Homework As to tonight’s homework– you should have received a copy of The Spread of Islam in class today. Please read the article carefully, and then respond in comments to the following discussion points. Remember, the usual commenting policy applies– one good comment which addresses the prompts fully can receive a maximum grade of 95%, while one good comment PLUS a response to a classmate’s comment is eligible for a full 100% of credit on the assignment. Please provide specific examples from the text when possible to support your position.
Your discussion prompts are as follow: Based on your readings and our discussions in class today, what factors led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries? What made Islam attractive to people in sub-Saharan Africa? In India? Central Asia? Southeast Asia? How did Islam change as it moved into new regions? Do you think these transformations– and those which took place during the diffusion of Buddhism and Christianity– are beneficial to religions, or harmful? Justify your answer with evidence from your readings.
117 Comments
Grace Babcock
2/3/2017 07:45:15 am
Trade, conquest, and missionary activity led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries. Cultural contacts and Muslim force and persuasion caused Islam to spread to areas in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Islam attracted people in sub-Saharan Africa due to the trade established between Muslims and Africans. Islam provided cultural unity for the upper class along the East African coast- high social status. Islam attracted people in India due to the promise of spiritual equality rather than the Hindu ideas of successive reincarnations. The militancy of Islam inspired a mix of Hindu and Muslim principles to form, and Islam actually increased loyalty to Hinduism. Islam attracted people in SE Asia due to the integration with the coastal populations, and trading. Islam added to the mixed, creative culture already existing in SE Asia. Islam attracted people in Central Asia due to the devotion to horsemanship and the high status for women It provided. Islamic force and persuasion created contact between Central Asia and the Middle East. Islam changed as it spread to each region, merging with the already existing cultures in each region. Each world region created rules that applied to Islamic principles. I think the changes are not beneficial to religions, because a forced idea/religion completely overtakes a religion, changing its beliefs and ideas. This is how a religion can be completely wiped out or dissipated in a region. This is explained in the article when it states, "Social relations were governed by pre-Islamic law, and religious law was applied to very specific types of exchanges" (55).
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Bahaar Esfahani
2/3/2017 09:21:05 am
Grace, I completely agree that these changed are harmful to religions, but I don't believe it can be so drastic as to wipe the whole religion out. These changes do, however, ruin the distinction of the religion as it begins to smush with other cultures and take characteristics from each one separately.
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Leanna McKenzie
2/4/2017 04:09:06 pm
Grace, I do believe that change to a religion is indeed harmful because it does lose its sense of uniqueness but I don't believe that it would entirely wipe out the religion. For example, in Christianity women were not allowed to even speak in church but as time has changed and ideas were adopted women were even granted the right to become pastors and preach; this promotes gender equality that was not always present in the religion. So change is indeed bad in some cases but in others, it provides the religion and its believers to grow and become a better version of itself and attract others to its ideals and new philosophies.
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MC Toth
2/5/2017 11:35:41 am
Grace, I really like your opinion on how transformations in religions are harmful. I agree with you and how harmful deculturalization can be, and how it can completely overtake and wipe out smaller ethnic groups and practices.
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Cindy Bishop
2/5/2017 02:46:25 pm
Grace i completely agree with you that the reasons for the spread of islam, were trade, expansion and missionary activity. I also agree with you that religions can be harmful due to the forced ideas on t other groups of people. Also i agree with your idea that the spread and force of one religion on to another group of people can cause the changing in beliefs for other people as well as wipe out other smaller already existing religions that had originally been in the area.
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Bahaar Esfahani
2/3/2017 09:17:39 am
By appealing to a variety of groups within different cultures regularly regarded as lower-class or with peasant status, but also presenting an impressive doctrine to higher-class abd elite groups, Islam maximized its pool of possible converters.
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Maggie Huff
2/3/2017 07:49:02 pm
Bahaar I really like your opinion on if transformations in religions are beneficial or harmful. You brought up ideas that didn't even cross my mind, but I do agree with them. Specifically I agree with your point on how lines can become blurred regarding different religions and cultures.
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Leda Catak
2/5/2017 01:22:15 pm
Bahaar, I first of all like how you organized your paragraphs into small chunks - it's more pellucid to comprehend what your point is. I agree with your view on how it could be beneficial to a religion and how more areas could be more susceptible to contact and show acceptance to the religion, However, I wanted to see more details as to why you think it could "blur the lines" of a distinctive religion. It's an interesting thought process, I just want to know more.
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Steven Robinson
2/6/2017 05:19:57 pm
I really like your idea on how the areas would become susceptible to contact with religion. Once these ideas were out there all it took was one missionary, merchant, etc. for the whole town to convert.
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esteban alarcon
2/8/2017 10:58:50 am
Bahaar, I acknowledge and admire your perspective on the Islamic impact on other religions. Your opinion of "acceptance" poses the idea of harmony of religions. Though there was conflict, there were also beneficial impacts Islam had among other religions and civilizations.
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Chayce walker
2/3/2017 12:20:44 pm
The spread of Islam was mostly due to many Islamic countries trading with other countries and through conquest. This helped spread the religion through most of both Europe and Northern-Southern Africa. The Spread of Islam through Asian countries was mainly due to the relationship between the mongols and Islamic caravans. Finally, Islam began to spread rapidly to many poor and lower class people, as it emphasizes charity and giving to those in need.
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Zayed Makboul
2/5/2017 12:23:24 pm
I completely agree with you on the 2nd prompt. Islam began adapting to appeal to the people and gain more followers but it did not lose its main principles which made it so appealing in the first place.
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Madeline Toombs
2/5/2017 08:26:55 pm
I completely agree with you saying the changes are beneficial. I think the changes in Islam made the religion more attractive to a wider mass of people. The principle beliefs of Islam didn't completely change but the practices sort of evolved and meshed to fit different cultures.
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Nathaniel kem
2/6/2017 05:08:10 am
I do agree with most of your points chayce, but I feel that your point on Islam's spread was more rapid than you suggest. Islam easily integrated among many societies not associated with a universal religion, but mostly had a positive measure among Hindu and budhidsim religions. It is true that Christian and Islam interactions lead to the crusades...but this negative interactions was hardly seen across other parts of the Muslim world.
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Maggie Huff
2/3/2017 07:38:01 pm
The factors that led to the rapid spread of Islam were military conquest and the trade routes throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. Islam was a tolerant religion that did not force conversions on others, however it did defend itself in the form of jihads. During these wars the Muslim armies proved to be extremely powerful, and other people began to convert in awe of what they either witnessed, or heard about. Merchants also played a major role in the spread of the religion. Because they praised Islam as they traveled up on down the trade networks, they shared their beliefs with the people they encountered on the road, and in the different cities they visited.
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Priyanka Patel
2/4/2017 12:01:29 pm
I agree on how transformations can be both good and bad. They can practically lead to a whole different set of values in one area which is not surrounded around by the initial values. This would lead to some people being under the influence of practically a religion that is somewhat wrong because the core values have changed.
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Grace Babcock
2/5/2017 10:49:26 am
Maggie, I like how you brought up the fact that it was difficult to spread Islam to India, because of their Hindu beliefs. Even though Islam did not appeal to all countries at the time, it still managed to spread throughout them through a variety of factors. I agree with your statement about how a religion can gain more followers through transformations, but those new followers lose their original beliefs.
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Rebecca Shaffer
2/5/2017 04:27:09 pm
Maggie, I agree that transformations can be beneficial to a point. Like you mentioned the point where the religion starts changing itself to appeal to people, is when compromise has gone too far. It's like hypocrisy, if one says we don't do that, yet they do it, there is no coming back from that saying it's wrong.
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Adeline Harris
2/5/2017 06:12:28 pm
Maggie, I really appreciate the format of your comment. The way you spaced out your paragraphs allowed your ideas to flow and made it easier to read. You made many different points that I completely agre with. For example, transformations being good to an extent. In a way, this is true with anything because there is always some bad with the good! Also, I liked that you emphasized the fact that they did not force conversion onto people. The spread of Islam happened by chance or on its own merit, I should say.
