Aunt Mali’s Children

Growth of Arab empire

In the A.D. 760s new leaders of the Muslim world came to power. By now, Islam was just over 100 years old.

The new leaders were known as caliphs. Caliphs means “successor”. The caliphs were successors to the Prophet Muhammad. The lands ruled by the caliphs-Arabia, western Asia, northern Africa, and what is today Spain and Portugal-were called the caliphate.

The Caliphs

Caliphs were not only religious leaders but political and military leaders as well. One of their main goals was to expand Islam. To do this, the caliphs used well-trained armies. The soldiers believed that they had a holy mission to bring Islam to other lands. They believed that if they died in battle, they would be rewarded by entering paradise.

Religious tolerance

In many places people welcomed the Muslim conquerors. Often, this was because they hated their own rulers and welcomed the chance to overthrow them. Not all of the people who were conquered became Muslims.

In fact, they were permitted by their new rulers to continue to practise their own religions. However, the non-Muslims, such as Christians and Jews, had to pay higher taxes than the Muslims.

The empire expands

With the aid of these new Muslims, the caliphs pushed south into Africa’s interior. At about the same time, Muslim armies pushed into India. For many years, Muslims did not try to convert the Hindus to Islam, and the two peoples lived peacefully side-by-side.

In 711, Muslim forces crossed the Mediterranean into Spain and, advancing along old Roman roads, soon had most of Spain under their control.

Muslims established their capital in the city of Cordoba, in present-day Spain. Before long, Cordoba became a centre of Muslim culture. Cordoba had half a million inhabitants, 300 public baths, and 3,000 mosques.

In 732 an Arab army crossed the Pyrenees and invaded France. Charles Martel, a Frankish war leader, defeated the Arab army at a battle near the city of Tours, about 150 miles southwest of Paris. Muslim rule in western Europe was limited to Spain, where it continued in power for the next six centuries.

Baghdad, Muslim capital

In 762 al-Mansur, a Muslim ruler, decided to build a capital city on the Tigris River in what is today Iraq. From the late 700s until the 1200s Baghdad was the capital of the Muslim caliphate.

Baghdad was one of the world’s largest cities, with about a million residents.

Established in the 760s, it quickly became the center of Muslims’ greatest achievements in science, art, and architecture. The caliphs built a huge library there called the House of Wisdom.

From the centre of Baghdad, four main roads branched out to all parts of caliphate. Traders travelled over these roads to and from the farthest reaches of the caliphate and from non-Muslim lands as well.

As a result, Baghdad became an international city. Along the busy streets set up with small shops, or bazaars, shoppers could buy Arabian perfumes, Indian pepper, African ivory, Russian furs, and many other tempting goods. Some shops specialized in offering only certain products such as Chinese dishware or books.

Muslims support new ideas

Muslims valued ideas, education and learning. Muhammad was said to have declared, “He who travels in search of knowledge travels along Allah’s path of Paradise.”

As a result, the caliphs encouraged scholars to preserve and translate works from all over the world. In Baghdad’s library scholars translated ancient Greek, Roman, Indian, and Hebrew works into Arabic.

Arab scholars read these books on history, science, law and mathematics. Many of them went on to develop and improve these fields of study. In addition, libraries for ordinary people were established. People in Baghdad could go to any one of 36 public libraries and read the great store of books there.

Advances in Medicine

Muslim doctors were responsible for many advances in the field of medicine. They were the first to diagnose and treat certain diseases such as measles and smallpox. They established the world’s first school of pharmacy, where scientists discovered drugs, some of which are still in use today.

Doctors in the caliphate had to pass qualifying exams before they could practise medicine. Some of these doctors treated patients in Baghdad’s large hospitals. Others managed the government’s “moving hospitals.”

Doctors and nurses travelled to treat sick patients without charging them a fee. Such traveling teams carried beds, medicines, and other supplies by camel.

One of these outstanding medical scientists was Muhammad al-Razi who was known in Europe as Rhazes. He published a huge medical encyclopaedia to teach doctors how to treat many illnesses. Another medical pioneer was a Muslim doctor who lived in Persia. His name was Iben Sinah, or Avicenna in Latin.

Avicenna also wrote a large medical text. It was so valuable that it was used by medical students in Europe for 600 years. In it, he described how some diseases spread through air and water. He also wrote that stress could cause stomach problems and that cancer could be fought with surgery.

Avicenna was also a philosopher. He studied the works of the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, and his own ideas influenced thinkers about religion in later years in Europe.

New knowledge of maths

Muslim scholars studied the works of ancient Greek mathematicians and made important advances in mathematics. To replace the awkward system of Roman numerals then in use, they adopted ideas about numbers from India. This system, known as Hindu-Arabic numerals, is the system we use today.

Next week: Scientific advances

Folk tales of Sri Lanka:

How Saundiris became a demon

Retold by R.S. KARUNARATNE

Saundiris was a village Kattadiya (charmer) and a thovil dancer. But he never charged any money for his services. He did not even accept any gift from anyone. He was also a small-time cultivator. He used to protect his chena cultivation from wild animals by keeping a vigil in the small hut.

One day while he was singing a “Pelkavi” a beggar visited the hut.

“Gurunnanse, will you please allow me to spend the night in your hut? Although I am hungry, I can do without dinner,” he said. However, Saundiris felt very sorry for the hungry beggar and went home to bring something for him to eat.

While Saundiris was away, the beggar lit up a log fire to scare the wild animals. After some time he fell fast asleep. Meanwhile, the log fire spread and the small hut was reduced to ashes.

When Saundiris returned to the hut, he saw only a heap of ash. He was so frightened by the event that he ran into the thick jungle and hid himself behind a large nuga tree.

On the following morning, Saundiris’ wife Ranethana came to the hut carrying the breakfast. When she saw that Saundiris had been burnt to death she ran home to make funeral arrangements. When the night fell Saundiris felt very hungry. Then he decided to go home and eat something. He walked home in the pitch darkens and tapped on the door.

“Who’s that?”

“Can’t you recognise me? I am Saundiris”.

Ranethana thought the ghost of Saundiris had come and started screaming. On hearing her screams, her neighbours rushed to the scene with lighted torches. Meanwhile, Saundiris made a hasty retreat to his jungle hideout.

Saundiris thought of his predicament and decided to act as a real demon. So after the funeral he returned home and stole his mask and clothes he used during thovil ceremonies, thereafter he started visiting each house at night and ordered the villagers to leave food and drinks at the large nuga tree.

“If you don’t do so, you will face the consequences,” he warned.

Saundiris lived like a demon for many more years but he never wanted to visit the village thereafter.