History of Islam after prophet
Major Dates of Islamic History
Birth of the Prophet Muhammed 570 A.D. The Seljuqs 137‐1300
First verses of the Noble Quran revealed 609 Saladinʹs Conquest of
Jeruslem 1187
Prophetʹs migration form Makkah to Madinah (hijrah), beginning of
Islamic calender 622 The Mamluks 1252‐1517
Death of the Prophet 632 The Mongol Conquest of Baghdad 1258
The ʺRightly Guidedʺ Caliphs 632‐661 The Ottomans 1299‐1924
The Umayyads 661‐750 The Timurids 1369‐1500
The Abbasids 750‐1258 Conquest of Constantinople 1453
The Spanish Umayyads 756‐1031 The Fall of Granada 1492
The Fatimids 909‐1171 The Safavids 1502‐1736
Upon the death of the Prophet pbuh, Abu Bakr, the friend of the Prophet and
the first adult male to embrace Islam, became caliph. Abu Bakr ruled
for two years to be succeeded by ʹUmar who was caliph for a decade and
during whose rule Islam spread extensively east and west conquering
the Persian empire, Syria and Egypt. It was ʹUmar who marched on foot
at the end of the Muslim army into Jerusalem and ordered the
protection of Christian sites. ʹUmar also established the first public
treasury and a sophisticated financial administration. He established
many of the basic practices of Islamic government. ʹUmar was succeeded
by ʹUthman who ruled for some twelve years during which time the
Islamic expansion continued. He is also known as the caliph who had
the definitive text of the Noble Quran copied and sent to the four
corners of the Islamic world. He was in turn succeeded by ʹAli who is
known to this day for his eloquent sermons and letters, and also for
his bravery. With his death the rule of the ʺrightly guidedʺ caliphs,
who hold a special place of respect in the hearts of Muslims, came to
an end.
Umayyad
The Umayyad caliphate established in 661 was to last for about a
century. During this time Damascus became the capital of an Islamic
world which stretched from the western borders of China to southern
France. Not only did the Islamic conquests continue during this period
through North Africa to Spain and France in the West and to Sind,
Central Asia and Transoxiana in the East, but the basic social and
legal institutions of the newly founded Islamic world were
established.
Abbasids
The Abbasids, who succeeded the Umayyads, shifted the capital to
Baghdad which soon developed into an incomparable center of learning
and culture as well as the administrative and political heart of a
vast world. They ruled for over 500 years but gradually their power
waned and they remained only symbolic rulers bestowing legitimacy upon
various sultans and princes who wielded actual military power. The
Abbasid caliphate was finally abolished when Hulagu, the Mongol ruler,
captured Baghdad in 1258, destroying much of the city including its
incomparable libraries. While the Abbasids ruled in Baghdad, a number
of powerful dynasties such as the Fatimids, Ayyubids and Mamluks held
power in Egypt, Syria and Palestine. The most important event in this
area as far as the relation between Islam and the Western world was
concerned was the series of Crusades declared by the Pope and espoused
by various European kings. The purpose, although political, was
outwardly to recapture the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem for
Christianity. Although there was at the beginning some success and
local European rule was set up in parts of Syria and Palestine,
Muslims finally prevailed and in 1187 Saladin, the great Muslim
leader, recaptured Jerusalem and defeated the Crusaders.
North Africa and Spain
When the Abbasids captured Damascus, one of the Umayyad princes
escaped and made the long journey from there to Spain to found Umayyad
rule there, thus beginning the golden age of Islam in Spain. Cordoba
was established as the capital and soon became Europeʹs greatest city
not only in population but from the point of view of its cultural and
intellectual life. The Umayyads ruled over two centuries until they
weakened and were replaced by local rulers. Meanwhile in North Africa,
various local dynasties held sway until two powerful Berber dynasties
succeeded in uniting much of North Africa and also Spain in the 12th
and 13th centuries. After them this area was ruled once again by local
dynasties such as the Sharifids of Morocco who still rule in that
country. As for Spain itself, Muslim power continued to wane until the
last Muslim dynasty was defeated in Granada in 1492 thus bringing
nearly eight hundred years of Muslim rule in Spain to an end.
