1st Byzantine Emperor 312-327

Converted to Christianity before death

Established residence at former Byzantium

Last emperor of east and west Roman Empire

Ruled 379-395

Made Christianity the offical religion of Roman Empire

Byzantine Emperor 527-565

Written Law Code - Corpus Juris Civilis

Building Program - Hagia Sophia

Reunification of Eastern Empire

Byzantine Emperor 610-645

First emperor to engage Muslims under Muhammad

Defeated Khusrau II at Nineveh

325

Established Holy Trinity

First effort to attain concensus of church beliefs

431

Condemns Nestorianism

451

Church takes official position of dyophysitism 

Living a reclusive hermetic lifestyle in order to attain immortality in the eyes of god

Stems from the spirit of "Desert Theology"

Lived atop a pillar in Aleppo for over 25 years 

Ascetic 

to 1268 CE

Ethiopian kingdom

Queen of Sheba

Intricate death stelae

558-330 BC

Conquered by Alexander - would become Seleucid and Ptolemic empires

Founded by Cyrus the Great 

Massive road works throughout SE Asia and Egypt

531-579

Sasanian empire reached it's cultural height under his rule

Built great place at Ctesiphon - largest standing brick vault

King of Kings

Refers to Khusrau I 

Iranian plateau religion

Based on a duality between light and dark

Also Ormazd

Good spirit in Zoroastrianism

Arabian tribe near Byzantine empire

Hired by Byzantines to help protect empire borders in Arabia

"ignorace of divine guidance"

refers to Arabian peninsula before Muhammad and Quran

Powerful city controlled by Quraysh clan

Heavily involved in trade between SE Asia/Africa

Wealthy merchant clan in Mecca

Some political influence over other tribes

Wealthy merchant woman in Mecca

First wife of Muhammad

One of Muhammad's first followers 

1. all spoke Arabic

2. No unifying political power, some tribes were wealthier/stronger than others

3. Polytheistic - desert shrines were neutral zones

4. Oral traditions and poetry

5. Semi-nomadic pastoralists

Ali ibn Abi Talib

Cousin and son-in-law to Muhammad

Start of the Alid line

Last of the Rashidun Caliphs (656-660)

Accepted surrender of Muawiya - rejected by Kharijites 

First Rashidun caliph (632-634)

Father-in-law of Muhammad

"Amir al-muminin" - commander of the faithful

Reclaims ridda tribes of Arabian peninsula 

Muhammad's journey to Medina in 622

Became start of Islamic calendar 

Third Rashidun Caliph

First caliph from Umayyad Clan (part of Quraysh)

Expands empire west to Spain, east to Iran and Afghan.

1. Consolidates Power in Medina 

2. Overcomes Quraysh opposition

3. Persuades surrounding nomads to join him

Rashidun caliphs

Definition and List

"Rightly/Divinely Guided" 632-660

1.Abu Bakr

2. Umar

3. Uthman

4. Ali 

1. Conquered Byzantine Syria 636-640

2. Conquered Egypt by treaty 640

3. Conquered Iran and Iraq 637-642

1.amsar - garrison towns built near existing conquered cities

2. Placed new governors in conquests but kept most legal/gov't processes the same

3. land raids were taxed - created state revene

4. taxation of non-Arabs with protection from persecution - need to be "peoples of the book"

5. land tax and head tax

"apostasy" literally turning back

Refers to Abu Bakr reclaiming Arabian peninsula

"temptation/civil strife"

Refers to 1st and 2nd civil war

First Civil War 

Parties and Figures

Motives

1. Umayyads (Mu'awiya) - death of Uthman

2. Meccans (Aisha and Zubayr) - left out of expansion

3. Hashim (Ali) - representation of underprivileged 

Mu'awiya v. Aisha and Ali

656

Ali successful, established as caliph

Mu'awiya v. Ali

657

Mu'awiya surrunders

Kharijites object to "weakness" of Ali for letting Mu'awiya surrender 

636

Breaks Byzamtine Syria