User:Atcovi/HIS 111-A26: World Civilization Pre-1500 CE (SP23)/Ch 9

7/7 questions

4. What are the major theological differences between the Sunni and the Shia?

'The Sunnis believed that Muhammad's companions, Abu Bakr & Umar [closest friends of the prophet], were the next'' rightful leaders of the caliphate. On the other hand, Shias believed that the next leader should've been Ali, the son-in-law of the prophet. The Shia sect has, since then, been broken down into various sects. Some sects are considered Muslims while other sects are considered kaafirs (or unbelievers). Some Shias worship Ali as if he was a God, regard Ali as if he was the rightful prophet, and curse the closest companions of Muhammad (as confirmed by IslamQA.com).'''

13. Describe the origins and basic beliefs of Islam, including Muhammad, the Quran, and the five pillars of Islam. To what extent does this tradition fit the model for a universalizing religion (as described in Chapter 8)?

'''The origins of Islam are regarded to have been started by Adam, as believed by Muslims. Muhammad was a prophet, just like Jesus and Abraham, who was tasked to convey the message brought by the Qur'an. The Qur'an is regarded as the unaltered word of God, conveyed by the angel, Gabriel. The Qur'an was compiled throughout the 23 years of the Prophet's preaching and has remained to be completely unaltered since its revelation 1400 years ago. The five pillars of Islam are the shahada (worship of one God and belief in the Prophet Muhammad), prayer, zakat, fasting, and hajj (pilgrimage). The religion contains elements of a universalizing religion as Islam preached unification under one God and the teachings of Muhammad (including reduced taxes).'''

14. Trace the process, including jihad, by which Islam expanded from a new, localized religious tradition on the Arabian Peninsula to a dominant political power in western Afro-Eurasia. How did that expansion require a balancing act between political powers (such as the caliphate) and religious authority (such as the ulama and sharia law)?

'''In order for Islam to be successful in terms of spreading the religion outside of Arabia, the following caliphs after Muhammad were obliged to facilitate this (to which they were successful). The term jihad means struggle. In this case, jihad was waged against the Byzantine and Sasanian empires. These two empires were defeated by the Muslims, who moved into Egypt and Iraq. The political powers followed the religious authority (the scholars) as the scholars were the ones specialized in Islamic studies (and also to prevent compromisation of the faith by those that wanted to change the religion).'''

15. Although the Abbasid dynasty brought a great degree of integration across western Afro-Eurasia, what were some of the regional distinctions (in Spain, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa) as well as internal divisions (such as between Sunnis and Shiites)?

'''Regional distinctions in Spain included the works of Abd-al Rahman III, who is credited with bringing peace and stability as the first Caliphate of Cordoba. His reign is most known for religious tolerance. In Central Asia, elite talent was sent to Baghdad to fulfill their potential. An example of this is Muhammad al-Khawrizmi, who produced impressive works relating to algebra ('al-jabr' in Arabic). In Africa, the Bantu language was mixed in with Arabic to become Swahili. Internal divisions, primarily between Sunnis and Shiites, existed due to political differences and eventually the Shias made this conflict a religious one - inventing their own hadiths and religious rulings.'''

16. How did the Tang Dynasty establish its control over East Asia? What role did the army, civil service examinations, and eunuchs play in Tang political organization?

'''The Tang took advantage of the broken, smaller dynasties left over by the demise of the Han empire. The Tang army was professionally trained. The eunuchs, castrated as children, were elites that protected the Tan rulers and acted as a "3rd pillar" of the government. New civil service officers were picked from the very little amount of people who passed a rigorous civil service exam, which tested for various Chinese cultured principles (Daoism, Confucianism, Chines language, etc.).'''

17. How did the Tang interact with foreign ideas (including Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Buddhism) and influence other polities (as in Korea and Japan)?

'''The Tang were religiously tolerant and under Emperor Wu, Buddhism thrived in the dynasty. Due to Buddhism's relation with Confucianism & Daoism, it was integrated within the Tang society and exploded. The Silla dynasty in Korea was modeled off of the Tang dynasty, while Japan was a bit too far (and geographically isolated) to have direct effects from the Tang.'''

20. Analyze the impact of the Vikings in this period of world history, both in Europe and beyond. '''The Vikings (“to be on the warpath”) were Northern Europeans who arrived and attacked and looted central Europe (mainly, France). Due to their slave trade and sophisticated method of traveling (through bodys of water), they proved to be a massive force (especially towards Charlemagne's Christian empire).'''