Islamic History after the Mongol Invasion
The Mongols devastated the eastern lands of Islam and ruled from the
Sinai Desert to India for a century. But they soon converted to Islam
and became known as the Il‐Khanids. They were in turn succeeded by
Timur and his descendents who made Samarqand their capital and ruled
from 1369 to 1500. The sudden rise of Timur delayed the formation and
expansion of the Ottoman empire but soon the Ottomans became the
dominant power in the Islamic world.
Ottoman Empire
From humble origins the Turks rose to dominate over the whole of
Anatolia and even parts of Europe. In 1453 Mehmet the Conqueror
captured Constantinople and put an end to the Byzantine empire. The
Ottomans conquered much of eastem Europe and nearly the whole of the
Arab world, only Morocco and Mauritania in the West and Yemen,
Hadramaut and parts of the Arabian peninsula remaining beyond their
control. They reached their zenith of power with Suleyman the
Magnificent whose armies reached Hungary and Austria. From the 17th
century onward with the rise of Westem European powers and later
Russia, the power of the Ottomans began to wane. But they nevertheless
remained a force to be reckoned with until the First World War when
they were defeated by the Western nations. Soon thereafter Kamal
Ataturk gained power in Turkey and abolished the six centuries of rule
of the Ottomans in 1924.
Persia
While the Ottomans were concerned mostly with the westem front of
their empire, to the east in Persia a new dynasty called the Safavids
came to power in 1502. The Safavids established a powerful state of
their own which flourished for over two centuries and became known for
the flowering of the arts. Their capital, Isfahan, became one of the
most beautiful cities with its blue tiled mosques and exquisite
houses. The Afghan invasion of 1736 put an end to Safavid rule and
prepared the independence of Afghanistan which occured formally in the
19th century. Persia itself fell into turmoil until Nader Shah, the
last Oriental conqueror, reunited the country and even conquered
India. But the rule of the dynasty established by him was short‐lived.
The Zand dynasty soon took over to be overthrown by the Qajars in 1779
who made Tehran their capital and ruled until 1921 when they were in
turn replaced by the Pahlavis.
India
As for India, Islam entered into the land east of the Indus River
peacefully. Gradually Muslims gained political power beginning in the
early 13th century. But this period which marked the expansion of both
Islam and Islamic culture came to an end with the conquest of much of
India in 1526 by Babur, one of the Timurid princes. He established the
powerful Mogul empire which produced such famous rulers as Akbar,
Jahangir, and Shah Jahan and which lasted, despite the gradual rise of
British power in India, until 1857 when it was officially abolished.
Malaysia and Indonesia
Farther east in the Malay world, Islam began to spread in the 12th
century in northern Sumatra and soon Muslim kingdoms were establishd
in Java, Sumatra and mainland Malaysia. Despite the colonization of
the Malay world, Islam spread in that area covering present day
Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Phililppines and southern Thailand,
and is still continuing in islands farther east.
Africa
As far as Africa is concerned, Islam entered into East Africa at the
very beginning of the Islamic period but remained confined to the
coast for some time, only the Sudan and Somaliland becoming gradually
both Arabized and Islamized. West Africa felt the presence of Islam
through North African traders who traveled with their camel caravans
south of the Sahara. By the 14th century there were already Muslim
sultanates in such areas as Mali, and Timbuctu in West Africa and
Harar in East Africa had become seats of Islamic learning. Gradually
Islam penetrated both inland and southward. There also appeared major
charismatic figures who inspired intense resistance against European
domination. The process of the Islamization of Africa did not cease
during the colonial period and continues even today with the result
that most Africans are now Muslims carrying on a tradition which has
had practically as long a history in certain areas of sub‐Saharan
Africa as Islam itself.
May all mighty Allah bless the mankind and forgive their sins.