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Priyanka Patel
2/4/2017 11:57:09 am
Some factors that led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries were trade routes and military conquests. Islam was a religion that had to defend itself from war, using Muslim armies.This had led to people seeing how powerful and strong this religion is which caused people to convert in respect of how powerful the religion really was. Trade routes had also caused people to convert to Islam because while trading was occurring in a territory populated with Muslims, merchants started to gain knowledge about the religion. Many merchants then decided to convert due to the influence of Islam that had been surrounding them. Another factor is missionaries because certain people were targeted, such as the lower class or the elite, which had led people to seeing the benefits of the religion, leading to people to convert.
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Fatema Momin
2/4/2017 02:49:11 pm
Based on The Spread of Islam reading, I think the major factors that led to the rapid expansion of Islam in the 7th and 15th centuries is the trading, military conquest and missionary activity through Africa, southern Asia, and southeastern Europe. Islam spread so quickly because people were learning about it from trading and missionary activity (46). Islam was attractive to people because Muslims did not force people to convert to the religion, but if someone was hurting their religion they would have holy wars which were called, Jihads, to protect their faith and religion which was very interesting to the people. Islam really attracted the lower class people because of the commitment to charity and spiritual equality to all.
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Kaniz Momin
2/5/2017 08:52:04 pm
Fatema, I agree how you mentioned the way Muslims also adopted mathematics and and science in order for them to help spread Islam. With you support on your evidence I can agree with you completely on how it helps Islam with their flaws in order to lure more people into the religion.
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Leanna McKenzie
2/4/2017 04:01:03 pm
The spread of Islam between the 7th century and the 15th century was because of military conquests but rather than forcing the conquered to convert to Islam, they had a levy tax on minority communities. It also spread rapidly because the merchants learned of it during their trade journeys as well as people adopting the Arabian language and with it, Islam.
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Patrick Wright
2/4/2017 05:07:28 pm
I completely agree that this diffusion of Islam hurt established religions by diluting the culture but I also feel that the melding of cultures as you mentioned caused some conflicts with traditionalists.
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Rachel Kudina
2/4/2017 04:41:03 pm
Some of the factors that led to the expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries are military conquests, through trade, and cultural diffusion. The Sub Saharans were attracted to Islam because it offered higher social status, Central Asia liked Islam because it didn't contradict with their already established culture. India like Islam because it promised spiritual equality and Islam attracted Southwest Asia because of the social relations allowed by the government. Islam changed as it moved into new regions because not only was it beneficial to anyone no matter what social rank, it also helped improve trade and because of their vast writing skills Muslims were hired to work as bureaucrats. I think it possibly could have been beneficial to Buddhism because they both share similar peaceful aspects, but not Christianity because as Islam continued to spread rapidly, fear and hatred grew in Christian Europe, causing them to become rivals and led to Europe trying to win back the Holy Land from the Muslims.
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Patrick Wright
2/4/2017 04:54:13 pm
From the 7th century CE to the 15th Century CE, the Middle Eastern world flourished as Islam began to take shape and spread to its many contacts around the globe. The rapid spread of this emerging religion occurred for multiple reasons, including Muslim conquests, the Jihad tax, far-reaching trade, and missionary expansion into other countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, Islam was adopted by the elite and royalty because of the interaction with trading partners from other powerful Islamic nations. The religion in Africa also led to the organization of civilizations, including the establishment of a social hierarchy and more advanced technology due to trade. In India, Islam spread by means of military conquest and the imposition of the Jihad tax onto non-Muslim minorities (46). Central Asia was influenced by Islam through trade routes like the Silk Road and forceful invasions. Islam was focused in pockets around large trade-hubs throughout the region. The religion was appealing to central-Asians because previous religious beliefs focused heavily on patriarchy and the importance of women was immensely diminished, but Islam brought an improved status of women and helpful guidelines to get to heaven as well. In Southeast Asia the religion did not arrive until much later than the land connected countries. It was spread by merchants that established connections with coastal towns and their elite who adopted Islam (54).
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Hope Kutsche
2/5/2017 08:23:40 am
Patrick,
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Abir Ghallab
2/5/2017 02:26:38 pm
Patrick, I completely agree with you on how the transformation of Islam can lessen the other religions beliefs, which is seen as a negative impact. Besides some of the larger religions, the more compact and ethnic ones are more susceptible to a loss in culture and beliefs as not many people still exist to keep the religion growing and they are easily wiped out.
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Hank Nolan
2/5/2017 06:15:33 pm
I definitely agree with you on how they really payed more attention to giving weom more equality and a higher since of status. I also agree that new technoligies came about because of their vast amount of trade on the silk Road. I can also say that your point about Islam scaring established religions like christianity and Islam is a great point and definitely true.
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Andrew Prather
2/6/2017 03:44:05 am
Patrick, I enjoyed reading your response and believe you did a good job explaining your points, and then backing them up with evidence from the article. I agree with your standing on whether diffusion and cultural change to a religion can be beneficial or harmful to the religion and others. I think that because Islam did denounce those minority religious groups it was harmful to those religions.
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Aubrey Stewart
2/4/2017 06:44:36 pm
Factorsthat led to the spread of Islam would be trade,missionary activity,and conquest. People begin to convert to Islam " simply because of its manifest power and triumph"(46). The merchant also played a huge role in spreading the religion because of the trade trips that they would go on for long periods of time, they would be spread the word of Islam.The Sufi played a vital role in the spread of Islam, " Sufi leaders sought to spread beliefs of Islam to new regions"(46).
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Hope Kutsche
2/5/2017 08:17:24 am
Many factors led to the expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries. Trade routes connecting areas with many Muslims and other places in the world helped spread Islam. The religion also appealed to many people that Muslim traders came in contact with. The ideas in Islam appealed to lower classes for some reasons but also to the elites or other reasons, and thus Islam spread wherever Muslims went.
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Courtney M
2/5/2017 08:12:17 pm
I agree that the religions need to be adaptable especially if they want to become a universalizing religion. I think this is still true of religions today. We need to be able to adapt in today's changing society. Your response was very well written by the way.
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MC Toth
2/5/2017 11:32:13 am
From 600-1400CE, the factors that led to the rapid spread of Islam were military conquest, trade routes throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe, and missionary activity. Islam was a tolerant religion so they didn’t force conversions on others, but gained followers as the Muslim armies were viewed as strong and compelling. People began to convert to Islam because of what they either witnessed or heard about the Muslim military.
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Zayed Makboul
2/5/2017 12:18:52 pm
The main factors that led to the rapid expansion of Islam were military conquest, the interactions between traders and the work of missionaries who spread the idea of Islam through tho globe.
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Abigail Spence
2/5/2017 01:12:49 pm
I completely agree with your idea that the merging of culture and religion can be a positive thing when it comes to the spread of scientific and mathematical ideas back to the origin of Islam. This is the benefit of merge on innovation while on the actual religion I would think it would be a negative. The religion itself and it's first followers would want to preserver its beliefs. This changes could be a positive for specific groups of people, but for preservation it is a negative.
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Abigail Spence
2/5/2017 12:58:17 pm
Islam had a rapid expansion over a large area from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa, Asia and Europe. The reason for this expansion includes military conquest, trade, and even missionary work. it was first spread to the Arabs; "This growth helped galvanize Arabs to a surge of conquest, and armies quickly spread through the Middle East" and to other areas. There was also the fact that people were draw to Islam because of it's beliefs which didn't really require force which Muslims rarely did. In all these regions, they also had a unique reason why Islam was attractive to them. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Islam would be attractive, because of benefits such as trade with Muslim North Africa and political influence. In Ghana, "the trade was vital to Ghana for tax revenues and supply of horses" (51) as well as "hiring Arab Muslims to keep records, because they had writing and bureaucratic experience." (51) In India, "Islam specifically attracted warriors and also people from the lowest castes, drawn by the promise of spiritual equality rather than the Hindu ideas of successive reincarnations" (54). Central Asia on the other hand was remote with no religious competition to compete with Islam. "Islam was the first outside religion to penetrate the region" (52). What was attractive about it was that it was new, but it didn't complete change the Chinese culture as it did others. Lastly in Southeast Asia, "Islam appealed to inland people was a way of integrating with the coastal populations in a period of expanding culture"(54).
