HIS120: WORLD HISTORY I

M6D1: The Rise and Spread of Islam

Universalized religions, as we discovered last week, played a significant role in world history as older forms of empires fell. In the place of empires, these religions were able to unify people through a shared identity and ethical outlook; they did so in a way that was often much more effective than the old militaristic empires.

In this discussion, we will examine a newer universalized religion, Islam, and its similarities and differences to older religions. We will also look at the ways in which Islam’s spread challenged the spread of Christianity and the ways in which religious conflict began to shape some parts of the world.

Your Initial Post:

Begin by viewing the Module Presentation and continue by reading Chapter 9 in your textbook.  Then, as you review the sources, consider the following questions in a post of at least 250 words: 

Think about what you read this week about the rise of Islam, the way it swept through eastern Eurasia, northern Africa, and parts of western Europe, and the ways it challenged the spread of other belief systems, such as Christianity. Then choose one of the following perspectives to argue:

• • Islam’s rise, spread, and challenges to Afro-Eurasian societies was more similar to other universalized religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, or Hinduism. Why?

OR

• • Islam’s rise, spread, and challenges to Afro-Eurasian societies was more different from other universalized religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, or Hinduism. Why?

In either case, ensure that you are supporting your arguments with facts from the text and/or the primary sources provided.