What led to the growth of cities throughout the Islamic world?
Bosker et al. (2013) argue that city growth between 800 and 1800 depended heavily on whether a city was proximate to large cities of shared religious affiliation, as interdependent trade networks which formed within religious groups contributed to economic growth.
Islam spread through military conquest, trade, pilgrimage, and missionaries. Arab Muslim forces conquered vast territories and built imperial structures over time.
Freeing human intellect from superstitions, as argued by Iqbal (2010) and existence of ijtihad and productive creativity were some of the factors behind the rise of Islamic civilization. There was a sense of teaching people to think critically and creatively (prohibition of imitation without sound evidence).
Why were cities so important to the Islamic empire?
Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus were located on trade routes that ran from the Mediterranean Sea to central Asia. However, Muslim cities were not only places of trade. They also became important centers of government, learning, and the arts.
There are many reasons why Islam spread so quickly. First Mecca was connected to many global trade routes. Another important reason was their military conquered lots of territory. A third factor was the Muslims fair treatment of conquered peoples.
The rise and fall of the medieval Islamic Empire - Petra Sijpesteijn & Birte Kristiansen
Why did Islam spread so quickly in Africa?
Islam spread through Africa on the backs of merchant trade routes and militaristic expansion. It began, however, in the small town of Mecca in what is now Saudi Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad began spreading the teachings of Islam in 610 CE.
Why did Islam spread so rapidly across Afro Eurasia?
After the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century, Islam started its expansion towards eastern regions through trade encouraged by the development of the maritime Silk Roads. Muslims were known to have a commercial talent notably encouraged by Islam, as well as excellent sailing skills.
What impact did trade and the growth of cities have on Islamic civilization?
Trade routes were an important link between different civilizations to trade goods as well as ideas, languages, etc. Trade helped Muslim civilizations increase their wealth and influence, spread their religion, and integrate themselves with each other and non-Muslim civilizations.
A typical Islamic city would have a mosque in the center, surrounded by the market place and then the residential areas. Many Islamic cities had two nodes, the mosque and the citadel. Public buildings were on the main arteries. Hierarchy is one of the most important concepts in Islamic city planning.
Islam's golden age in science, technology and intellectual culture spanned about 500 years, from the ninth until the 14th centuries. Muslim achievements in these areas greatly influenced the European Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries, as well as the birth of modern scientific method in the 17th century.
The start of Islam is marked in the year 610, following the first revelation to the prophet Muhammad at the age of 40. Muhammad and his followers spread the teachings of Islam throughout the Arabian peninsula.
The earliest forms of Muslim culture, from the Rashidun Caliphate to the Umayyad Caliphate and the early Abbasid Caliphate, was predominantly based on the existing cultural practices of the Arabs, the Byzantines, and the Persians.
What factors allowed the Islamic empire to expand?
The military expansions of the earlier period spread Islam in name only; it was later that Islamic culture truly spread, with people converting to Islam in large numbers. This spread of Islamic culture was facilitated by trade, missionaries, and changes in the political structure of Islamic society.
For Muslims the period of postnatal seclusion traditionally lasts 40 days. The religious rituals are performed on the 40th day and these include shaving the child's head, as a vaginal birth is considered unclean. This act permits, what is considered, the growth of 'new' and 'clean' hair [33].
The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O'Leary in the book “Islam at the cross road” (Page 8): “History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon ...
With full Muslim control of the western half of the Silk Road by mid-8th century, any long-distance exchange had to traverse Muslim lands, giving trade a central role in the further propagation of the religion. Muslim merchants carried the message of Islam wherever they traveled.
How did the spread of Islam lead to a growth in trade?
The acceptance of Islam in most of Inner Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa is well known to have occurred through contacts with merchants. The independent role of proximity to pre-Islamic trade routes, as a means of gaining access to the Muslim trading network, was also an important contributor.
Trade and commerce played an important role in the early Islamic world. Large trade networks spanned much of the globe including faraway places like China, Africa, and Europe. Islamic leaders used taxes from wealthy merchants to build and maintain public works such as schools, hospitals, dams, and bridges.
What was the main reason for the growth of cities?
One of the main reasons for the growth of cities was the Industrial Revolution, which began in England toward the middle of the eighteenth century and then spread to the United States and other parts of Europe. The Industrial Revolution contributed to the rise of factories, creating a demand for workers in urban areas.
Mecca became wealthy, in the beginning, because of its position on major trade routes. Once this source of wealth was no longer available, its designation as a pilgrimage site for Muslims gave Mecca a new source of income.
At this time, Mecca was a prosperous city whose wealth and influence were based on the caravan trade and on the Ka'ba, a shrine and a place of pilgrimage housing the pagan deities then being worshipped by the Arabs.
Art was able to symbolically spread the values, themes, and agenda that the Islamic Empire wanted in an indirect way. Instead of forcing people away, many because curious and fascinated with Islamic culture due to its art, and thus the Islamic Empire gained a valuable tool that allowed it to spread.
What helped unify the many groups that became part of the Islamic world?
As Islam spread through trade, warfare, and treaties, Arabs came into contact with people who had different beliefs and lifestyles. Language and religion helped unify many groups that became part of the Islamic world.