Major Dates of Islamic History
Birth of the Prophet Muhammed 570 A.D. The Seljuqs 137‐1300
First verses of the Noble Quran revealed 609 Saladinʹs Conquest of
Jeruslem 1187
Prophetʹs migration form Makkah to Madinah (hijrah), beginning of
Islamic calender 622 The Mamluks 1252‐1517
Death of the Prophet 632 The Mongol Conquest of Baghdad 1258
The ʺRightly Guidedʺ Caliphs 632‐661 The Ottomans 1299‐1924
The Umayyads 661‐750 The Timurids 1369‐1500
The Abbasids 750‐1258 Conquest of Constantinople 1453
The Spanish Umayyads 756‐1031 The Fall of Granada 1492
The Fatimids 909‐1171 The Safavids 1502‐1736
Upon the death of the Prophet pbuh, Abu Bakr, the friend of the Prophet and
the first adult male to embrace Islam, became caliph. Abu Bakr ruled
for two years to be succeeded by ʹUmar who was caliph for a decade and
during whose rule Islam spread extensively east and west conquering
the Persian empire, Syria and Egypt. It was ʹUmar who marched on foot
at the end of the Muslim army into Jerusalem and ordered the
protection of Christian sites. ʹUmar also established the first public
treasury and a sophisticated financial administration. He established
many of the basic practices of Islamic government. ʹUmar was succeeded
by ʹUthman who ruled for some twelve years during which time the
Islamic expansion continued. He is also known as the caliph who had
the definitive text of the Noble Quran copied and sent to the four
corners of the Islamic world. He was in turn succeeded by ʹAli who is
known to this day for his eloquent sermons and letters, and also for
his bravery. With his death the rule of the ʺrightly guidedʺ caliphs,
who hold a special place of respect in the hearts of Muslims, came to
an end.
Umayyad
The Umayyad caliphate established in 661 was to last for about a
century. During this time Damascus became the capital of an Islamic
world which stretched from the western borders of China to southern
France. Not only did the Islamic conquests continue during this period
through North Africa to Spain and France in the West and to Sind,
Central Asia and Transoxiana in the East, but the basic social and
legal institutions of the newly founded Islamic world were
established.
Abbasids
The Abbasids, who succeeded the Umayyads, shifted the capital to
Baghdad which soon developed into an incomparable center of learning
and culture as well as the administrative and political heart of a
vast world. They ruled for over 500 years but gradually their power
waned and they remained only symbolic rulers bestowing legitimacy upon
various sultans and princes who wielded actual military power. The
Abbasid caliphate was finally abolished when Hulagu, the Mongol ruler,
captured Baghdad in 1258, destroying much of the city including its
incomparable libraries. While the Abbasids ruled in Baghdad, a number
of powerful dynasties such as the Fatimids, Ayyubids and Mamluks held
power in Egypt, Syria and Palestine. The most important event in this
area as far as the relation between Islam and the Western world was
concerned was the series of Crusades declared by the Pope and espoused
by various European kings. The purpose, although political, was
outwardly to recapture the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem for
Christianity. Although there was at the beginning some success and
local European rule was set up in parts of Syria and Palestine,
Muslims finally prevailed and in 1187 Saladin, the great Muslim
leader, recaptured Jerusalem and defeated the Crusaders.
North Africa and Spain
When the Abbasids captured Damascus, one of the Umayyad princes
escaped and made the long journey from there to Spain to found Umayyad
rule there, thus beginning the golden age of Islam in Spain. Cordoba
was established as the capital and soon became Europeʹs greatest city
not only in population but from the point of view of its cultural and
intellectual life. The Umayyads ruled over two centuries until they
weakened and were replaced by local rulers. Meanwhile in North Africa,
various local dynasties held sway until two powerful Berber dynasties
succeeded in uniting much of North Africa and also Spain in the 12th
and 13th centuries. After them this area was ruled once again by local
dynasties such as the Sharifids of Morocco who still rule in that
country. As for Spain itself, Muslim power continued to wane until the
last Muslim dynasty was defeated in Granada in 1492 thus bringing
nearly eight hundred years of Muslim rule in Spain to an end.
