Making historical information relevant to a reader of a different time period is never an easy task. When considering the history of the Middle East, two main historians, Ibn Khaldun and Albert Hourani, stand out as prime examples of how to effectively transmit historical information. Ibn Khaldun’s history of the Arab world, The Muqqadimah, is centered on explaining the formation and interaction of social systems, including dynasties, during the late medieval period. Khaldun’s perspective stems from his own experience and his understanding of the political instability and ineffectiveness of rulers during his lifetime. His proximity to the sources and ideas that he discusses give him an unprecedented viewpoint on the Islamic world. His use …show more content…
In A History of the Arab Peoples, Hourani states that “dynasties of rulers often drew their strength from the countryside… but could survive only by establishing themselves in the cities” (Hourani, 130). He describes this in order to educate the reader on how many of the great cities in the Middle East were created such as “Baghdad of the ‘Abbasids, Cairo of the Fatimids” (Hourani, 130). These ideas are taken from Khaldun’s discussion of the creation of dynasties in The Muqqadimah. Khaldun says that “the desert is the basis and reservoir of civilization and cities” (Khaldun, 93). According to Khaldun, dynasties come from the nomadic people who, through an increase in power, wealth, and a feeling of solidarity, become sedentary and form civilizations. Additionally, Khaldun comments on the progression of dynasty formation, saying that “the sedentary stage of royal authority follows the stage of desert life” (Khaldun, 138). These comments are mirrored in A History of the Arab Peoples, showing the way that Hourani based his ideas on Khaldun’s. However, Hourani expands on Khaldun’s thoughts and makes his arguments relevant to the modern reader. He does this by further discussing the ruler’s “compact of interests with the urban population” (Hourani, 130) and by saying that the “powerful control of a large empire needed an elaborate bureaucracy” (Hourani, 131). In this way, Hourani efficiently incorporates Khaldun’s understanding of the fourteenth century political system in the Middle East, while expanding on his ideas. By explaining history in terms that are easily relatable to modern political systems, such as “compacts” with people and “elaborate bureaucracy” in large nations, Hourani makes his text more accessible to his audience. He is able to take and utilize the ideas presented in The Muqqadimah to accomplish his
Pharaohs were governors of the Ancient Egyptian realm who broadcasted themselves as sons of gods who upheld Ma’at – the Egyptian order of life. Most pharaohs ruled in a typical and expected way carrying the beliefs of their ancestors- though not all ruled this way. Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty New Kingdom was not an “archetypal” pharaoh as seen through his goal to change Egyptian religion from polytheism to monotheism and through his building project in Amarna. Though he used traditional means to incorporate his changes he did so in an atypical way. After all his attempts at reform all was forgotten when he died and Egypt returned to the religious beliefs it had beforehand. This essay will analyse historical evidence that demonstrates
In historic times, multiple Societies of people living and collaborating together in a community is what led to the formation of many Empires. Empires were comprised of similar groups of people that were most often geographically located within close proximities. It is interesting to compare and contrast three societies which became Empires: the Egyptian, Zhou Chinese, and Persian. Each Empire is responsible for contributing to a foundational advancement that has been used in future generations. I will compare the similarities and contrasts of each and explain why I believe the Persian Empire was the most successful Empire.
Chraibi’s book Muhammad: A Novel is a fantastic, powerful read because it is just that: a novel. It is a fictional story, but written by an author who had an unusual, mystical calling himself to write the book. By using original aspects from the traditional biographies of Muhammad and then adding his own personal, esoteric twist on these characteristics, Chraibi creates a work of literature that is truly compelling and shows Muhammad’s journey to becoming a prophet in a mystical light. Two central distinctions, namely Muhammad’s relations with Khadija and Bahira, add the spice in this novel that really help the reader grasp what is mystical about both this literature and most importantly, Muhammad himself.
Trusting history can be a tall order, as the surety of accurate records is often questioned and the reliability of history records is brought under scrutiny. In his article, Waltke seeks to address these issues by arguing that history, particularly in regards to the ancient Near East, can be trusted not because of oral tradition, but because early civilizations accurately recorded historical events via manuscript.
The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughals were all explosive realms. The reason for this paper is to thoroughly analyze the contrasts between these domains.
This document teaches historians about the Islamic Empire under the rule of the Abbasid Empire and how, during al-Ya’qubi’s time, Baghdad was the heart of the huge network the Islamic Empire had created. Al-Ya’qubi lived during the ninth century and his observations on Baghdad in “A New Islamic Dynasty” gave historians more insight into the Islamic World regarding: a) the central role that Baghdad played in the Islamic State during his time, b) Baghdad’s transformation from village to powerful city and c) perceiving how al-Yaqubi’s personal ties to Baghdad affected his observations. Although al-Ya’qubi may have exaggerated when describing some people or events, he certainly highlighted the historical period and society where he lived by mentioning how central and pivotal Baghdad as a city was to the Islamic World both during his time – and, to an extent, for world history as a
Islamic civilization was spread using a variety of useful techniques, ranging from extreme violence, to the use of peaceful doctrine. Without these practices and methods, the spread of Islam would not be as profound as it has shown to be, especially from 632 to 750 CE. Islamic civilization spread to encompass such an extensive empire through the “way of the sword”, use pre-existing roads, ruthless fighting techniques, and the way of salvation and religious doctrine. One of the biggest methods that were used to spread Islam was the way of the sword, and other practices of intimidation. When new lands were taken over by Islam, Muslims gave a few options.
