Source: J. J. Sanders, “The Caliph Omar: Arab Imperialist”, in History Today March 1961, pp 180-181. Koranic revelation commanded them to “Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not be the aggressors.” The early Muslims thus fought their heathen enemies … war against unbelievers was sanctioned by divine revelation and by example of the Prophet. But many Arabs were Jews or Christians: What was to be done with them? Mohammed respected the older monotheistic faiths… he called them “People of the Book”… they were not forced into Islam but were allowed to retain their ancestral tradition on payment of tribute. 

 As author of an article entitled “The Caliph Omar: Arab Imperialist”, Sanders would naturally emphasize and choose to highlight the many strategies that the Arabs used to expand their influence and treat conquered peoples (Doc 5).

 The creators of the map “The Growth of the Muslim Empire 632-750” are careful to provide a map with shaded areas explaining the extent of the empire at different times because the purpose of the map is to show how the empire has expanded over time (Doc 8).

 Source: Syed Ameer Ali, a Muslim writer, The Spirit of Islam, London:

Chatto and Windus, 1964) Islam never interfered with the dogmas of any moral faith, never persecuted… Islam “grasped the sword” in self-defense; Christianity grasped it in order to stifle freedom of thought and liberty of belief. Wherever Christianity prevailed, no other religion could be followed without molestation. The Muslims, on the other hand, required from others a simple guarantee of peace, tribute in return for protection, of perfect equality – on condition of the acceptance of Islam…

As a Muslim writer describing The Spirit of Islam, Ameer Ali would naturally be writing in a style that praised Islam because it would be in his best interest as a Muslim writer to do so. He would not speak negatively about a religion that he has embraced (Doc 6).

Poem, Rumi (13th century)I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not. I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there. I entered the mountain cave of hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not… Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even. Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from Ibn Sina but found Him not within his range…. Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.

Ibn Sina: 980-1037

Philosophy based on concept of reality and

reason: reason can only progress through levels of understanding which will ultimately lead you

to God

As a Sufi poet, Rumi would naturally use a rhyming pattern of verse since this is what his audience has come to expect of him (Doc 2).

As a Sufi poet writing in the 13th century when Islam has come into conflict with many other world religions, it would be natural for Rumi to assess the validity of Islam compared to other religions at that time. A thoughtful, comparative approach would help convince doubters of the power of his own faith (Doc 2).

Rumi uses a technique of considering other religious options in his search for God and then carefully dismissing them. As a Sufi poet who encountered many other faiths by the 13th century, this strategy would validate his recommendation of Islam as the way to knowing God (Doc 2).

 Source: Observations of Arab merchant Suleiman as told by an Arab geographer, 851 CE, in Relacion de la Chine et de I’Inde, Paris: 1948, ed. Jean Sauvaget.___________________________ The Chinese conduct commercial transactions and business affairs with equity. When someone lends money to another person, he writes up a note documenting the loan. The borrower writes up another note on which he affixes an imprint of his index finger and middle finger together. Then they put the two notes together, roll them up, and write a formula at the point where one touches the other (so that part of the written formula appears on each notes). Next, they separate the notes and entrust to the lender the one on which the borrower recognizes his debt. If the borrower denies his debt later on, they say to him, “Present the note that the lender gave you.”

Suleiman uses specific detail with an impressive tone concerning the steps involved in securing and authenticating loans in 9th century China. As a visitor to China and a businessman himself, it would be natural for him to use great detail in describing activities that would be unfamiliar to him as a traveller from a distant place.

As a Tang official and advocate of imperial rule, it is natural for Han Yu to be critical of the Buddha, calling him a “barbarian”, since support for his message and Buddhist religion may pose a threat to imperial Confucian rule. The context of his comments and Han Yu’s subsequent exile however indicate that there was some support for Buddhism at that time (Doc 1).

Skills Activities:

• Fill out the C 13 SPICE chart with evidence that supports the following key concepts that support that chapter

Teach one illustrative example of:

1. New trading cities: Baghdad2. Caravan organization : caravanserai, camel saddles3. New forms of credit and monetization: bills of exchange, credit, checks,

banking houses4. Empires: The Caliphates (how did they evolve? Effects?)5. The diffusion of Turkic and Arab languages6. The influence of Greek and Indian mathematics on Muslim scholars7. The return of Greek science and philosophy to Western Europe via Muslim al-

Andulus in Iberia8. New foods and agricultural techniques: the spread of cotton, sugar and citrus

throughout Dar al-Islam and the Mediterranean basin9. Synthesis of states: Persian traditions that influenced Islamic states10.Technological and cultural transfers: between Tang China and the Abbasids