Islamic History after the Mongol Invasion
The Mongols devastated the eastern lands of Islam and ruled from the
Sinai Desert to India for a century. But they soon converted to Islam
and became known as the Il‐Khanids. They were in turn succeeded by
Timur and his descendents who made Samarqand their capital and ruled
from 1369 to 1500. The sudden rise of Timur delayed the formation and
expansion of the Ottoman empire but soon the Ottomans became the
dominant power in the Islamic world.
Ottoman Empire
From humble origins the Turks rose to dominate over the whole of
Anatolia and even parts of Europe. In 1453 Mehmet the Conqueror
captured Constantinople and put an end to the Byzantine empire. The
Ottomans conquered much of eastem Europe and nearly the whole of the
Arab world, only Morocco and Mauritania in the West and Yemen,
Hadramaut and parts of the Arabian peninsula remaining beyond their
control. They reached their zenith of power with Suleyman the
Magnificent whose armies reached Hungary and Austria. From the 17th
century onward with the rise of Westem European powers and later
Russia, the power of the Ottomans began to wane. But they nevertheless
remained a force to be reckoned with until the First World War when
they were defeated by the Western nations. Soon thereafter Kamal
Ataturk gained power in Turkey and abolished the six centuries of rule
of the Ottomans in 1924.
Persia
While the Ottomans were concerned mostly with the westem front of
their empire, to the east in Persia a new dynasty called the Safavids
came to power in 1502. The Safavids established a powerful state of
their own which flourished for over two centuries and became known for
the flowering of the arts. Their capital, Isfahan, became one of the
most beautiful cities with its blue tiled mosques and exquisite
houses. The Afghan invasion of 1736 put an end to Safavid rule and
prepared the independence of Afghanistan which occured formally in the
19th century. Persia itself fell into turmoil until Nader Shah, the
last Oriental conqueror, reunited the country and even conquered
India. But the rule of the dynasty established by him was short‐lived.
The Zand dynasty soon took over to be overthrown by the Qajars in 1779
who made Tehran their capital and ruled until 1921 when they were in
turn replaced by the Pahlavis.
India
As for India, Islam entered into the land east of the Indus River
peacefully. Gradually Muslims gained political power beginning in the
early 13th century. But this period which marked the expansion of both
Islam and Islamic culture came to an end with the conquest of much of
India in 1526 by Babur, one of the Timurid princes. He established the
powerful Mogul empire which produced such famous rulers as Akbar,
Jahangir, and Shah Jahan and which lasted, despite the gradual rise of
British power in India, until 1857 when it was officially abolished.
Malaysia and Indonesia
Farther east in the Malay world, Islam began to spread in the 12th
century in northern Sumatra and soon Muslim kingdoms were establishd
in Java, Sumatra and mainland Malaysia. Despite the colonization of
the Malay world, Islam spread in that area covering present day
Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Phililppines and southern Thailand,
and is still continuing in islands farther east.
Africa
As far as Africa is concerned, Islam entered into East Africa at the
very beginning of the Islamic period but remained confined to the
coast for some time, only the Sudan and Somaliland becoming gradually
both Arabized and Islamized. West Africa felt the presence of Islam
through North African traders who traveled with their camel caravans
south of the Sahara. By the 14th century there were already Muslim
sultanates in such areas as Mali, and Timbuctu in West Africa and
Harar in East Africa had become seats of Islamic learning. Gradually
Islam penetrated both inland and southward. There also appeared major
charismatic figures who inspired intense resistance against European
domination. The process of the Islamization of Africa did not cease
during the colonial period and continues even today with the result
that most Africans are now Muslims carrying on a tradition which has
had practically as long a history in certain areas of sub‐Saharan
Africa as Islam itself.
May all mighty Allah bless the mankind and forgive their sins.
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