Chapter 11: The First Global Civilization: The Rise of Islam Chapter 12: Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization Chapter 13: African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam Read Chapters 11-13 from your textbook. Answer the following short answer and multiple choice questions based on the readings in the space provided. Chapter 11: 1. Describe the social organization of the Arabs prior to the introduction of Islam. 2. Compare and contrast the status of women in Islam during the pre-islamic period and the Umayyad empire. 3. Why was Islam able to appeal to people of so many different cultures? 4. What was the essential dispute within Islam over the succession of the Prophet? 5. What was the difference between the Abbasid empire and the Umayyad empire? 1
Chapter 12: 1. Explain the reasons for the political disruption of the Abbasid empire prior to the rise of the Buyids. 2. Describe the social position of women during the Abbasid empire. 3. Discuss the religious trends of the Abbasid era and their impact on the expansion of Islam. 4. In what sense did the Muslim incursions into the Indian subcontinent result in Islamic influences on Hindus? To what extent were Muslims affected by Indian culture? 5. By what means did Islam spread to southeast Asia? 2
Chapter 13: 1. What were the common elements of African society prior to the incursion of Islam? 2. By what means was conversion of sub-saharan Africa carried out? What were the primary avenues of Islamic entry into sub-saharan Africa? 3. Islamic influence was strongest in the Sudanic states and the Swahili coast. Compare and contrast the political forms of these regions. What does this suggest about the nature of Islamic influence in Africa? 4. Compare and contrast the political forms of the African states not affected by Islam (Yoruba, Benin, Kongo, Zimbabwe) with those that were (the Sudanic states and the Swahili coast). 5. Given the geographical location of those African states most affected by Islam, what were the most important points of contact between African and Islamic societies? What does this suggest about the nature of Islamic conversion? 3
Multiple Choice: Chapter 11: 1) Islam originated in A) Egypt. B) Turkey. C) Arabia. D) Iraq. 2) Which of the following continents was NOT affected by Islam in the millennium after 600 C.E.? A) Africa B) Europe C) Asia D) South America 3) The Arabic camel nomads were referred to as A) Hashim. B) bedouin. C) mawali. D) ayan. 4) Which of the following statements most accurately describes the extent of sedentary agriculture in the Arabian peninsula? A) There was no sedentary agriculture in the Arabian peninsula because of the extreme aridity of the climate. B) In the far north along the borders with the Persian empire sedentary agriculture was common. C) Only in the coastal regions of the far south of the Arabian peninsula did extensive sedentary agriculture develop in ancient times. D) Sedentary agriculture was distributed throughout the peninsula as the result of the construction of extensive irrigation systems. 5) Which of the following cultures found in the Arabian peninsula was most significant in shaping the development of Islam? A) Bedouin B) Urban C) Sedentary agricultural villages D) Hunting and gathering Chapter 12: 1) Which of the following was NOT a reason for the decline of the Abbasid dynasty by the 9th century C.E.? A) The collapse of the cities B) Constant civil violence trained the treasury C) New construction trained the treasury D) Peasant risings 2) Which of the following groups did NOT revolt against Abbasid rule? A) Slaves B) Peasants C) Sunnis D) Shi'as 3) How did the Caliph al-mahdi resolve the problem of succession in the Abbasid dynasty? A) He specified the rule of primogeniture, the succession of the oldest son. B) He accepted the Shi'a doctrine that only the person with the most direct relationship to Muhammad should succeed. C) He accepted the radical proposition that only a man of demonstrable Islamic purity should succeed. D) He failed to resolve the problem of dynastic succession with disastrous results. 4) What was al-mahdi's attitude toward the Shi'as? A) He viewed them as opponents of his dynasty and attempted to eliminate them. B) He appealed to the moderate factions of the Shi'as to support the Abbasid dynasty. C) He accepted the fundamental doctrines of the Shi'as and abdicated. D) In order to placate the Shi'as, al-mahdi lived a pious life of poverty and simplicity. 5) What was the fictional account of life at the court of the Caliph al-rashid? A) Shah-nama B) The Treasure of Ali Baba C) Analects D) The Thousand and One Nights Chapter 13: 1) Between 800 and 1500 as the frequency and intensity of contact with the outside world increased, what was the chief impact on sub-saharan Africa? A) The arrival of the Portuguese B) The arrival of Christianity C) The arrival of Islam D) The arrival of Chinese merchants 2) What was one of the major differences between African civilizations and other postclassical societies? A) African civilizations built somewhat less clearly on prior societies than did other postclassical societies. B) African civilization was almost entirely dependent on cultural importations from Islam and the Arabic world. C) Prior to 800, African civilizations had no prior contacts with civilizations outside of the African continent. D) There were no civilizations in Africa until the postclassical period. 3) Who was Mansa Musa? A) The leader of Mali B) A Christian missionary from Portugal C) The leader of Songhay D) The leader of Ghana 4) African societies organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority were referred to as A) stateless. B) hunting and gathering bands. C) Bantu conical clans. D) Islamic tribes. 5) What was the function of secret societies in African culture? A) They smuggled valuable gold across the Sahara and established vital trade routes with the Mediterranean. B) Because secret societies were restricted to females, they permitted women to have an invisible, but powerful, role in political affairs within African societies. C) Because their membership cut across lineage divisions, they acted to maintain stability within the community and diminish clan feuds. D) They served as a disruptive and revolutionary force in African society forestalling the formation of larger states. 4
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