Islamic Empire

After Muhammed died, Muslim rulers, called caliphs, led the Arabs. Islam was their religion.

Their holy book said that Muslims must fight to spread their religion to new lands. Sometimes they fought battles. Sometimes that worked to get people to accept Islam.

The Islamic Empire is also called the Arab Empire. It lasted from about 600 to 1258. Islam was one of the largest and most powerful empires in the world.

The Umayyads and the Abbasids were the most powerful ruling families of the empire.

They ruled from 661 to 750; took over lands from Spain to India; the capital was Damascus; huge rich empire!

Non-Arabs had fewer rights. People who did not change their religion to Islam had to pay extra taxes.

Shiites and non-Arab Muslims teamed up and took over the Umayyads in 750; the capital was Baghdad; the empire became weak. Mongols took over in 1258. They destroyed schools, libraries and palaces. Many Muslims were killed. As time passed, many Mongols married locals. They also accepted the Islamic religion.