Arab civilization in the 7th century, a new religion, Islam, arise in Arabia which led to the establishment of a began empire. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam,was born in Mecca in 571 AD.When he was 40,he had 'vision of truth' and became a prophet. Muhammad's vision completely convinced him that Allah was the only God.He forbade the worship of idols and made many enemies.Ultimately he had to leave Mecca and take refuse in Medina.This event took place in 622 AD and he is known as the year of Hijira and from it Muslim date their era.
The Quran, the holy book of Islam is divided into a number of suras , or chapters, and contains the teaching of Muhammad. Beside the Quran , the life of Muslim is guided by the sunna, the practices of Muhammad and the Hadees, the saying of Muhammad.
Muhammad was not only a religious leader but also a political leader. After his death(632 AD), his successors were known as Caliphs, or Khalifas who held both religious and political authority.
Nearly all Arabia had accepted the new religion and became a unified state before the death of prophet Muhammad in 632 AD.From Arabia, Islam spread very fast to many other parts of the world. With in a 100 years, the khalifas and their general, had conquered Iran, Syria, Egypt, central asia, North Africa and Spain. The Arab Empire was the largest that world had so far seen.The first three Khalifa ruled from the city of Medina. Then the capital was shifted Kufah.
By 660 AD, when the Omayyad dynasty took over the reins of government the principal city was Damascus.About 750, the Omayyad were overthrown by Abbasids, who made Baghdad their capital. Harun Rashid, famous in many legends, was an Abbasid ruler.The Abbasid ruler for about 300 years, till the Seljug Turks took Baghdad and the Arab rule. During the next four centuries, the Turks dominated the Islamic world. In the 15th century , most of these territorries came under the domination of the Ottoman Turks. It was the ottoman Turks who took Constantinople and ended the eastern Roman empire in 1453.
The Quran, the holy book of Islam is divided into a number of suras , or chapters, and contains the teaching of Muhammad. Beside the Quran , the life of Muslim is guided by the sunna, the practices of Muhammad and the Hadees, the saying of Muhammad.
Muhammad was not only a religious leader but also a political leader. After his death(632 AD), his successors were known as Caliphs, or Khalifas who held both religious and political authority.
Nearly all Arabia had accepted the new religion and became a unified state before the death of prophet Muhammad in 632 AD.From Arabia, Islam spread very fast to many other parts of the world. With in a 100 years, the khalifas and their general, had conquered Iran, Syria, Egypt, central asia, North Africa and Spain. The Arab Empire was the largest that world had so far seen.The first three Khalifa ruled from the city of Medina. Then the capital was shifted Kufah.
By 660 AD, when the Omayyad dynasty took over the reins of government the principal city was Damascus.About 750, the Omayyad were overthrown by Abbasids, who made Baghdad their capital. Harun Rashid, famous in many legends, was an Abbasid ruler.The Abbasid ruler for about 300 years, till the Seljug Turks took Baghdad and the Arab rule. During the next four centuries, the Turks dominated the Islamic world. In the 15th century , most of these territorries came under the domination of the Ottoman Turks. It was the ottoman Turks who took Constantinople and ended the eastern Roman empire in 1453.
Contribution of Arab civilization
- The establishment of vast empire facilitated the coming together of intellectual and scientific tradition of various civilization, particularly Greek, Iranian. The Arab made their knowledge their own and developed in further.
- Al Razi, an Arab scientist discovered the true nature of small pox, and Ibn Sina discovered that tuberculosis is infectious.
- In mathematics, the Arab learned the Indian numerals and spread their use far and wide, so that in the West they are to this day called Arabic numerals.
- The Arabs developed their own decorative designs. Their buildings had bulblike domes, small minerals, horse shoe arches and twisted columns.
- The Arabs also developed a decorative style of writing called Calligraphy and made book illumination an art.
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