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Leda Catak
2/5/2017 01:18:21 pm
Throughout the article, there are specific factors that are discussed as far as the causes of the spread of Islam. For example, military conquest is discussed several times and most of the explanations refer back to this. In this case, this has to do with Islam spreading to other cultures.
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Anthony Rodriguez
2/5/2017 01:38:58 pm
Based on the reading, the major factors that led to the spread of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries were missionary activity, conquest and trade. "But the success of Muslim armies could create a context in which other people found it prudent to convert, or in which they were attracted to the religion simply because of its manifest power and triumph" (46). Islam was attracting people in Sub-Saharan Africa because trade developed quickly here, which then caused Islam to spread rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa. "Trade with Muslim North Africa developed quickly, across the Sahara Desert by camel and horseback" (51). In India, Hinduism already dominated most of the population at the time. Islam and Hinduism were exchanging their principles together, making it favorable to this region. "Muslim religious leaders also adopted to the cultural setting, using Hindu stories but with Muslim characters and building shrines on the sites of Hindu temples..." (54). In Central Asia, people found Islam's equality very fascinating to both male and female. "Islam did not totally alter the established cultures... and a relatively high status for women" (52). In Southeast Asia, Islam allowed women to keep a high status and "a stronger position" (55). Also, Islam attracted inland people by making them think Islam was "a way of integrating with the coastal populations, in a period of expanding trade" (54).
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Rachel Panettiere
2/5/2017 07:35:40 pm
I agree with your idea that Islam fusing with other cultures to create more diversity in the region was mostly beneficial to the religion. These type cultural and religious integrations are the reasons why regions gain more evolved and complex belief systems.
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Giancarlo Davila
2/6/2017 08:37:31 pm
I totally agree with you Anthony. Though it was benificial to Islam itself, Christianity and Judaism had actually fallen due to the rise of Islam. Islam combined both ideas and have since appealed to more people casuing the both religions to lose followers and convert to Islam.
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Abir Ghallab
2/5/2017 02:22:08 pm
The factors that led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries were the results of "conquests, far-reaching trade, and, increasingly, missionary activity" (46). There were two main ways involving in spreading the religion and they were military conquests and "spontaneous conversions as people learned of it through trade [routes throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe] and missionary activity"(46). The religion rarely forced conversion and it was attractive for several reasons including "explicit set of beliefs about what to do and what not to do in order to win access to heaven..." (46). The religion appealed to lower-classes because of the dedication towards charity and equality in an spiritual manner.
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Joanna Shephard
2/5/2017 06:01:00 pm
I completely agree with your idea that there are good and bad parts of merging belief systems. Though something old has to be lost for something to change in many cases. While it is sad that some tradition is lost it is necessary for religions such as Hinduism Christianity and Buddhism to globalize. If they were so rigid that they could not combine with indigenous cultures they would not be as accepted as they were and continue to be.
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Jacob Tutterow
2/5/2017 09:49:26 pm
I like your way of explaining the way cultural diffusion can be a good and bad thing, as I am a big believer that nothing is either black or white. Though, your mention of the loss of culture in smaller places being a bad thing, I don't necessarily think is a bad thing. Some cultures, be they small or large, are naturally predisposed to being taken over. Weak unity, poor structure, whatever the cause may be. Using the analogy of Darwin's natural selection, it can be a way for the 'better' culture to break through. This is a very shaky thing, though, as what is 'better' is very subjective, but if we use an extreme example, I think you will see my point:
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Cindy Bishop
2/5/2017 02:41:01 pm
The factors that led to the rapid expansion were a lot but mostly focuses on the military conquests, trade and also increase in missionary activity. These were the causes for the rapid expansion of the Islam religion. In sub-Saharan Africa the religion was increasingly popular due to the trade. Muslims played an important role in the kingdom of Ghana due to the fact that the Ghana kings hired Arab Muslims to keep the records for the tax revenue. Also it had a major take off when the king of Mali, Mansa Musa was Muslim and did everything that was required of him including the pilgrimage to mecca. Mansa Musas conversion made the religion more popular with in the area of Sub-Saharan Africa.The religion was more attractive to the people of india because of the Muslim ruling class in India. Also it was more attractive to those of the lower caste systems due to the equality given in the religion rather than the lack of equality given in other religions, like Hinduism. The spread of Islam was rather attractive to people in Central Asia due to the force and persuasion of the conquests that happened in the areas. Islam was appealing in Southeast Asia because it mixed with their cultures and was spread through the trading between other areas of the world. Islam changed as it moved into different regions by adapting the culture of the area and adding the religion to it as well. The major transformations of the religion were harmful to those of the certain type of religion like Christianity, almost forcing the change of religion to a different type like islam.
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Taylor Gerald
2/5/2017 03:00:14 pm
I agree with your points on why Islam was attractive in Sub-Saharan Africa. I liked the point you made about Mansa Musa's influence on the people of Sub-Saharan Africa. I didn't even think about that one whilst answering the prompt.
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Maryury Deloyai
2/5/2017 06:23:06 pm
I agree that the transformations were harmful because of the forcing to learn and believe in the religion. It felt wrong to the people who were forced to learn about a new religion while they already had their mindset in their original religion.
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Taylor Gerald
2/5/2017 02:54:42 pm
The factors that lead to Islam's rapid expansion were military conquest, trade, and missionary activity (46). Islam was attractive in Sub-Saharan Africa because it represented a "high social status" (51). The religion was also useful for trade (51). Islam was attractive in India because it promised "spiritual equality" (54). People of the lower caste found this appealing because it was easier than multiple caste reincarnations that Hinduism promised. Islam was attractive in Central Asia because it was the first religion to "penetrate the region in a systematic fashion" (52). Lastly, Islam was attractive to Southeastern Asia because it integrated inland peoples and coastal peoples to expand trade (54).
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Reed Walker
2/5/2017 03:11:39 pm
I really loved the example you chose about McDonald's with change of religion through different regions. That is absolutely right like having lamb burgers in the middle East.
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Chayce walker
2/5/2017 08:41:33 pm
I agree with you about your ideas of how Islam adapted to newer regions. I too believe that as it spread to other countries and continents it picked up and adopted lutte parts of the native culture. I also agree that the expansion and slight changes to Islam were beneficial for the religion as a while.
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Kes McGuire
2/5/2017 02:56:41 pm
Three things led to the expansion of Islam: trade, missionary work, and military conquest.
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Reed Walker
2/5/2017 03:05:32 pm
The expansion and diffusion of the Muslim front in the 7th to 15th century , was due to missionary activity , extension of trade, and major military conquests . Before the 7th century this was not present in other civilizations. This allowed for the conversion of civilians at the low-end of their hierarchical societies to convert to Islam .This new religion to many societies was unique and was something that was unique and not as threatening as seen in other conquests for religion. Trade was the largest reason Islam was most sought after in Sub-Saharan Africa. Item in the Middle East such as spices were wanted in Africa . For example Mansa Musa, a ruler of the African Kingdom of Mali , converted to Islam and reaped the benefits of trade. Additionally the wealthy elites of the Sub-Saharan kingdoms were attracted to Islam. This was mainly due to trade and created an uptake of culture. As stated previously Islam diffused greatly in India because it allowed the untouchables and warriors to have equality in their religion in life. This caused conflict and blends , like Sikhism, a mixture of both . In South East Asia Islam interactions were mostly along the coast through trade networks . Additionally Sufis traveled inland to practice teachings to the local people. In Central Asia military force and persuasion was predominant . For example the Mongols turned the tide in Muslim conversion. Islam changed in different regions in the adaptations of each culture and ethnic group. Each specific group changed some of the principles as well creating region specific Islam. Those are the major points of the change. Islam was very negative to other religions . It caused conflicts and deterred practice of Christianity and Buddhism through persuasion as well.