Tell el-‘Amarna, the city built by Heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten was located between Luxor and Cairo along the Nile. The city was occupied during the reign of Akhenaten and abandoned after his death by his son, Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Although the city was along occupied for a short period of time, archaeologists have been able to reconstruct a fairly accurate representation of the city. However, because the city was associated with Aten and the religion of the heretic king, the city was partially destroyed and nearly all evidence of the culture during the reign of Akhenaten was destroyed. Although the Egyptian people attempted to erase this pharaoh from history, the city tells the story of the time through the few pieces of art, the tombs, and the city plans. The articles written by Croker and one of the ones written by Kemp discuss the value of architecture and how it related to status within the society of the time. The other articles written by Ikram, and Kemp, Stevens, Dabbs, Zabecki, and Rose discuss the art, religion, and ritual practices. The city of Amarna was created on the basis of abandoning the old gods in favor of the worship of a single god, Aten. Societies in ancient history were based primarily on religion, and while archaeologists try to use Amarna as a basis for the study of New Kingdom Egypt because the religions changed Amarna should not be used as a template. Akhenaten aimed to abandon the old ways
Beginning with Muhammad’s age from the start of 7th century Islam, Islamic culture and politics have gone a great many events and occurrences. Throughout all of its years, it has boasted both a rich culture and technological/intellectual advancements. The preservation of the Quran, developments in mathematics, and the continued emphasis on respect and charitable nature are just some examples of Islamic achievement. However, as with any growing civilization, Islam has evolved beyond what it originated as. The cultural and political life of Islamic civilization beginning in the 7th century to the end of the Abbasids of the 13th century underwent many changes such as the deteriorating view of women in society and the shift from elected caliphates to dynastical caliphate. But, one aspect that persisted were the religious beliefs and traditions followed by the Islamic people.
The source A History of Medieval Islam was written by John Joseph Saunders in 1965. John Joseph (J.J.) Saunders was a British Historian who was especially knowledgeable of Medieval Islamic. J.J. Saunders taught at the
Bulliet’s work Cotton, Climate, and Camels in Early Islamic Iran: A Moment in World History illustrates that the Iranian plateau underwent a major social, economic, and ecological change from the ninth century to the early twelfth century. He claims that Middle Eastern historians do not sufficiently take into the account the economic and ecological factors that contributed to the change that took place. Bulliet forms two main theses to develop his argument. The first is that the Iranian plateau went through a cotton boom during the ninth and tenth centuries and flourished as the most dynamic area during the time. But a cooling of the climate during the eleventh century resulted in the ending of the booming agricultural economy. The second thesis
The setting is around 3000 BCE, surrounded on all sides by vast, arid deserts, steep cliffs, and extensive bodies of water. And, in these massive deserts civilization exists; there are grand, shining empires, pillars of humanity. Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mesopotamia, both known as cradles of civilization, were hosts to some of the greatest ancient kingdoms of mankind. These empires shared a number of common practices due to similar geographical settings, but likewise they were different in their structure, customs, and views. The ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia shared many similarities; however Egypt was more prosperous economically, established a superior, unwavering political structure, and possessed more unified and content religious views.
From 1567 to 330 B.C. humanity experienced many subsequent development as well as decline in its civilizations. Among these events emerged three colossal empires that had shaken the world and forever changed the course of human history. The Egyptian, Assyrian, and Persian Empires have been instrumental in influencing technology, religion, and ideas throughout the world. Various factors have contributed to the success and downfall of these giants. Each of the “World Powers” have similarities as well as distinctions in its government form and organization, religion, and economy that contributed to their triumph.
Similarly the social integration of pre-Islamic shapes our understanding of Islam. The notion of social integration developed within the Byzantine and Sassanic period (Hoyland, 2001). The Sassanic dynasty influenced the Islamic administrative system, it was also the aftermath of the competition dwelling between the two dynasties (Hoyland, 2001). Although these dynasties were competitive they shared a common values such as being imperialists and harmony (Hoyland, 2001). The imperial commercial network meant that the leaders had to negotiate and political rapports were created with the empires and harmony prevailed.
In the readings, there are many trends regarding ancient concepts of law, government, and social structure. The code of Hammurabi played a significant role in Mesopotamian law, while the Nile River had a large part in the development of Egyptian civilization. In addition, the Hebrews moved toward pure monotheism and the Persians enhanced the Near Eastern model of monarchical government. “The evidence reveals that on the one hand, peoples then living in the Near East, Africa, and the Mediterranean developed their own distinctive beliefs, mythologies, customs, and sense of identity. On the other they shared many attributes such as large populations, the use of writing, devotion to religion, and economies based on trade and agriculture.” (Lualdi, 15) Overall, each society had similarities and differences in their way of life, but some are key to showing the maturation of the area as a whole.