, devine nature. (Many Egyptians and
Syrians).
Both Monophysites and Nestorians suffered persecution from the Orthodox church.
And Nestorians even suffered persecution from the Monophysite group in Syria.
By the end of the 6th century, the Byzantine Empire was the preeminent power of
the Mediterraenean.
The Sasanian Empire
The Byzantine Empire’s only rival was the Sasanian Empire.
They on the other hand relied more on transport by land than by water. (Most of their
region is dessert and mountains)
Gilan and Mazandaran were the most densely populated areas in the Empire thanks to
their different climate (rainfall).
Region with the largest total population: Iraq. contained the two largest rivers in
the Empire. Business Its wealth was essential to the Empire’s economy The
Sasanians placed a priority on protecting Iraq from Byzantine.
The dominant religion in Iran Zoroastrianism. (Judaism and Christianity were inspired
by it: heaven/hell/last judgement/Satan ecc).
Later, also Christianity became very important in Iraq.
Also judaism was big.
Iran had great learning centers, many books were translated from Greek,Sanskrit and
Syriac into Persian.
Origins
Islam arose in the Arabian Penisula in the early 7th century.
The era’s superpowers (the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire) were interested
in their territory.
Conflict between Byzantine E. and the Sassanian E. Byzantines won the war.
Muhammad arose.
One decade after the Byzantine triumph, Arab armies fighting in the name of Islam
took the greater part of the Byzantine Empire and totally destroyed the Sasanian Empire.
The byzantine Empire
Zuidoost-Azië en Noord-Afrika waren erg beïnvloed geraakt door de Griekse cultuur
(Alexander de Grote) Hellenistic civilization.
Tijd van welvaart en ontwikkeling (filosofie, economie, cultuur)
Roman Republic challenged Carthage fort he control of the wester Mediterranean
but soon also wanted the eastern Mediterranean.
Between 146 b.c and 30 b.c it absorbed its Hellenistic neighbours.
The last of the Hellenistic rulers was Cleopatra of Egypt.
Octavian defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra and became: Augustus Caesar
and the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire.
When Rome took over this area, the official language was changed to Latin.
But Greek remained the most influential language of culture in the eastern Mediterranean
until the Arabs came (6 centuries later).
The former Hellenistic areas remained the most populous and wealthy part of the
empire Emporer Constatine decided to also establish an eastern capital:
Constantinople.
The west of the Roman Empire came to deal with Germanic invaders, who
succeded to occupy areas especially important for grain.
Syria and Egypt (with their rivers) became the ‘breadbaskets’ for the empire.
The grain was shipped easily, for the Empire’s coastlines and its rivers.
, They also began exporting their products to other areas. Grain was easy to ship. Olives
were made into oil and grapes into wine Started trading for furs, spices, timber and
other items they needed.
Emperor Justinian (527-565) ruled the Byzantine half. Wanted to reunite them more
with the Roman rule he spoke latin and saw himself as a Roman emperor).
During his reign, Constantinopel became the largest city west of China. (He built
buildings like the (formal) Hagia Sophia Church = now a mosque).
The Roman Empire started to lose to pay for their costs they were forced to
raise taxes. Egypt and Syria in particular, refused.
They had been hellenized and they did not agree with the religion of the Roman
Empire.
Different believes:
Orthodox Christ had two natures: human and devine.
Nestorian the devine and human in Christ were two DISTINCT persons.
Nestorians in these time got improsoned or executed.
Monophysites said that Christ had a single, devine nature. (Many Egyptians and
Syrians).
Both Monophysites and Nestorians suffered persecution from the Orthodox church.
And Nestorians even suffered persecution from the Monophysite group in Syria.
By the end of the 6th century, the Byzantine Empire was the preeminent power of
the Mediterraenean.
The Sasanian Empire
The Byzantine Empire’s only rival was the Sasanian Empire.
They on the other hand relied more on transport by land than by water. (Most of their
region is dessert and mountains)
Gilan and Mazandaran were the most densely populated areas in the Empire thanks to
their different climate (rainfall).
Region with the largest total population: Iraq. contained the two largest rivers in
the Empire. Business Its wealth was essential to the Empire’s economy The
Sasanians placed a priority on protecting Iraq from Byzantine.
The dominant religion in Iran Zoroastrianism. (Judaism and Christianity were inspired
by it: heaven/hell/last judgement/Satan ecc).
Later, also Christianity became very important in Iraq.
Also judaism was big.
Iran had great learning centers, many books were translated from Greek,Sanskrit and
Syriac into Persian.
