Religion & Politics: Prophets, Schisms & the Umma The Achaemenids of Persepolis, Iran, c. 510 BCE through 325 BCE) The Sassanians of Ctesiphon, Iraq, c. 225 through 650 CE) Birth of Muhammad, c. 570 CE The Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, c. 632-661 CE Beginning of Islamic calendar, Arabian Peninsula, 622 CE Dissemination of Islam, c. 632-660: Syria, Iraq, parts of Iran, parts of North Africa The Abbasids of Baghdad & Samarra, 750-c.1253 CE The Umayyads of Damascus, 661-750 CE Onward...
Three Principal Goals for Topic 1 1. The Inheritance of Islam - regional context 2. Islam as a political system - conquest 3. How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge
Islam as a political system - conquest
Jerusalem Palmyra Karbala Ctesiphon Persepolis The Inheritance of Islam - regional context
Egypt Great Temple of Hatshepsut. Deir el Bahri, Egypt. C. 1465 BCE Great Temple of Amun. Karnak, Egypt. C. 1465 BCE The Inheritance of Islam - regional context
Networks of the Pre-Modern World Islam on the Silk Road & the Indian Ocean The Inheritance of Islam - regional context
Middle East : Legacies of Greeks and Romans Temple of Ba'alshamin. Palmyra, Syria. 1st-2nd centuries CE. Corinthian Temple ( Maison carée ). Nîmes, France. Dedicated 4 CE. Alka Patel 2016
Legacies of Greeks and Romans Integrated Corinthian Temple ( Maison carée ). Nîmes, France. Dedicated 4 CE. Alka Patel 2016 The Inheritance of Islam - regional context
Middle East : Legacies of Greeks and Romans Palmyra, Syria: Monumental Arcade c. 2nd century CE Romans in Syria by 1st century CE Multiple Pasts & Presents How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge
Louis Vignes Two-part panorama featuring Colonnade Street, 1864. Albumen print. 8.8 x 11.4 in. (22.5 x 29 cm), each print. The Getty Research Institute, 2015.R.15 Multiple Pasts & Presents How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge
Multiple Pasts & Presents Colonnade Street with plan. Jean-Baptiste Liénard Lepagelet after Louis-François Cassas. Etching. From Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phoénicie, de la Palestine, et de la Basse Egypte (Paris, ca. 1799), vol. 1, pl. 53. The Getty Research Institute, 840011 How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge
Multiple Pasts & Presents The Inheritance of Islam - regional context Plan of the Temple of Bel. Charles-Nicolas Varin after Louis-François Cassas. Etching. From Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phoénicie, de la Palestine, et de la Basse Egypte (Paris, ca. 1799), vol. 1, pl. 28. The Getty Research Institute, 840011
Multiple Pasts & Presents How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge Louis Vignes (1831-1896). Views and panoramas of Beirut and the ruins of Palmyra, 1864. Los Angeles Times 2015
The Sassanians: Iran &Iraq Taq-i-Kisra. Ctesiphon, near Baghdad, Iraq. Mid-6th century CE. The Inheritance of Islam - regional context
Rome: Arch of Constantine: south side, 312-315 CE. Multiple Pasts & Presents Taq-i-Kisra. Ctesiphon, near Baghdad, Iraq. Mid-6th century CE.
The Prophet s House and Mosque. Madina, Saudi Arabia. C. 622-30. RECONSTRUCTION
The Prophet s House and Mosque. Madina, Saudi Arabia. Founded 622-30. Multiple Pasts & Presents
The Prophet s House and Mosque. Madina, Saudi Arabia. C. 622-30. RECONSTRUCTION Initial orientation toward Jerusalem, then toward Mecca How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Ar. hajj) The Ka aba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pre-Islamic-present day. Islam as a political system - conquest
The Ka aba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pre-Islamic-present day.
Cevahir al-ghavaib: Tercüme-i Bahr al-acaib. Commissioned by Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-95); written by Mustafa Cenabi: the Ka'ba at Mecca, c. 1582 Multiple Pasts & Presents How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge
The Ka aba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pre-Islamic-present day. Multiple Pasts & Presents
Politico-Religious Islam: Sunnis and Shi as
Lived Islam: the Five Pillars* (Ar. arkan al-islam or arkan al-din) Declaration of Faith (Ar. shahada)* Daily Prayers (Ar. salah) Giving of Alms (Ar. zakat) Fasting during Ramadan/Ramzan (Ar. sawm) Pilgrimage to Mecca (Ar. hajj)
Politico-religious Islam: Shi ism Imam Husain Shrine. Karbala, Iraq. Founded c. 690. Politics & Religion Motivating factors behind patronage
1. The Inheritance of Islam - regional context 2. Islam as a political system - conquest 3. How we know what we know - the generation of knowledge