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Andrew Prather
2/5/2017 03:14:00 pm
From the reading passage, 'Spread of Islam" two major factors can explain the rapid expansion of Islam between 7th and 15th century. The first being military conquest, although jihad did not directly impose forced conversion among the people it conquered, converters often made the conversion due to the religion being so large and victorious. Another factor is the collapse of other empires like Rome. For example, after the fall of Rome many cities and groups of people were left as a confusion of different religions, which Muhammad sought to organize and bring together. In sub-Saharan Africa, Islam was attractive to people because of its loose central government. In the middle east, it was attractive because its location in relation to the religions hearth. Because Asia and India are connected to trade routes through the Middle East, the religion spread along these trade routes. As Islam spread to new regions, each region adapted differently, some talking on every aspect of Islam, some adopting other cultural characteristics. I think that these changes of religion can be beneficial or detrimental based off the religion itself. For example, Christianity has many different denominations around the central belief. There is no conflict and many are practiced worldwide. But for Islam however, the Sunni and Shia groups have been in conflict for centuries. So this change and differentiation between the two are ultimately detrimental to the religion itself.
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Dian Hassan
2/5/2017 04:15:32 pm
The factors that lead to the massive expansion of islam were trading and military conquest across Asia, Africa, and Europe. The factors that drew the sub-saharans to islam was the extensive trade relations they had with muslims from the middle east. The nobles and higher class would convert to islam, while the rest of society would follow eventually. It attracted to people in India due to the spiritual equality it contained opposed to the very segregated and class based caste system. This was very appealing to many people not just the Indians. Islam spread in central asia due to conquest and forced conversions. Although the culture was retained in that area, pushing islam in the region allowed it to spread immensely. It spread in south east asia the way it spread in sub-saharan africa which is through trade. The merchants and nobles would convert due to the contact between muslims. Islam changes through out regions because it can mesh cultures together and influence each other, but in other places it barely effects the previously existing cultures because, "Islam did not totally alter established cultures", but it can eradicate other smaller cultures through conquest
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Rebecca Shaffer
2/5/2017 04:23:16 pm
The rapid expansion of Islam during the seventh and 15th centuries was due to trade, missionaries, and conquests. These three causes of expansion combined with force and persuasion caused Islam to spread through to Africa, Central Asia, India and Southeast Asia. Islam was attractive to people in sub-Saharan Africa due to the "muslim elite, customs such as getting a relatively permanent place to women" (51). Islam also provided "unity for upper classes all along the coast"(51). Islam is attractive to Central Asia due to how it "penetrated the region in a systematic fashion"(52). Also due to the fact of the Muslim contact that united Central Asia and the Middle East through trade. In India, Islam was attractive to the lower class people because it promised "spiritual equality rather than the the Hindu ideas of successive reincarnations" (54). In South East Asia Islam "merged with regional cultural influences"(54). Islam changed as it moves through each region. As it merged with some regions they tried to accommodate the already existing religion and it's customs. I do not believe these transformations beneficial because a religion starts to lose the original beliefs, morals and even values that they started with. Compromise is not always the better option.
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Andrew Riner
2/5/2017 04:55:21 pm
Military conquest led to the diffusion of Islam between the 7th and 15th century. Merchants later learned that the minorities taxes were levied instead of them forcing those who were captured to convert to Islam. Due to trade, merchants learned of Islam and adopted the arabic language.
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Dora Le Vang
2/5/2017 05:35:55 pm
I agree that changes in a religion can be both negative and positive. Alterations are done to attract more people into following a religion, but at the same time, changes can lead to tension between multiple groups of people, which in the end, leads to calamity and war.
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Dora Le Vang
2/5/2017 05:31:44 pm
The rapid expansion of Islam from the Arabian Peninsula, between the seventh and fifteenth centuries, was led by military conquest, trade, and the fantasy of spiritual equality amongst the lower-class people. Take Sub-Saharan Africa for an example. Islam diffused to Sub-Saharan Africa “when missionary efforts and religious wars conducted by fervent Muslims began” (51). After the fall of Ghana (ca. 1200) trade and relations with the Muslim people became quite common. It is stated that superior leaders “converted to Islam as a gesture of goodwill toward[s] the[ir] North African trading partners” (51). It is typically universal for followers to show symptoms that their iconic figurehead shows, so by leaders converting to Islam, there is an assured portion of followers that will do so as well. In the eighth century, Islam finally reached Central Asia. Overtime, conversions were done through both force and persuasion. The utopian afterlife of Islam “specifically attracted warriors and also people from the lowest castes” (54) in India. This is because the religion offers spiritual equality, a singular god, and it does not force reincarnation unlike Hinduism. In South-East Asia, Islam was appealing to the people because of the Sufis and Muslim merchants. The Sufis built schools that preached and glamorized Islam. The religion was also synchronized into their culture and society by tolerating “large remnants of animist, Hindu, and Buddhist beliefs and rituals” and allowing women to retain “a stronger position than in the Islamic Middle East” (55).
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Chesley Lucas
2/5/2017 07:13:52 pm
First of all I would like to tell you that this was a very well written response. I agree with you on most of this paper. However, I do think it would have been good if you had talked about the influence of monastic Christianity on Islam. However, your example at the end was very funny, but it had nothing to do with the prompt. I think it was a relevant example, but I think it was worth mentioning that their are radicals in every religion. I don't think that the actions of a few would contradict the entire religion, because their is corruption, bias, and hatred in lots of people, who practice lots of different religions.
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Joanna Shephard
2/5/2017 05:52:27 pm
Islam arrived in different regions in the world at different times. Egyptian merchants made their way southward along the state of Sudan spreading Islam as they went. At the same time, Swahili merchants set up trade posts along Africa’s southeastern coast. Interactions between foreign merchants and Africans changed the region's culture. The merchants brought their religion and integrated it into the indigenous culture through marriage. The upper-class had the most direct contact with the Islamic merchants. As more upper-class citizens converted they became more culturally unified. In the article, Islam was said to represent “…high social status…” Other changes that came with Islam were new languages. Swahili, an Arabic-African mix, emerged. Also, mosques and Islam arts began to become more prevalent in the region.
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Hank Nolan
2/5/2017 06:07:41 pm
Islam spread so fast because of the large amount of land taken during the Islamic Empire, the strategic spread of it by people, and its appeal to a variety of people. In Africa it was the strategic exposure in the Sudanic Kingdoms and the convenience that Islamic people could write made the way for it there. In India it was more difficult because they already had it mostly taken over by Hinduism and Buddhism but they eventually started to blend. In Central Asia they were the first outside religion to enter and they took over using force and persuasion to spread Islam. In South East Asia they were more strategic appealing tho the higher class and set examples for commoners to follow.
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Maryury Deloya
2/5/2017 06:15:10 pm
The rapid expansion of Islam was caused by military conquest, missionary activity, and trade between the 7th and 15th centuries. In sub-Saharan Africa, Muslims were able to persuade Africans through trade. "Rulers like Sundiata more systematically utilized Muslim bureaucrats and converted to Islam as a gesture of goodwill toward the North Africa trading partners". In India, Muslims would influence warriors and low castes. They would promise them spiritual equality not like Hinduism that would teach reincarnation. Meanwhile in Central Asia, Islam was forced or persuaded. Muslim traders and Sufi missionaries would impact the nomadic, tribal groups. Finally in Southeast Asia, Muslims would go made direct contact with the ruling classes then set up school to teach and preach. As Islam spread through these regions, it was not fully adapted. Some people would keep some of their previous teachings, but also grasp onto the Islamic teachings. In Africa, the punishments were changed since they were too brutal. These transformations were both beneficial and harmful.
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Maryury Deloya
2/5/2017 06:18:46 pm
It was beneficial because it was able to open minds and give opportunities for other religions to change. It was harmful because Islam was sometimes forced to be believed in. It can be hard to change from what you already believe in.
