Islam and Women Harem Women

Compare and contrast the Indian ocean (Swahili city-states), trans-Saharan (Sudanic states), and silk road trade routes.
III. Kingdoms of the Grasslands A. Introduction 1. Three coasts – Atlantic, Indian, savanna on edge of Sahara 2. Edge of desert 1. Gold found 2. Camels improved trade a. Sahel – grassland belt – best place to live – centers of trade 3. African states emerge as trade intermediaries 4. Location makes them open to droughts and attack 5. 10th century Ghana rose to power through taxing salt, gold exchange
B. Sudanic States
b. juula – traders
IV. The Swahili Coast of East Africa
3. Adjustment a. Women 1. Many societies matrilineal a. But…Sharia…Islamic law says it must be patrilineal b. Many visitors shocked at African women’s equality 2. Impact of slavery – 4.8 > 7 million traded a. Always existed, Muslims brought it to new heights 1. Muslims saw slavery as process in conversion
b. Used as servants, laborers, soldiers, administrators, eunuchs, concubines 1. Led to desire to enslave women and children 2. Children of slave mothers freed a. Need for more slaves

B. The Coastal Trading Port 1. Founding – Bantu people from 1st century to 10th century a. Even Indonesia and Malay in 2nd century- bananas/coconuts on Madagascar b. Fishers, farmers made rough pottery & iron 2. 13th century – urbanized trading ports – at least 30 port towns a. Shared Swahili language b. Contained mosques, tombs, palaces cut of stone and coral c. Exported ivory, gold, iron, slaves, exotic animals d. Imported silks – Persia, porcelain – China e. Sofala – beautiful coastal city, gold access, furthers south to catch monsoon 1. Riding the monsoon season key to trading in Indian Ocean] f. link to coastal commerce and caravan trade g. Chinese sailing expeditions – 1417 > 1431 – big boats – National Geographic

V. Peoples of the Forest and Plains
1. Nigeria, Nok a. Terra cotta/bronze realistic/stylized art 1. portrait heads of rulers b. Long gap in history
2. Yoruba a. Agricultural society led by ruling family/aristocracy b. City Ile-Ife c. Spoke non-Bantu language d. Small city-states, regional kings e. Urbanized nature similar to city-states of Italy/Germany 3. Benin – Edo peoples a. Ivory/bronze art – sculptures 1. Some even included Portugese soldiers b. Ruler in large royal compound
1. Kongo a. Art – weaving, pottery, blacksmithing b. Sharp division of labor 2. Farther east – Bantu confederation – built royal courts of stone a. zimbabwes – stone houses – Great Zimbabwe most famous 1. Some even believed Phoenicians – prejudices b. Mwene Mutapa 1. Controlled gold, glass beads, porcelain trade 2. Iron weapons

Compare and contrast the Abbasid and Umayyad dynasties in terms of religion, politics and the military.
VII. The Umayyad Imperium A. Moves East and West
2. Dhimmi – “People of the Book” – basically everyone else in the empire who believed in another religion other than Islam
a. Muslim lords tolerated other religions…yeayyy taxes
A. Umayyad caliph’s growing addiction to luxury and soft living – see Saddam Hussein in Dictionary 1. Stopped fighting wars, built palaces – revolts start around empire
A. Abbasids less tolerant of Shi’ism sects
B. Pushed for centralized, absolutist imperial order
1. Appointed a wazir – chief administrator – guy in charge of getting stuff done 2. Royal executioner – guy in charge of getting bloody stuff done 3. Able to collect revenue from far corners of empire, though further away harder

Compare and contrast the spread of Islam to Sub-Saharan Africa with its spread to Southeast Asia.
1. Indian Ocean coast – center for Islamic influence a. string of Islamicized trading cities – why? 1. universal set of ethics 2. maritime contacts easier 2. Compromise between indigenous ways and new faith
Mixture of Cultures – Islam fused with local religions – not entirely accepted
. Islam served many groups a. Common religion/law united b. Trust to merchants c. leaders took names emir/caliph to reinforce authority d. as advisors/scribes – Muslims helped with administration e. maintained theocracy – spiritual and political leader f. with new states came increased social differences
1. Merchants, mystics, warriors 2. Empire expanded a. Africa, Asia, southern Europe b. Across steppes to central Asia, western China, south Asia c. Across ocean trade routes to southeast Asia and eastern Africa d. Across overland trade routes, Sahara to western Africa e. Across Asia Minor and into European heartland – rivals Christianity

Compare and contrast the status of women in Islam during the pro-Islamic period and Abbasid Empire.
1. Women greater freedom…varied from tribe to tribe a. Key economic roles – milking camel, weaving cloth, raising children b. Unlike Persian neighbors – not covered or secluded c. wrote poetry d. Able to have multiple partners e. Lineage matrilineal

The Declining Position of Women in the Family and Society
Remember Islamic world initially quite open to egalitarian treatment of women
Harem – women kept in seclusion creation of Abbasid court win their freedom/gain power by bearing healthy sons some women became slaves
But…slaves captured, purchased from non-Muslim regions prized for beauty and intelligence best educated men and women officials more attracted to slaves then wives sometimes more freedom than free women – no veils/robes