Deck 13: The Islamic World, 1000-1500

Question 1

Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism all expanded in the period from 1000 to 1600 because (Global Perspective, pp. 316-317)

A) religious conversion was required after conquest.
B) of their ability to adapt to local customs.
C) of the expansion of missionary traditions.
D) of the translation of holy scripture into many languages.

Answer 1

of their ability to adapt to local customs.

Question 2

The Islamic sect that stresses personal piety and allegiance to a spiritual master is the

A) Sunni.
B) Shi'ite.
C) Centrist.
D) Sufi.

Answer 2

Sufi.

Question 3

The followers of the Isma'ili branch of Shi'ism are best described as

A) philosophical esoterics who were revolutionary in nature.
B) those who recognized their founder as the twelfth imam.
C) those who recognized the radical theocracy of the Nizari "assassins."
D) None of these answers are correct.

Answer 3

philosophical esoterics who were revolutionary in nature.

Question 4

The "Twelvers" believed in all of the following except

A) the Mahdi or "Guided One."
B) the martyrdom of the twelve imams.
C) the intercession of Muhammad on the Day of Judgment.
D) the legitimacy of Jesus as one of God's prophets.

Question 5

Describe the political, social, and economic conditions in the Islamic heartlands from 945 to 1500. What was the role of the Sunni and Shi'ite sects in this time period? How did the Mongols and the Turks alter the culture in the heartland? Why did Islam survive these outside invasions?
Conceptual

Question 6

Discuss the cultural developments in Spain from 945 to 1500. Why were the Berbers important in this movement? Why was Córdoba considered an example of cultural progress? Why were certain Christian and Jewish groups persecuted in this time of great cultural development?
Conceptual

Question 7

Why were the Mongols able to defeat the Muslim armies in the thirteenth century? What were the military tactics of the Mongols? How did the large Mongol empire contribute to the defeat of Muslim control in the heartland?
Conceptual

Question 8

What was the impact of Timur the Lame (Timur-i Lang) on the Islamic heartland? Why did the Mongols fail to stop this invasion? What motivated the conquests of Timur the Lame?
Conceptual

Question 9

The period from roughly 1000 to 1500 saw the spread of Islam as a lasting religious, cultural, and political force in world history. Where specifically did Islam spread and how was it introduced to these new regions? Why was it successful?
Conceptual

Question 10

From the beginning, Muslim leaders faced the problem of ruling an India dominated by an utterly different culture and religion. Discuss the problems of Muslim conquerors. What were their primary obstacles to stable rule and how did they deal with them?
Conceptual

Question 11

Describe the impact of the Muslim states on northern India. Why did a unified state collapse in a short period of time? What was the role of the Rajput? Why was Persian the language of the ruling elite?
Conceptual

Question 12

During the Muslim infiltration of India from 1000 to 1500, what happened to the other religious traditions that Islam encountered? Most specifically, address the fate of the Jain tradition, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Conceptual

Question 13

What role did the ulama play in the political, social, and religious development of each of the great Islamic civilizations? Did their roles differ in different Islamic regions? What accounts for these differences (if any)? Compare and contrast these roles with the role of the Catholic Church in the Carolingian period.
Conceptual

Question 14

Compare and contrast the political, social, economic, and cultural developments of the Christian West and the Islamic civilizations in the period from 1000 to 1600. What role did religion play in the relative successes of each of them? Compare and contrast the limitations each faced in political unification. What factor or factors do you think best accounts for their major differences?
Conceptual

Question 15

What prevented the development of a large empire like the Abbasid Caliphate in the period from 1000 to 1500? How did the lack of a large empire impact the development of the Islamic world in this period?
Conceptual

Question 16

What was the origin of Sufism and how did Sufism impact the Islamic world?
Conceptual

Question 17

What were the conditions that allowed the Islamic world to survive invasions from 945 C.E. on? How did these invasions impact the Islamic world?
Conceptual

Question 18

What was the impact of Islam on the religious traditions in areas conquered by Muslims? How were Hindus and members of other religious traditions treated? Did Islam have any impact on native religious practices? Did native practices have an impact on Islam?
Conceptual