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Tessah McAllister
2/5/2017 06:42:04 pm
Between the 7th and 15th centuries the spread of Islam was caused by trade,conquest, and missionary activity. In sub saharan Africa Islam was popular because it represented being a part of the upper class. In India Islam promoted spiritual equality, which made the religion popular. It was popular for the people of the lower caste systems, because it was easier than the multiple reincarnations that the hindu religion promoted. In central asia, it was popular since it was the "first religion to penetrate the region in a systematic fashion" In southeastern asian, islam was popular because it helped expand trade. As islam was spreading, bits of the native culture combined with the religion. The changes were beneficial because it caused the religion to be more accepted over a vast area.
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Chike Asuzu
2/5/2017 08:25:01 pm
I agree with you over the beneficial factor of Islam becoming more approachable as it spread, especially because Muslims tried not to force conversion on people as much as other universalizing religions like Christianity. So with the religion being more malleable, people good make their own interpretations of some of the more stringent teachings.
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Chesley Lucas
2/5/2017 07:00:29 pm
Islam expanded through the 7th and 15th centuries, because of many reasons. It promoted charity, almsgiving, promoted the arts and sciences, and promoted spiritual equality. The almsgiving and the spiritual equality aspects are what made it attractive to poor people and people of lower classes/castes. Islam became popular because of its involvement in trade throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. This led to the conversions of many higher-class individuals in those areas to Islam. As Islam spread it encountered many other cultures and religions. This was prevalent in the Sufi movement, “…worried about the luxury and secular interests on the later caliphs…They wanted a stricter focus on religion and a more intense piety…borrowed some ideas from the Christian monastic movement and from Buddhism…” The Sufis were worried that the lack of piety and devotion would lessen the gap between humans and Allah. They focused on works of charity and offered rituals to prove faith, and these ideas were imported from Christianity and Buddhism.
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Adeline Harris
2/5/2017 07:19:48 pm
The factors that caused Islam to spread at such an enormous rate between the 7th and 15th centuries were trade and military conquest. Trade is not only defined as the exchange of goods but of information, tradition - in this situation- religion, and much more. Merchants would stay in places for extended periods of time and, as time goes on, you begin to pick up on other peoples tradition or culture. Military conquest insists power and, power, is attractive to anyone. This power was especially attractive to elites or nobles. However, the spread of Islam seems to have been by coincidence. They, in fact, did not force conversion.
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Rachel Panettiere
2/5/2017 07:30:16 pm
Military conquest, trade, and increased missionary activity led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries. Islam attracted people in sub-Saharan Africa because of trade with Muslim North Africa, which “was vital to Ghana for tax revenues and supply of horseback”. Bureaucrats also began to convert as an act of amity with North African traders. In India, Islam attracted people because of unwelcome changes to the religion of Hinduism, such as “more emotional rituals and the use of popular languages rather than the scholarly Sanskrit”. Also, Islam allowed spiritual equality, as opposed to the complex caste system of Hinduism, which interested those of lower social ranks in Hindu society. Islam attracted people in Central Asia by being the “first outside religion to penetrate the region in a systematic fashion”. The non-Muslim Mongols brought new contacts between the Middle East and Central Asia, which concluded the conversion of the region to Islam. In Southeast Asia, Islam attracted people by appealing to “inland peoples as a way of integrating with the coastal populations, in a period of expanding trade”. Islam changed as it moved into new regions by merging into the different cultures, creating new customs and beliefs. I think these transformations are beneficial to an extent. The gradual presence of Islam mixed with the preexisting cultures and created a variety of customs that often benefited economic and social defects. However, the emergence of a new belief could also create conflict among differing cultures and increased stratification of social and cultural groups.
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tucker k
2/5/2017 07:47:02 pm
Many factors led to the expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th century such as many high class government officials converting to Islam, many trader being Muslim, and missionaries traveling and spreading the religion. What made many convert to Islam in sub-Saharan Africa was the structure and the easy commitment to the religion and overall popularity of the religion. In India most of the population was Hindu and really did not want to convert to Islam but as time went on and the Turkish invade and destroyed many Hindu temples the population of Muslims grew. For central and south east Asia they had very large trading routes and many missionaries would be on them and spread to them the religion of Islam and once Islam became more popular many government officials converted which led to the citizens converting as well since their government officials are looked up apon. When Islam spread into these new regions the religion had some changes one was the punishments, many saw the punishments as very harsh and did not believe a thief should have his hand cut off. In the time of the diffusion of Christianity and Buddhism i think the religion benefited and was harmed at the same time because every human being has different looks on certain things such as religion. Some could see Islam a better religion for them but also vice versa. But many government officials had a large influence on their people and what religion they convert to many of their people do the same so this was a benefit for Islam because many in the government were Muslim.
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Tara Anastasoff
2/5/2017 08:36:12 pm
Tucker, I agree with you that the higher ranking officials and leaders had a heavy influence on the beliefs of their followers. Even today, many people follow the words of those they look up to, and it is interesting to see that this fact was present hundreds of years ago as well. However, while I agree that each human being has a different view of religion, I do not think that Islam benefitted from becoming integrated with Christianity and Buddhism because its cultural identity was blended with others' and some parts of it were weakened or lost.
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John Koroly
2/5/2017 08:02:31 pm
The main factors that lead to the spread of Islam was military conquest and trade. Islam became very popular in many areas surrounding the middle east and then more. The reason for this is because of the many movements people made to have more land causing Islam to be heard around new regions and eventually spread all throughout these areas. Since India was a major fan of class systems, Islam was perfect bringing different levels of people that was easy to adjust to. In central Asia Islam stuck to it like glue because of traders ,whom were Islam, would settle down in areas and just describe and spread their faith. When Islam was moved into new regions sometimes it was not really good. Government officials started making it illegal at times to not be Islam making it a very strong believed religion. This is really harmful for others religions because it completely cuts them off from being said and spread throughout a whole region.
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Mycah Brooks
2/5/2017 08:02:53 pm
The rapid spread of Islam was due to the encouragement of trade, causing islam to spread across the world. Islam was made popular because of its beliefs in charity and that the religion did not force people to convert, but that there was often a tax implied on those who were not Muslim. As Islam began to spread, it evolved in to a war like religion that started to take over territories by war, while still not forcing people of other religions to convert, and I believe that this was not good for Islam, because it began to give it a bad name.
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Jared Nolen
2/5/2017 08:03:39 pm
The expansion of the Islamic religion is highly regarded in many different aspects. The Islamic religion was something different, it provided a change to the world as people knew it, and many factors lead to the expansion of the religion. One factor was the powerful armies that spread throughout the world, these armies often embodied strength and power, giving light to the Islam’s. The religion did not enforce others to convert, but in watching the strength of the armies it often compelled others to convert. Trade networks were also an important factor as word was spread on the various routes. Merchants would speak positively of the religion giving it a positive view in the public eye. Merchant activity attracted other traders to the religion. (46)
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Courtney M\
2/5/2017 08:05:12 pm
Trade, missionary, and military conquests were the two main reasons for the diffusion of Islam. The use of missionaries was the main source for the spread of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa. Military conquests converted most of Central Asia to Islam. Trading was the most influential spreading of Islam in India, and Southeast Asia.
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Zion Fitch
2/5/2017 08:11:08 pm
From the 7th century CE to the 15th Century CE, the Middle Eastern world developed and flourished as Islam began to take shape and spread and started to become a universalizing religion. Some factors that led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries were trade routes and military conquests. Islam was a religion that had to defend itself from war, using Muslim armies.This led to people seeing how powerful and strong this religion is; which caused people to convert in respect of how powerful the religion really was. Trade routes had also caused people to convert to Islam because while trading was occurring in a territory populated with Muslims, merchants started to gain knowledge about the religion. Lots and lots of Merchants began converting to Islam because they were surrounded by it so much. Also, a big factor was missionaries.
