Europe


 * How did Islam spread?**

Islam spread relatively slowly in Europe if any at all

Christianity was a major religion that took hold in Europe so the people were not necessary without a religion

The Byzantine Empire was the door that prevented the spread of Islam into Eastern Europe

Christianity was a main faith in Eastern and Western Europe Russia at the time had took up Eastern or Orthodoxy

Until the 15th century Byzantine Empire blocked all spread of Islam into Europe




 * Growth of Trade within the Islamic world**

Traded with Arabs due to the amount of income that could be gained

Traded silk mainly along with carpets, spices, and clothes to the Islamic heartlands

Also traded large amounts of luxury goods that rivaled only China in terms of quality

Muslim naval soon had full naval superiority and would harass trade ships coming from Byzantine ports




 * Urbanization and Islam**


 * Byzantine Empire depended on control of the countryside**


 * Relatively low Urban lower classes**


 * Mainly a large peasant class which would support the state in terms of food and tax revenue**


 * Islam did not develop in the urbanized cities of the Europe due to it being opposed by many with the exception of Spain.**


 * Architecture throughout the Islamic world**



Mosques were not as common in Europe as it was in say north Africa or the middle-east

Spain was the exception since Islamic warriors had penetrated deep into this area before being stopped

A Umayyad who was the former grandson of the caliphate fled to Spain when the Abbsid's decided to eliminate them

In Spain he founded the caliphate of Cordoba and built mosques for prayer long after the Umayyad's had disappeared

Examples of Syncretism and Islam

Islam did not spread into Europe like it did in other areas around the globe

Unlike in other territories Europe was united against the spreading of Islam into Europe for it went against Christian ideals

Islam did not get to flourish in Europe as it had in the Middle-East or in North Africa

Spain had some Islamic influences due the last member of the Umayyad creating a caliphate there although it did not last long

Reactions to Islam.

In Europe many rallied against this Islamic threat

Pope Urban the 2nd called for a cleansing of the Holy lands

Rallied the local lords to his cause the main phrase of God Wills it being the crusaders slogan

Over a period of time total of 8-9 crusades into the Holy lands took place depending on how you look at it historians however count only 8 crusades

The 1st crusade was the most successful later on they got less and less successful

The Byzantine Empire resisted the encroachment of Islam and its armies into its territories

Local Farmers and other members of the lower class went with the Kings on this crusade

media type="custom" key="7400007"

above is a video from the Kingdom of Heaven depicting the Crusades and the fall of Jerusalem to Saldin

Lead to the creation of Crusader states within the Holy Land along with the building of Castles to defend these new lands