-
Muhammad, the founder of islam, was born around 570. Noone really knows the exact year he was born. He was born in Mecca and was raised by his grandparents and uncle. He was orphaned at a young age. When Muhammad was about 25, he married Khadija. She ran a prosperous caravan business.
-
-
Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel. Muhammad was praying and meditating in cave when he was about 40 years old. He heard a voice saying "Proclaim". He had a whole conversation with the angel. After this, he sprerad Islam for the rest of his life.
-
In the beginning, many people did not want to listen to Muhammad. Muhammad was faced with the threat of murder. All of Muhammad's followers, including him, fled to Yathrib. This was later renamed Medina.
-
Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca and there he destroyed the idols in the Kaaba.
-
Muhammad died in 632 but today Islam is still spreading. Today, it is one of the major religions.
-
Muslims rout the Byzantine Army. In most instances, they were under oppressive rule.
-
Islam spread throughout most of North Africa.
-
Imam was killed which brings an end to the rule of the four "Righteous Caliphs". This marks the beginning of the Umayyad Rule. Umayyad dynasty is the first great Muslim dynasty to rule the empire of the Caliphate.
-
Muslims enter Spain in the west and India in the east. Over time, the whole Iberian Pennisula is under Islamic control.
-
The arabs conquered the Indus Valley but they advanced no farther into the subcontinent.
-
Muslims were defeated by Charles Martel in France at the battle of Poitiers.
-
The Abbassids take over from the Umayyads. The Abbasid dynasty ended Arab dominance and helped make Islam a universal religion. Under the early Abbassids, the Muslims enjoyed a golden age.
-
At first, the Muslim Turks and the Afghans were adventurers. Mahmud was a adventurer and pillaged much of the north.
-
Pope Urban ll called for the First Crusade because of the reports of Seljuks interfering with Christian pilgrims traveling tp Jerusalem.
-
For 150 years, the city of Jerusalem passed back and forth between Muslims and Christians. The Muslim general, Slah al-Din, took Christians from Jerusalem in 1187. They regained it after Sala al-Din's death and kept it until 1244.
-
In the late 1100's, the late Sultan of Ghur defeated Hindu armies across the northern plain. He made Delhi his capital. After that, his successors organized a sultanate, which is a land ruled by a sultan.
-
Islam continues to spread throughtout Asia. Malaysian traders interact with Muslims who teach them about Islam and their beliefs.
-
The Delhi sultanate lasted until 1526. This time period marked the start of Muslim rule in northern India.
-
During the 1300's, the Ottoman's expanded throughout Asia Minor and into southeastern europe. They made a capital in the Balkan Peninsula.
-
Tamerlane smashed into Delhi. Thousands of artisans were enslaved to build his capital at Samarkland. Delhi slowly recovered but the sultans no longer controlled a large empire.
-
The Ottoman's conquer the Byzantine seat of Constantinople and they change the name to Istanbul.
-
After many tries to capture Constantinople, Muhammad ll finally succeeded. For the next 200 years, the Ottoman empire continued to grow.
-
In the 1500's, the Safavid Dynasty had united a strong empire in Persia, which is present-day Iran. The Safavids were Shiite Muslims.
-
The Ottoman Empire had a Golden Age under Suleiman. He ruled from 1520 to 1566. He was known as a brilliant general who conquered many lands and modernized the army.
-
The invaders came through the mountain passes in India. Babur rode at the head. He was a military genius, poet and an author.
-
Suleiman's armies besieged the city of Vienna. Fear spread through Western Europe. The Ottoman's ruled the largest and most powerful empire in Europe and the Middle East for centuries.
-
Akbar ruled from 1556 to 1605 and he created a strong central government. Eventually, he earned the title Abkar the Great. He was a Muslim.
-
From 1588 to 1629, Abbas the Great centralized the government and created a strong military force.
-
One cause of the decline was pressure from the Ottoman armies. Sunni Afghans rebelled and captured Isfahan and forced the last Safavid ruler to end in 1722.
-
This area was known as "Sham", including Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.
-
Harun al-Rashid began his reign in 786. Although, he ruled until 809 C.E. For centuries, he was admired as a model ruler. He was seen as a symbol of wealth and splendor.
-
In Spain and Egypt, independent dynasties ruled separate Muslim states. The caliph's power faded and civil wars erupted. The Shiite rulers took over parts of the empire.