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Madeline Toombs
2/5/2017 08:20:10 pm
The reasons Islam spread so rapidly in the 7th to the 15th century are trade, military conquests, and the fall of the Roman Empire. In the religion of Islam, merchants were more respected than in other cultures and thus, merchants started to convert. then they took the region back to their respective homes and it dispersed. When Muslim empires conquered other territories, Islam began to be seen as the religion of victory and wealth. When the Roman Empire fell, Muhammed (the founder of Islam) wanted to unify the region through religion and Islamic peace to stop conflict. The religion spread to sub-saharan Africa because the wealthy elite would convert to and then convince lower classes to do the same. It was attractive in India because of the peaceful aspect, which aligned with the non-violence of Hinduism and Buddhism. In Central Asia, Islam spread because of the military conquests into Iran and Azerbaijan. However, Sufi missionaries and Muslim traders moved into scattered towns and the Turkish migrations caused the Turks to be introduced to Islam.
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Rola Goke-Pariola
2/5/2017 09:19:08 pm
Madeline, I too think that the change and integration of a religion into existing belief systems can be beneficial. Often times the more harsh aspects of a religion are dropped, or new better values can be introduced. Religious syncretism makes religions more personal because one can almost sculpt it to match their own values and ideals.
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Chike Asuzu
2/5/2017 08:21:08 pm
Islam's spread during the 7th to 15th century was set off by several factors. One being how when Muslim empires would use military force to conquer other areas and advertise conversion to Islam. Another cause is attributed to the trade influx caused by merchants in Islamic culture. Muslim merchants were treated much better in their societies comparatively to other merchants, so when they would go around trading to far off areas with ease, things like Arabic language, cultural practices, and the religion would spread. Another factor is how after the fall of the Roman Empire, the smaller territories were in a state of religious confusion that Muhammad wanted to end and unite the territories under Islam in order to induce peace. Islam spread well in sub-Saharan Africa because officials and elites would convert and then encourage the masses of their societies to convert as well. It spread well in India due to the Muslim ruling class setting the trend of conversion, as well as Sufi leaders personalize thing religion to fit Hindu styles of life. It spread well across Central Asia because of the broken up territories of the Turkish and Azerbaijan regions being easily influence-able by Sufi missionaries and Muslim traders in order to unite the area. It spread well in Southeast Asia because of Muslim traders having prominence in coastal areas, which led to conversion of the ruling class. This then led to Sufi leaders going farther inland to the point of making Muslim schools that implanted Islamic practices at an early stage in life.
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Tara Anastasoff
2/5/2017 08:28:37 pm
Based on The Spread of Islam reading, the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries can be attributed to “conquests, far-reaching trade, and, increasingly, missionary activity” (46). Military activity also played a large role, as these conquests often overtook cities, leading its citizens to gain exposure to the religion. Trade routes were arguably the most influential of the factors, due to the fact that the constant movement and interactions that the merchants had with different areas helped Islam gain more recognition to both the upper and lower classes.
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Kaniz Momin
2/5/2017 08:44:47 pm
Factors resulting from conquests, far-reaching trade, and increasingly, missionary activity all led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries. “Missionary efforts and religious wars conducted by fervent Muslims” (51) began to spread Islam to ordinary people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Arab traders in the Indian ocean made Islam more attractive to the people on the East African coast as the traders and missionaries worked directly southward Islam represented high social status which made it all the more better for elites. Arab raids on Indian territory helped spread Islam in the slightest. Islam drew India in, especially the warriors and people of lower castes, because of its promise of spiritual equality rather than Hindus ideas of successful reincarnations. Islam spread in Central Asia through force and persuasion. The Mongols conquests brought new contacts between Central Asia and the Middle East completing the conversion of territory into Islam. What drew these people in was the continued distinct forms of art and music, and devotion to imaginative horsemanship, and a relatively high status for women. Islam offered Southeast Asia a monotheistic system that would build on perfect Jewish and Christian thinking and assured salvation. Islam emphasized charity and the enthusiasm of Sufi leaders and “Their holy devotion persuaded many people, as they showed how to bridge the gap between Allah and ordinary mortals.” As Islam was constantly being introduced and adapted to new regions the popularity of other beliefs was being slightly reduced, which was harmful to them. This new religion was building and perfecting on “...Jewish and Christian thinking (51).” Sufi leaders who wished to spread Islam “...borrowed some ideas from the Christian monastic movement and from Buddhism” (48). While Islam was being adopted, it was also being changed as it went along. Some regions were being introduced to all of Islam, “Including its associated artistic styles, such as architecture of the mosques and the rich while Other regions were only getting a portion of it while lacking the religions “...specifics concerning art or family life” (49).
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Rola Goke-Pariola
2/5/2017 09:13:32 pm
Many factors led to the swift spread of Islam throughout the eastern world between the 7th and 15th centuries. One of the best ways Islam was spread was through trade routes. Arab traders would bring goods as well as their religion and culture wherever they went. At times, it spread through military conquest of other lands outside of the middle east. Though this was the case, the Muslims were generally very tolerant of the existing religion in an area they conquered, so most conversions to Islam were by choice. Islam also spread as a result of missionary trips taken with the intention to spread the religion.
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Jacob Tutterow
2/5/2017 09:31:30 pm
The main things that contributed to the spread of Islam was the conquest of Arab kingdoms, missionaries, and trade. In sub-Saharan Africa, the switch to Islam was considered a token of good faith, and, as a famous example, Mansa Musa converted as a trade gesture, but ended up becoming intensely devoted to it.
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Janiah D.
2/5/2017 09:37:40 pm
Islam appealed to people in a variety of societies and cultures. Islam spread through more spontaneous conversions as people learned of it through trade and missionary activity. The religion was clearly attractive, with an explicit set of beliefs about what to do and what not to do in order to win access to heaven and avoid a lamentable eternity in hell. Sub-subharan Africa: initial contacts in west Africa focused on the Sudanic kingdoms headed at first by Ghana, but contacts also facilitated raids by Muslims from the north, often encouraged by local Islamic groups. A second strand of Islam stretched down the East African coast, propelled by Arab traders in the Indian Ocean. Many traders intermarried with the African elite, as Islam began to provide cultural unity for upper classes all along the coast. Islam represented high social status and the kind of generalized religion useful to far flung trade, a religion that local African cultures didn't provide. Central Asia: the spread of Islam in Central Asia involved both of the dominant patterns of Muslim contacts: force and persuasion. Islam didn't totally alter the established cultures, which continued distinctive forms of art and music, a devotion to imaginative horsemanship, and a relatively high status for women. India: changes in Hinduism, including more emotional rituals and use of popular languages rather than the scholarly Sanskrit, bolstered this religion's position. Islam specifically attracted warriors and also people from the lowest castes, drawn by the promise of spiritual equality rather than the Hindu ideas of successive reincarnations. Southeast Asia: merchants established crucial contacts in the coastal towns, where they influenced the ruling classes. Islam appealed to inland peoples as a way of integrating with the coastal populations, in a period of expanding trade. Islam in Southeast Asia inevitably merged with regional cultural influences, including popular costumes, dances, and festivals (including brilliant shadow plays and other pre-Islamic staples based on Hindu epics). Islam added, in sum, to the mixed, creative culture that pre-dominated in Southeast Asia. Islam basically spiced up original cultures and customs wherever it went. I think it's sort of harmful because so many different traditions and customs fusing together like that can cause conflict, which can also lead to war. We definitely don't need any more war than we already have in this world.
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Aaronweber Jodesty
2/5/2017 10:21:22 pm
The spread of Islam portrayed to missionaries and conquering.Humans realized the simplicity of the religion stating "of its manifest power and triumph". And also Merchants played a huge significant part in the spread of Islam. Due to the fact that while they are on their trade trips they travel and spread the information or the news about the religion. Also Sub-Saharan Africa was attracted to Islam it showed high quality and social status among and throughout the people it pertained to who follow the religion. Also Islam showed support in trade so some rulers would change their religion to open up trade between their countries. Islam also attracted India due to the fact of its acceptance for people that were low in the cast system. Like merchants and warriors. Also attracted the Indian people due to the promise of spiritual equality.Rather than the process and Hindu belief of reincarnation.Due to the nomadic process of the Sufi,s and the spread of Islam and conquering. Central Asia was not all the way attracted to the Islamic culture. They were more so forced into the idea of it. When the Arabs came in and took over. They spread and persuaded and influenced their Islamic beliefs which central Asia did not necessarily enjoy.
