Section 2: Building a Muslim Empire
Muslims faced a problem when Muhammad died because he had not named a successor to lead the community. Eventually it was agreed that his father in law, Abu Bakr, would be the first caliph. Under the first four caliphs the untied Arabs conquered great portions of the Byzantine empire and defeated the Persians completely. When Muhammad died, Muslims disagreed about who should be chosen to be the leader of the community. They split into 3 different groups, the Sunnis, Shiites, and Sufis. After the Shiite's ruler Ali died, a powerful Meccan clan set up the Umayyad caliphate, a dynasty of Sunni caliphs that ruled the Muslim empire until 750. They directed conquests that extended Arab rule from Spain and Morocco in the west to the Indus River Valley in the east. They treated the people they conquered fairy. The Umayyads faced numerous problems. The caliphs ruled like tribe leaders instead of kings. The economy went bad. There was also unrest among non-Arab converts to Islam, who had fewer rights than Arabs. Discontented muslims found a new leader, Abu al-Abbas that founded the Abbasid dynasty which lasted until 1258. The new empire was based on the equality of all Muslims. The surviving member of the Umayyad family had fled to Spain and established an independent Muslim state. Muslim rule endured in parts of Spain until 1492. Starting about 850, the Abbasids control over the Muslim empire fragmented. In the 900s, Seljuk Turks migrated to the Middle East from Central Asia. They adopted Islam and built a large empire across the fertile crescent. As they pushed into Asia Minor, they threatened the Byzantine Empire. Mongols swept across Central Asia, looting and burn in Baghdad. Killing the last Abbasid Caliph. And overrunning Southwest Asia.