Civilization/Nation/GroupPre-Islamic Arabian World_ Time Period630s C.E.__
E
Economic: · Mecca (region along the Red Sea) was founded by Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe-members controlled economy · Wealth of Mecca was increased because they were the site of the Ka’ba- fearful of assault by rival groups merchants and Bedouins came to Mecca to trade · Traded date palms · Harsh desert Arabian environment-struggle for survival relied on teamwork from the kin. To be cut off from the kin was terminal
S
Social: · Far south-extensive agriculture, large cities, regional kingdoms · Camel nomads (tribes and clans) were dominant · Bedouin herders lived in kin-related clan groups in mobile tent encampments · Shaykhs-leaders of tribes and clans- were always with men with large herds, several wives, many children, and many retainers · Beneath warriors were slave families · Farmers and town people established small communities in the western and southern parts · Women enjoyed freedom and higher status in pre-Islamic Arabia than those in in civilized centers like Byzantine and Sasanian empires · Women milked camels, wove cloth · Men and women allowed to have multiple marriage partners, despite that they weren’t equal in rights
P
Political: · Shaykhs’ dictates enforced by free warrior bands · Members of the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe dominated politics · Merchant elites
I
Interactions: · Safety of trade routes that towns depended on was in hands of the nomadic tribes · If one warrior of a clan found those from a different clan taking water, they most likely killed them=wars resulted of clans encroaching on pasture areas of other clans · Hard fought battles/bloody concerns · Transcontinental trading system- Mediterranean to east Asia
R
Religion: · Ka’ba located in Mecca= respected religious shrine in pre-Islamic Arabia · Animism and polytheism · Quraysh recognized a god named Allah, but concentrated on spirits related to their daily lives · Spirits and Gods were associated with the night time
I
Cultural & Intellectual: · Bedouin (nomadic) cultures grew over the centuries based on camel and goat herding in the uninhabitable desert zones · One’s honor depended on respect for one’s clan · Women did not wear veils · Women wrote poems that were focus of the Bedouin cultural life · Men practiced “polygamy” · Main focus of cultural creativity was poetry
T
Technology and demographic changes: · Most towns were established by an oasis, for example Medina, or the city of the prophet of Muhammad · Wells and springs to make agriculture possible
Time Period630s C.E.__
· Mecca (region along the Red Sea) was founded by Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe-members controlled economy
· Wealth of Mecca was increased because they were the site of the Ka’ba- fearful of assault by rival groups merchants and Bedouins came to Mecca to trade
· Traded date palms
· Harsh desert Arabian environment-struggle for survival relied on teamwork from the kin. To be cut off from the kin was terminal
· Far south-extensive agriculture, large cities, regional kingdoms
· Camel nomads (tribes and clans) were dominant
· Bedouin herders lived in kin-related clan groups in mobile tent encampments
· Shaykhs-leaders of tribes and clans- were always with men with large herds, several wives, many children, and many retainers
· Beneath warriors were slave families
· Farmers and town people established small communities in the western and southern parts
· Women enjoyed freedom and higher status in pre-Islamic Arabia than those in in civilized centers like Byzantine and Sasanian empires
· Women milked camels, wove cloth
· Men and women allowed to have multiple marriage partners, despite that they weren’t equal in rights
· Shaykhs’ dictates enforced by free warrior bands
· Members of the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe dominated politics
· Merchant elites
· Safety of trade routes that towns depended on was in hands of the nomadic tribes
· If one warrior of a clan found those from a different clan taking water, they most likely killed them=wars resulted of clans encroaching on pasture areas of other clans
· Hard fought battles/bloody concerns
· Transcontinental trading system- Mediterranean to east Asia
· Ka’ba located in Mecca= respected religious shrine in pre-Islamic Arabia
· Animism and polytheism
· Quraysh recognized a god named Allah, but concentrated on spirits related to their daily lives
· Spirits and Gods were associated with the night time
· Bedouin (nomadic) cultures grew over the centuries based on camel and goat herding in the uninhabitable desert zones
· One’s honor depended on respect for one’s clan
· Women did not wear veils
· Women wrote poems that were focus of the Bedouin cultural life
· Men practiced “polygamy”
· Main focus of cultural creativity was poetry
· Most towns were established by an oasis, for example Medina, or the city of the prophet of Muhammad
· Wells and springs to make agriculture possible