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Nathaniel Kem
2/6/2017 04:50:59 am
Islam's spread was mainly contributed by an array of appeals to a variety of groups within different cultures regularly regarded as lower-class or with peasant status, but also presenting an admirable doctrine to higher-class and nobles allowing for easy acceptance among different communities, not to mention the praise the Muslim world offers to merchants, making the spread even quicker and across trade routes.
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Morgan Brown
2/7/2017 04:59:49 am
I think it defiantly spread because of the bit about the social status in higher class Africa and the trade routes that go between there. Islam wouldn't have reached the ends of the earth or spread as fast if not for the influence of wealth and trade during this time period.
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Brad Pilcher
2/6/2017 12:31:16 pm
In the 7th and 15th centuries, Islam made a push into new areas via trade, conquests and missionary work. Many converters saw it as helpful to convert after witnessing Muslim armies succeed.
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Gillian Ashley
5/23/2017 06:09:25 am
Wow, your comment it shorter than mine. Granted, mine is also months late, but that's not the point. The point is that you don't even address the second question! Changes to Islam as it spread! You don't talk about it at all! At least I did that... Anyway, basically, you got the first question and summed it up pretty accurately just like that, but the second question isn't addressed. Bye! (Also you are currently right across from me hi.)
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Cat Arnett
2/6/2017 02:02:12 pm
Trade is the most obvious facilitator in the spread of Islam. The Middle Easterners shared their religion with everyone they traded with which was basically everyone on their content. The appeal of Islam to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia was how different it was. It hosted the revolutionary idea of monotheism and spoke of a higher being and it's afterlife was thoroughly explained. Afterlife had been a very grey area previously.
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Susana Negrete
2/6/2017 04:54:53 pm
Cat, I completely agree that trade was extremely significant in the spread of Islam. It was a spark for missionary efforts. However, I also believe that the some of the spread of Islam was due to force. For example, the Arab conquests in Central Asia. The article says, " Arab conquest pressed in the seventh century, and further conquests occurred in Tranoxania, the most settled part of the region" (52)
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Jada Dixon
2/6/2017 07:54:01 pm
I agree with your statement about trade being an obvious facilitator. As mentioned on page 46, people only statred to even gather an understanding of Isalm through trade.
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Susana Negrete
2/6/2017 04:45:12 pm
Military conquest, trade, and missions were all elements which factored into the expansion of Islam during 7th to 15th centuries.
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I agree with you in that Islam was attractive to people because it was a religion that supported equality and unity. Many people converted to Islam because in the societies they lived in social classes were dominant. However, this religion emphasized charity and equality among all.
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Steven Robinson
2/6/2017 05:18:11 pm
A major reason Islam spread was that it represented "High social status" (51) which led for the rulers to convert first. Once the rulers of empires or areas would convert the people would soon follow.
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Cole Wilson
2/7/2017 04:16:52 pm
I agree Steven, though it can't be forgot that the Zakat principle was very attractive to lower-class people and was also a driving force in its expansion throughout the areas of Asia and Africa.
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Angel Serrano
2/6/2017 05:34:35 pm
Based on the reading, some of the factors that led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries were military conquests and trade. The Islamic Caliphate took control of many regions, spreading their teachings to other people. Although they didn’t force people to convert to their religion, they put taxes on minority communities which led people to convert. Islam also attracted traders because it legitimated merchant activity more so than other belief systems.
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Daniel Hart
2/6/2017 07:31:36 pm
I agree that Islam rapid expansion was due to military conquest and trade, but i disagree that Islam was harmful as it brought many new cultures and traditions to the lands.
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Daniel Hart
2/6/2017 07:28:55 pm
Military Conquests, trade, and missionary activity are things that led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries.Merchants were a reason Islam was attractive to sub-Saharan Africa. In India, Islam attracted low caste members and warriors. In central Asia, what turned people to Islam were force and some persuasion. In southeast Asia, Muslim merchants influenced people to convert. When Islam moved into new regions, it combined with the cultures of the regions. Like in India, a movement arose within Hinduism that allowed monotheism and spiritual equality…” I believe that these religious transformations are beneficial because it showed new traditions and cultures.
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Jada Dixon
2/6/2017 07:42:28 pm
Based on the article trade, missionary activity, and military conquest are the three main factors that led to the spread of Islam. Trade routes eventually led to the conversion and diffusion of Islam because the merchants gained more of a cultural background of the land. The Muslim traders and merchants took cultural diffusion to another level. Muslim traders and Arabs began to move toward "scattered towns to the nomadic steppes, spreading Islam among the tribal groups" (52). The missionary activity appealed to the lower class citizens because Islam automatically looked at your spiritual possessions in life rather than material. It made everyone on equal ground. Also, Islam empahsized charity work and its followers were committed to such a value. Since Islam grew rampant after Muhammad's death, Arabs felt motivated to commence a military conquest which spread through the Middle East (48).
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Giancarlo Davila
2/6/2017 08:31:56 pm
Islam spread through three factors. It spread through conquest of others, trade, and missionaries.This was a popular idealogy/religion that was based on charity. This seemed to please people of Africa, India, and Asia. Many people liked it due to the fact of the idea of giving. Espicially lower class who needed. It was a religion where everything was straight forward and pleasing to the eye and heart for everyone. Everyone liked it and it became a global phenomenon. It eventually spread to different regions and caused a change because it was similar to Christianity and Judaism. While this happened, I believe that it had a negative impact on the other religions. Many people saw it as a mix of both ir even better than one to begin with and converted.
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James Gerdes
2/6/2017 08:37:49 pm
The actions taken by Islamic missionaries, trade, and conquest led to the expansion of Islam. Islam, which reached Africa through trade routes, was attractive to sub-Saharan Africa due people of high social status converting to Islam, like Sundiata. Islam began to represent a higher social status so people of lower status would convert to Islam. Islam was attractive to India because there was this idea of spiritual equality, as opposed to the caste system that was in India. Islam spread through Central Asia by force and persuasion. Islam was attractive to Southeast Asia due to it being a dominant religion in Indonesia. Converting allowed Southeast Asia to integrate with the costal populations. Islam adapted to the region it spread to and the culture there. For example, some of the punishments laid out by Islam were not incorporated when it spread to India. I believe that these adaptations are both helpful and harmful to a religion. It is helpful because it helps to make the spread of the religion easier. If it is malleable, then it is more likely to be accepted and integrate well into other societies. Where it is harmful is that it could cause fighting within the different beliefs of the religion and it isn’t as unifying as what a religion with set beliefs would be.
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The factors that led to the expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries were conquests, trade, and missionary activity. The Arabs brought their culture, including Islam, to the many regions they conquered. Muslims did not force people to convert to Islam, but people converted because “they were attracted to the religion simply because of its manifest power and triumph” (46). Islam was a religion that supported merchant activity, which resulted in Muslim merchant spreading and leaving their culture everywhere they went. Sufism was a movement that demanded for focus on religion. “Sufi leaders sought to spread the beliefs of Islam to new regions” (48).
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Jade Gooden
2/6/2017 10:28:43 pm
Factors that led up to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th century were military conquest, missionaries, trade and the influence of rulers converting to Islam. What made Islam attractive to people was it's beliefs and equality stand points. In Sub-Saharan Africa about 40 percent of peoples were Muslim. Mainly due to vital trade occurring and regularitized interactions . Also, many Muslims had bureaucratic experience that many rulers utilized therefore eventually converting to Islam. Which was little amount for ordinary people to convert being a generalized religion that became useful. Central Asia was notable for being a nomadic territory so when Islam was introduced it offered a systematic manner spread through oral contact among tribal groups which they acquired. In India, although it was dominated by the known,established religion Hinduism, Islam managed to spread through the boundaries. What made many people convert to Islam was because it attracted warriors and lower class citizens due to the promise of spiritual equality rather than Hindu beliefs of successive reincarnations. Southeast Asia, last affected by Islam influence, was due to Muslim trading ships which had merchants that persuaded ruling classes. Which of course caught attention of elite, in no doubt to convert. But as for others it appealed to the inland people to converse with the coastal populations in the period of expansive trade which set up schools therefore preachings in villages. As Islam moved into new regions it affected, dominated beliefs which is harmful to existing parties and a loss of their established, sustained culture. However it did give beneficiaries to civilizations for new belief systems that some may have needed which created a diffusion of the cultures and a succession for the expansion of the Islamic religion.
