Characteristics Of Ibn Battuta

In the Arabian peninsula, Islam had started. After Muhammad died, the Muslim community embarked on a series of military conquests that extended their control over much of Eurasia and north Africa. Muslim merchants also became a prominent figure in trade during this time. The Islamic empire extended to the Arabian Peninsula and many areas around it. These places were central in the Mediterranean sea, Indian Ocean, and silk road trade routes. The Muslim merchants became a very big part of trade because of their location at the center of many trade routes from Eurasia to Africa. They were also a prominent part of trade because the camel saddle started to be used frequently in 600 CE. Camels were more equipped to walk through the desert, and so the ability to control them made the Muslims a major part of silk road trade. In addition to this, the Muslim agricultural revolution occurred around 600 CE. This caused more crops like cotton to be cultivated and traded, causing a greater income and virtually more trade between Africa and Eurasia. In the Indian Ocean basin, the Gupta empire had declined and there was no centralized rule in India. However, there were still major trading cities and new technologies caused trade to increase. An example of the new technologies would be the dhows and junks that were used at around 800 CE.

Battuta journey back to Morocco was extremely grueling eventually he would return to the city of Fez where he settles down. The biggest aspect of Malian society is the economy, which is based on agriculture and gold commodities. The majority of Malians lived in a pastoralist society on the occasion of herding animals is the primary economic activity, for instance, in the epic of Sundiata, Kouyate explains when two hunters kill the Do buffalo in order to receive a woman for the purpose of the king, “I killed the buffalo and cut off its tail. The economy in Mali flourished due to the fact of trade, Mali had trading centers for various West African products within the region. For example, Taghaza was a trading center for the purpose of salt and Takedda was the trading center of copper. Gold and salt were extremely profitable commodities when trading for example, in The Travels of Ibn Battuta, Battuta explains during his journey to Mali his caravan and he stopped in an important salt-mining center in Taghaza after twenty-five days of brutal travel through the

In Document 1, the map and the sentences stated explains to us that Aksum (Ethiopia today) became an “international trading center” during the year 325 to 360 BCE. The kingdom of Aksum soon became very culturally diverse because of all of the trading that is being done with places like Mecca and Memphis. In Document 8, the map and sentences stated explain that Ibn Battuta visited Kilwa, which was a coastal city-state in East Africa, and was flabbergasted once he saw the beautiful cities. It is then stated that Kilwa was the coastal city-state that controlled the overseas trade between the insides of Africa and the sites and places around that specific part of the world. The Red Sea was a very big contributor to the sea route of African trade because it allowed a way for Northern Africa to trade with India without having to trade over land. The sea routes were much more extensive then the land routes, which made trading with India much easier over water than land. Wealthiness due to conquering and gaining land also was a very important achievement from Africans, as explained in Document 2. In Document 2, a

Islamic civilization was spread using a variety of useful techniques, ranging from extreme violence, to the use of peaceful doctrine. Without these practices and methods, the spread of Islam would not be as profound as it has shown to be, especially from 632 to 750 CE. Islamic civilization spread to encompass such an extensive empire through the “way of the sword”, use pre-existing roads, ruthless fighting techniques, and the way of salvation and religious doctrine. One of the biggest methods that were used to spread Islam was the way of the sword, and other practices of intimidation. When new lands were taken over by Islam, Muslims gave a few options.

In the “Arabian Peninsula Trade Routes” (Doc. A) it shows how Mecca was very busy with all kinds of trade. Since Mecca is where Islam would start in the upcoming years, traders would come and go taking the teachings of Muhammad with them. Mecca was both the center of trade and the center of Islam which leads to the quick spread of faith through the many traders and merchants that

Trade was a large part in why Islam spread so quickly. Mecca had several trading routes. “By the middle of the sixth century… Mecca was … prosperous and important (Doc A).” They were trading through the two main empires: Byzantine and Persian. East Africa, Spain, India, and China also traded with them. Mecca being at the center of the trading system, they brought in many tourists to see the famous holy shrine. With the help of communication people interested in Islam were also drawn because goods were not just traded, but the Islamic culture as well.

