Ancient Islamic Civilization
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Ancient Civilizations Ancient Islamic Civilization Pupil Workbook Year 5 Unit 4 Name: 1 2 3 4 Existing Knowledge What is a civilization? What isn’t a civilization? 5 Session 1: Why should we study the Early Islamic civilization? Key Knowledge Islam is the religion of Muslim people. Muslims believe in one God. They believe that the prophet Muhammad is the messenger of God. Islam began in the early 600s in the Arabian Peninsula. In a region that is now the country of Saudi Arabia. From there it spread to reach parts of North Africa, Europe and Asia. Muslim scholars studied the writings of other peoples. Including Greeks, Indians, Chinese and Romans. Muslims studied widely, in science, medicine, and other areas. They added many new ideas to the world’s knowledge. Key Vocabulary A civilization is a human society with its own social organisation and culture. If one country or group of people conquers another, they take control of their land. A scholar is a person who studies a subject and knows a lot about it. Calligraphy is the art of producing beautiful handwriting using a brush or a special pen. Astronomy is the scientific study of the stars, planets, and other natural objects in space. Thinking Task: This map shows the areas of the world conquered by the Early Islamic civilization. Early Islam began in Makkah (Mecca) but how far and wide did it reach across the world? 6 What did the scholars of Early Islam know about? Look for clues then label the images to show what is being studied. Copies of texts from other civilizations Calligraphy Weighing medicine to cure smallpox Internal organs Geography and Astronomy Cooking medicine 1. ______________________________ 2. ______________________________ 3. ______________________________ 4. ______________________________ 5. ______________________________ 6. ______________________________ 7 What are the strongest reasons for studying Early Islam? Read through these statements which describe the achievements of the Early Islamic civilization. Judge for yourself which is the most important achievement. Label it 1. Then decide the second most important achievement and label it 2, and so on, until you have judged all 12. 8 Baghdad in the 10th Century Round City are equidistant from him when he is in the centre. Al-Mansur then built four In A.D. 750, the Abbasid family seized control main gates, dug moats, and erected two walls of the Muslim Empire in the east. The second and two fasils [defensive fields]. Between caliph of the Abbasid Empire, Abu Ja'far al- each main gate were two fasils, and the inner Mansur, moved the capital city from wall was higher than the outer wall. He Damascus to Baghdad. Baghdad, located in commanded that no one be allowed to dwell the centre of the empire, grew to become the at the foot of the higher inner walls or build most important city in the Muslim world. any dwelling there; but ordered construction along the wall in the second fasil because it The passage below contains a description of was better for the fortification of the wall. 10th Century Baghdad written by a Muslim Then he built the palace and the mosque. In scholar and Baghdad resident, al-Khatib al- the back of al-Mansur's palace was a Baghdadi. reception hall [diwan] thirty by twenty cubits (around 9 metres), whose ceiling ended in a An Extract from al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, dome. Above this audience room was a History of Baghdad: similar chamber, above which rested the green dome. The chamber stood twenty They say, when al-Mansur built his city he cubits (around 9 metres) high until the point constructed four gates, four separate where the vaulting of the dome begins. The entrances into Baghdad from the surrounding distance between the ground line and the top areas. Al-Mansur placed every gate opposite of the green dome was eighty cubits (around the palace. He capped each gate with a dome, 38 metres), and surmounting the green and erected eighteen towers between each dome, which could be seen from the outskirts gate, with the exception of the wall between of Baghdad, was the figure of a mounted the Basrah and Kufah gates, where he added horseman. an additional tower. He fixed the length between the Khurasan Gate and the Kufah I heard a group of scholars mention that on Gate at 800 cubits (around 370 metres), and top of the green dome was the figure of a from the Damascus Gate to the Basrah Gate horseman holding a lance in his hand. If the at 600 cubits (around 275 metres). There Sultan saw that figure with its lance pointing were five iron gates between the main to a given direction, he knew that some rebels entrance to the city and the gate which led to would make their appearance from there. the courtyard. That dome was the crown of Baghdad, a Abu Ja'far built the city in a circular form guidepost in the region, and one of the because a circular city has advantages over memorable things that one links with the the square city, in that if the monarch were to Abbasids. It was built at the beginning of be in the centre of the square city, some parts their rule and remained intact until this time. would be closer to him than others, while, Over 180 years elapsed between its regardless of the divisions, the sections of the construction and fall. 9 Task: From what you have read, why do you think it is important that we study the early Islamic civilisation and the city of Baghdad as well as the history of Great Britain? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 10 Session 2: What can we learn about Early Islamic civilization from the way they built Baghdad? Key Knowledge The city was built by workers from every city in the empire and the network of canals supplied water to farms and allowed food and other goods to be brought into the city by boat. The caliph’s palace was right next to the main mosque so that when people bowed down to pray, they were also bowing down to the caliph. Baghdad was full of mosques. There was a House of Wisdom which included a vast library and school. They knew far more about Greek and Roman ideas about medicine than doctors in Europe did. There was even a hospital in Baghdad built in 805CE. Doctors worked there and trained students to become doctors. Key Vocabulary A caliph was a Muslim ruler. The caliphate was the land ruled by a caliph. A mosque is a building where Muslims go to worship. Knowledge Quiz 1. How many gods do Muslims believe in? 1 3 4 2. A person who studies a subject and knows a lot about it is a: scholar astronomer doctor scientist 3. The Islamic Empire conquered parts of: France England Spain Germany E 4. Still used today, Muslim scholars created: alphabet planet names numerals fireworks 5. The Early Islamic Empire spread itself across how many continents? 1 2 3 4 11 Task: Look at these two cities. Constantinople 600CE and New York City this year. What is the same? What is different? Make notes. Task: Designing Baghdad of 1,000 years ago. You have been asked to design a map of Baghdad 1,000 years ago. All you have to work on are some notes left by a visitor to Baghdad in 1100CE. Read them and then draw an aerial view. 12 Design the city of Baghdad Tip: Read the Key Knowledge for this session to see if you have included all the details. Look at this painting by an artist and this map of Baghdad to give you an idea of how to start your own map. Extension: Label your map showing the key features of the city. 13 Describe a walk, through Baghdad, where the rich lived. You are leading a group of visitors – who are new to the area – around the streets of Baghdad. Read on find out about the night life, markets, clothes and buildings in the city. 14 Write about leading a walk through the city of Baghdad. Use your senses: especially sight, smell and sound. Try to include the details you have just read. 15 Trade in the Early Islamic world Muhammad and the religion of Islam united the tribes. After Muhammad’s death in 632, Muslims moved far across the Middle East and North Africa. As the Islamic state expanded, Muslims found vast new areas for trade and commerce (selling). Stability created enormous wealth for the new Muslim society, and the Islamic world began its Golden Age. Trade grew quickly between various peoples in the new empire. Older trade towns, such as Mecca, became busy centres for caravans. There were also centres for a trade network that stretch from Europe to eastern China. Sea routes through the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean became part of the Islamic trade system. These were used in parallel with overland trade routes across Asia to China. Muslim merchants invented ways to help long-distance trade. Moneychangers set up banks that made it possible for merchants to borrow and put money away safely even when far from home. They used bills of exchange the way we use notes of money today. As people of many different religions, languages and customs trade together, cities became cosmopolitan, which is a mix of cultures. The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire brought so many societies under one rule. There was peace after many years of war.