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Madison oligny
2/7/2017 01:43:02 am
The factors that led to the expansion of Islam were trade and accessibility. In India it was easy to convince people of the lower class to convert to Islam and gain spiritual equality, because they were being treated horribly by the caste system. In southeast Asia the appeal of being more connected with their community and others of the world is what convinced them. Central Asia was at first pressured but then through the reign of the Mongols the Arabs were able to conduct trade and it eventually just became easier to convert to Islam. In Sub-Saharan Africa the religion appealed to them because it brought a high social status with it. All of these happened because of trade. Throughout every region Islam has taken a hold.l, whether it be by force or by choice it is there. The people of the region don't always follow the religion entirely, such as retains their laws and their culture, or with the Sudan ice kings that put themselves at a godlike status and thought the Islamic punishments were to harsh. I do believe that these are beneficial to a religion, because if people cannot change the religion a bit to fit with their life or culture then to religion would never grow it would just die out.
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Morgan Brown
2/7/2017 04:57:02 am
The spread of Islam was mainly as a result of trade unlike many other religions (Christianity) originally. The wealthy converted for status and eventually it diffused to less wealthy lower class people. Eventually the government started taxing non- Muslim people for not being Muslim
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Cole Wilson
2/7/2017 04:15:14 pm
Islam spread through the 5th to 13th century because of mainly trade and conquest of areas in Northern Africa, and parts of South and Central Asia. Because Islam respects merchants, merchants were happy to take it up and spread it through their trade routes to these regions. And Islam encourages conversion through conquest and taxing non-believers in your territory, as stated in the article. Many lower-class people from all over were also attracted by Islam's encouraged charity, Zakat. These elements meant swift spread of Islam, and the happy acceptance by many in the majority of a civilization's population, the poor.
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esteban alarcon
2/8/2017 10:55:55 am
When Muhammad died in 632 CE, Islam had begun to spread rapidly throughout the Arab population, leading to Arabs forming large armies in a surge of conquest. Due to the fact that the middle east had been a trade hot-spot for Asia, Africa and Europe, influencing travelers and foreign merchants by Islam in the middle east.
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Andrew Ivins
2/15/2017 02:15:00 pm
Islam is very well known religion throughout the world in today's society. It did not start like this though. It was spread through many regions of the world each in their own different way and some the same. Trade was one way that Islam was spread throughout the world without people attempting to spread their religion. Stories were told by merchants along trade routes like the Silk Road and Trans Saharan about Muhammad and what the religion is about. These stories fascinated other merchants and they then went to tell the same stories. The Islamic people had also spread their religion by conquering other territories. They did not force the natives to convert to their religion. Instead increased taxes were put on the people not part of their religion. Some people also saw strength in this religion. With the Muslims winning numerous wars and battles, people were attracted to the power that this religion possessed. Islam was spread to Sun-Saharan Africa by means of contact with emperors of land in this region. For example, Sundiata was an emperor of Ghana that converted to Islam as a gesture of goodwill to their Muslim trading partners. Islam reached Central Asia by force and persuasion. Because of this, most of this region is muslim today. Islam started in India very slow as only a few pockets of muslims had developed at first. It never grew large as said in The Spread of Islam, " Most Indians remained satisfied with their own religious culture, and there was no massive immigration of muslims from other areas". Overall, the spread of Islam has definitely been due to trade, war, and generosity. These are just some of the things that make Islam so attractive as a religion to the people of the world.
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Lyle Singletary
2/28/2017 09:07:17 pm
Andrew, I like your using of specific examples for rulers and trade routes. I also liked how you used so many different perspectives.
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Lyle Singletary
2/28/2017 08:48:42 pm
The factors that caused the rapid expansion of Islam from the 7th to 15th century are military conquest, missionary work, and economic trade. The people of the areas where Islam reached converted for many reasons, many rulers first converted which then caused their citizens to follow. Islam spread through South Asia due to merchants connecting to different port towns and spreading their beliefs. After the Mongols invaded Central Asia, the religion of Islam spread through extended connections between Islamic traders and the inhabitants. When the Islamic rulers began taking over North Africa, their new subjects then converted to the Islamic faith.
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Harrison Haley
3/8/2017 08:33:12 pm
Hey Lyle!
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Harrison Haley
3/8/2017 08:26:59 pm
Islam most prominently spread between the 7th and 15th century due to vast trade between regions, as well as the conversions of religious groups both voluntarily and through forced conversion. In regards to trade, Islam was introduced to new communities with the exchange of goods and services throughout many regions, but maintaining a hearth in Southwest Asia. Trading opened up the opportunity for people to see what the pillars of faith offered-- which was a great trade off considering the relatively easy to follow requirements to practice the religion and the benefits in the afterlife. This prompted the voluntary conversions of peoples to Islam. In regards to forced conversion, the conquest of military leaders throughout the regions of the world resulted in the forced conversions of millions of people in the name of the religion.
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Chloe Vernex-Loset
3/14/2017 07:50:40 pm
The rapid spread of Islam is thanks to war, trade and appeal. Through war, Muslims were able to more aggressively share their teachings and introduce Islam with out fear of being driven from the lad (mainly because they had just won a war and then controlled the land. Though they were moderately tolerant of other religions, they taxed nonmuslims. This made it in peoples favor to convert to Islam. In Africa, the fear of a Holy War scared them into believing that Islam was the only way they could stay safe because Islam was the most "power[ful] and triumph[ant]" (46) religion. Missionaries also played a large part in making Islam appeal to people. There was also a stigma around Islam that made is seem Classy and people believed that it represented high class or social status. In Central Asia conversions were less successful. Islam made its way across most of the people, but instead of converting to Islam, for many people it strengthened their Hindu beliefs. This was probably due to the tactics of Muslim missionaries, which was mainly force and poor persuasion. In India, the prominence of Hinduism helped Islam enter people and in the ens the two religions actually welded together. Because of the caste system in Hinduism, people, mainly lower class and warriors, were attracted to Islam because of its promise of equality. In Southeast Asia, people longed to be more connected with with people on the coast because trade had become so important to them. This drew them to Islam. Islam also drew the attention of the ruling class.
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Blake Williams
4/19/2017 02:08:53 pm
The expansion of the Muslim Empire in the years following the Prophet Muhammad's death led to the creation of caliphates, occupying a vast geographical area and conversion to Islam was boosted by missionary activities particularly those of Imams, who easily intermingled with local populace to propagate the religious teachings. These early caliphates, coupled with Muslim economics and trading and the later expansion of the Ottoman Empire, resulted in Islam's spread outwards from Mecca towards both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the creation of the Muslim world. Trading played an important role in the spread of Islam in several parts of the world, notably southeast Asia.
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Angel Serrano
4/20/2017 05:09:15 pm
Based on the reading, some of the factors that led to the rapid expansion of Islam between the 7th and 15th centuries were military conquests and trade. The Islamic Caliphate took control of many regions, spreading their teachings to other people. Although they didn’t force people to convert to their religion, they put taxes on minority communities which led people to convert. Islam also attracted traders because it legitimated merchant activity more so than other belief systems.
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Gillian Ashley
5/23/2017 06:05:00 am
Islam spread mainly through two means - military conquest and trade. Neither of these forms of conversion were forced, which makes you think about why Islam was so attractive. There were a few different reasons people turned to Islam as their new faith, but rulers turned to it because it legitimatized merchant activity, allowing them to make more money. In contrast, lower class citizens turned to Islam because it promoted charity and spiritual equality, both of which were things people wanted.
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