A brief summary of his life is paramount in the understanding of Battuta’s impressions and reactions to West African society. Abu Abdallah ibn Battuta was born in Morocco in 1304. By 1325, Battuta embarked on his first hajj, or pilgrimage to the holiest Islamic city of Mecca at age twenty-one (Hamdun, King, p. 1). Although expected to complete this religious duty at least once in his or

It was a crossroad for caravan trade and an added advantage was that Mecca was home to the Ka’ba, a holy pagan shrine that many people the follows the Five pillars make a pilgrimage to sometime during their life. Many cities were easily reached from Mecca because of several surrounding trade routes, land and sea, that connected Mecca to multiple nearby locations. Mecca was a central location of the Arabian Peninsula and was very easy to get to. Not only this, Mecca also had surrounding bodies of water that were very important for trade that led to cultural diffusion. The Surrounding large empires, once conquered would add large additions to the current Islamic empire of the time. This could cause the fast spread of Islam since they were such big areas. (Doc A) Islam stretched across several regions. In the 600’s it spread North to France and out East towards India. Islam was the fastest spreading religion ever and it’s military was able to conquer many areas within a very short period of time. Followers of islam were not only devoted to sharing their religion but they were also well-organized and skilled in fighting. (Doc C) The Byzantine and Persian Empires were nearby and the Muslims were able to take over those areas because the empires were weak from their own battling. (Doc D) The Byzantine Empire tried to resist the expansion of Islam however, the people of the Hims in

Mali: Gold and Salt trade; reached its peak in 14th century; Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca; Islam

Following this major change in faith, Muhammad tried to gain a following among the Arab people. This proved unsuccessful at first, so Muhammad and his friends journeyed to the area of Yathrib, which he renamed Medina and established himself as the ruler. The journey of Muhammad is now know as the Hijrah and is used by Muslims to date their

Before the prophet Muhammad cultivated the religion of Islam, Arabia was a center of trade. Being the home of various clans and tribes, there would be feuds along the Arabian Peninsula over their opposing beliefs. Along with the blood feuds among the nomadic tribes, there was also village-based agriculture which benefited flourishing small kingdoms. Being located in the crossing point for many trade routes, Arabia also gave rise to many cosmopolitan cities. Arabia before Muhammad differs, from Arabia after Muhammad’s discoveries because of the decrease in battles around neighboring people. When Islam was made present, it unified the Afro-Eurasian world which caused the world to be more peaceful and rose the social standing of Arabia.

The journey of Mansa Musa on his hajj made everyone wonder if he went on the journey simply for his religion, or if there were other underlying factors for his journey. Mansa Musa traveled along his journey through Africa for his religion. Mansa Musa was a muslim Mali empire who went on a trek through Africa to complete one of the five pillars, which his religion obligated him to do.

It had easy access to the Red Sea and other populated cities, such as Aden, Alexandria, and Muscat. The city began as “the crossroads of the lucrative caravan trade” and grew into an even busier area for vendors to prosper (Document A). Merchants from throughout the region carried merchandise, such as spices, perfumes, precious metals, ivory, and silk, in and out of the city (Document A). Mecca was not only a significant trade center, but became the home of the Ka’ba, the holy site of Islam. As visitors stopped by the area and the holy shrine, they became exposed to the religion and its teachings. Traders then brought Islam’s teachings along trade routes to areas beyond the peninsula. As ideas spread, a variety of people from all over the western world either learned about or experienced Islamic culture. The trade routes, on both land and sea, brought goods and the religion of Islam to areas as far as India, East Africa, China, and Spain (Document

Chapter 14 in the book Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective of the Past by Herrry H. Bentley and Herbert F. Ziegler is mainly about Muhammad, the prophet, and his world, the expansion of Islam, economy and society of the early Islamic world, and its values and cultural exchanges.

During the eighth century throughout the late sixteenth century, one trade route entranced everyone involved from the Mediterranean to the Africa’s. The Trans – Saharan Trade was an important trade route that ran across the Sahara between the Mediterranean countries and West Africa. In the beginning stages of the Trans- Saharan trade many small trade routes were being used throughout the period. this is because travelling across the Sahara before the domestication of the camel was difficult. The Trans-Saharan trade route did more than attract traders. This route was an economical boost for many and also connected the West African people with the Mediterranean people.