Islamic+Influence+on+North+Africa

Islamic Expansion into North Africa

Introduction: The **Spread of Islam** started shortly after the death of the prophet Muhammed in 632 A.D. During his lifetime, the community of Muhammad, the Ummah, was established in the Arabian Peninsula by means of conversion to Islam and conquering of territory. In the first centuries conversion to Islam followed the rapid growth. Muslim dynasties were soon established and empires such as those of the Abbasids, Almoravids, Seljuk Turks, Mughals in India and Safavids in Persia and Ottomans were among the largest and most powerful in the world. The Islamic world was composed of numerous sophisticated centers of culture and science with far-reaching mercanism networks, travelers, scientists, astronomers, mathematicians, doctors and philosphers all of whom contributed to the Golden Age of Islam.

How did Islam spread into North Africa? Slide-show
 * When the Abbasids captured Damascus, one of the Umayyad princes escaped and made the long journey from there to Spain to find Umayyad rule there, thus beginning the golden age of Islam in Spain. Cordoba was established as the capital and soon became Europe's greatest city not only in population but from the point of view of its cultural and intellectual life.
 * The Umayyads ruled over for two centuries until they were weakened and were replaced by local rulers.
 * Meanwhile in North Africa, various local dynasties held away until two powerful Berber dynasties succeeded in uniting much of North Africa and also Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries.
 * One of these areas was ruled by a local dynasty such as the Sharifids of Morocco country. As for Spain itself, Muslim power continued to wane until the last Muslim dynasty was defeated in Granada in 1492 thus bringing nearly eight hundred years of Muslim rule in Spain to an end.
 * From the end of the effective power of the caliphs in the tenth century to the beginning of the sixteenth, the size of the Muslim world almost doubled. The vehicles for expansion were not conquering armies so much as traveling merchants and intellectual teachers. In Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa, in Central Asia, and in the many different societies in the Indian Ocean basin, a growing number of people came to be included within the world community of Islam.
 * North Africa was filled with stateless societies where phoenicians, Greeks, romans, and Vandals and many other powerful classical empires traded, settled, built, battled, and destroyed.
 * The berbers people of Sahara had raided the coastal cities, with the rise of Islam those ties became closely linked with Sahara and the rest of Africa in many ways.
 * In 640 and 700 C.E the followers of Muhammed swept across North Africa from Suez to Morocco atlantic shore. By 670 C.E Muslims ruled Tunisia or Ifriqiya.
 * The berber armies had crossed into spain their message found ground among the population of North Africa because they were outcasted from the rest of the world but with the rise of Islam things changed and had effectively functioned within the community.
 * Conversions took place rapidly within a certain political unity provided by the Abbasid dynasty, but this broke out as a result of competing groups and seperate states.
 * Caravan trade of states formed by the Arabic rulers the people of the desert the berbers formed states of their own places such as Fez in Morocco and Sijilimasa lauched a course of jihad.
 * No previous conqueror had tried to assimilate the Berbers, but the Arabs quickly converted them and enlisted their aid in further conquests. Without their help.
 * Al-Andalus was a great cultural center of the Middle Ages. Besides the great universities, which taught philosophies and sciences in the territory was an equally vital center for art. One thinks immediately, in architecture, of the Great mosque of Cordoba.
 * The Almoravid and Almohad dynasties are characterized by a tendency toward austerity (simplicity), for example in mosques with bare walls. Nevertheless, luxury arts continued to be produced in great quantity. The Marinid and Hafsid dynasties developed an important, but poorly understood, architecture, and a significant amount of painted and sculpted woodwork.
 * The conflicts with the Frankish crusaders in 1171, Saladin seized Fatimid Egypt, and installed the Ayyubids dynasty on the throne. This period is notable for innovations in metallurgy and the widespread manufacture of the Damascus steel swords and daggers and the production ceramics, glass and metalwork of a high quality were produced without interruption, and enameled glass became another important craft.
 * The Islamic influence promoted long distance trade providing religious bond of trust and law caravan routes that connected North Africa to the Saharan states with great diffusion.

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Location of Islamic Empire

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By Hakima Missbah

Summary of Islam Expansion in North Africa:

Islam underwent a golden age when spreading throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa forming the largest empire ever established. Islam’s expansion onto North Africa was when the Abbasid captured Damascus, one of the Umayyad princes escaped and made a long journey from there to Spain to find Umayyad rule there. The Umayyad ruled over for two centuries until they were weakened and were replaced by local rulers. Meanwhile in North Africa, various local dynasties held away until two powerful Berber dynasties succeeded in uniting much of North Africa and also Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries. One of these areas was ruled by a local dynasty such as the Sharifids of Morocco country. As for Spain itself, Muslim power continued to wane until the last Muslim dynasty was defeated in Granada in 1492 thus bringing nearly eight hundred years of Muslim rule in Spain to an end. From the end of the effective power of the caliphs in the tenth century to the beginning of the sixteenth, the size of the Muslim world almost doubled. The vehicles for expansion were not conquering armies so much as traveling merchants and intellectual teachers. North Africa was filled with stateless societies where Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Vandals and many other powerful classical empires traded, settled, built, battled, and destroyed. The Berbers people of Sahara had raided the coastal cities; with the rise of Islam those ties became closely linked with Sahara and the rest of Africa in many ways. In 640 and 700 C.E the followers of Muhammad swept across North Africa from Suez to Morocco Atlantic shore. By 670 C.E Muslims ruled Tunisia or Ifriqiya. The Berber armies had crossed into Spain their message found ground among the population of North Africa because they were outcastes from the rest of the world but with the rise of Islam things changed and had effectively functioned within the community. Conversions took place rapidly within a certain political unity provided by the Abbasid dynasty, but this broke out as a result of competing groups and separate states. Caravan trade of states formed by the Arabic rulers the people of the desert the Berbers formed states of their own places such as Fez in Morocco launched a course of jihad. They were the reason for the spread of Islam into sub-Saharan Africa. No previous conqueror had tried to assimilate the Berbers, but the Arabs quickly converted them and enlisted their aid in further conquests. At first only Berbers nearer the coast were involved, but by the 11th century Muslim conquest had begun to spread far into the Sahara. The Almoravid and Almohad dynasties are characterized by a tendency toward simplicity, for example in mosques with bare walls. Nevertheless, luxury arts continued to be produced in great quantity. The Marinid and Hafsid dynasties developed an important, but poorly understood, architecture, and a significant amount of painted and sculpted woodwork. The conflicts with the Frankish crusaders in 1171, Saladin seized Fatimid Egypt, and installed the Ayyubids dynasty on the throne. They were notable for innovations in metal-works and the widespread manufacturing of the Damascus steel swords and daggers and the production ceramics, glass and metalwork of a high quality were produced without interruption, and enameled glass became another important craft. The Islamic empire made ever-lasting accomplishments.