Islam in Medieval Europe - Essay Example

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Introduction Back to date, Islam was an influential force in various parts of Europe. The kingdom of Islam and the medieval Europe have had close associations with each other for many years. Primarily, the state of Andalusia (756-1492) on the Iberian Peninsula, and later on the Crusades (1095-1291) and the Ottoman control of the Balkans (1389) brought about a steady interrelation connecting the two societies. Various historians and sociologists state today that Islam was the most important cause of the progress of Europe from the darkness of its middle Ages to the vividness of its Renaissance (Al-Azmeh and Fokas 45). At a point in time when Europe was remote in terms of medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and several other fields, Muslims acquired a huge treasure of information and great chances of improvement. This context therefore illustrates the coming of Islam to medieval Europe, their stay, the part they controlled, their contribution to Europe, their collapse and their leave. The arrival of Islam to Medieval Europe was in several ways, among them being through invasion (Ash 1). In their arrival, several people were converted into Islam. On the other hand, several people were against the Islamic religion and opted to be Non-Islamic. Islam was there in Europe from the start of its dawn about 630 AD. The Umayyad where the initial kingdom in Europe (711 AD) located where currently is Spain and Portugal. The initial occurrence that made the medieval Europeans responsive of Islam’s coming significant position in their lives was the caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab’s control of Jerusalem (638). This made Europe for the first time to understand that Islam was increasing and approaching its own boundaries. The key motive for the Crusades, initiated four centuries later, was for Jerusalem to be captured back from the Muslims. However, the Crusaders who planned this idea obtained a different thing, for the interaction they had with the Muslim world was the initial step headed for the rebirth of Europe (The History of Islam in Europe 1). Conquered by darkness, clashes, conflict, and dictatorship, Europe met the highly developed civilization of the Islamic world and saw that its citizens were both extremely wealthy and civilized, and also moderately developed in medicine, mathematics, astronomy as well as their communal lives. They also recognize that values like patience, understanding and kindness, seldom found in Europe at that moment were characteristics of the high ethics conveyed by Muslims, who acknowledged their religious duties (Al-Azmeh and Fokas 60). Since Muhammad, the originator of Islam was a fascinating leader with several qualities that were admirable and an obvious sense of a responsibility to raise his aggressive and primeval countrymen to an advanced level of culture. Sadly, he was not able to conquer a number of personal mistakes. The faith he established was inextricably polluted with the limitations of its superior prophet. The Islamic world has stayed in Europe for a long period; this was between the 6th and the 20th century (Ash 1). During this period, the Islam influenced the medieval Europe because they were backward in development. There are various parts of Europe that were controlled by the Islam. Islamic fighters had captured most of the Arabian Peninsula, together with a number of lands previously under power of the Byzantine kingdom. Southern and Eastern Europe was regularly in risk of being dominated by Muslim armies the whole time of the medieval era. The Moors attacked Spain in 711 and were in existence in southern Spain until 1492. In the 10th century, divisions of Eastern Europe, European Russia, and the Balkans were attacked. As the Crusades persisted, European people also had associations with a Muslim society much nearer to home: the Muslim Kingdom of Andalusia situated in the southern region of their own continent. Andalusia had a huge influence of culture upon Europe until its downfall in the late fifteenth century (Al-Azmeh and Fokas 100). Religious marginal clusters of the Ottoman kingdom were given substantial freedom in controlling their common affairs. Every society had its own religious/ political heads that intervened between the society and the state. Additionally to their mutual faithfulness, each member of the community, despite their religion, owed loyalty to two Ottoman officers, the leader of their profession and the leader of their housing quarter (Al-Azmeh and Fokas 105). The only issue at issue was religion. The crusades (from 1095 to 1272) were battled by European kings, lords and knights in opposition to Muslims who had defeated Christian regions in the Middle East that belonged to the Byzantine kingdom. Apparently the reason was to guarantee the security of the Christian places that were holy and the security of pilgrims moving from Europe to visit these sites. The motives of the Crusaders were mixed and the need for martial glory or to obtain wealth played as much role as Christian faithfulness. The Muslims made major contributions to the medieval Europe. Various areas were affected. Since 11th to 13th centuries, Europe appreciated knowledge from the development of Islam. Of fastidious significance was the breakthrough of the antique classic texts, most particularly the work of the Greek ordinary theorist Aristotle, via retransformation from Arabic. One historian stated that the world of Islam possessed a substantial effect on the growth of Western evolution and contributed to the success of the new beginning (The Impact of Islam on Medieval Europe 1). Despite their intention to rule the entire Europe, they brought about immense contributions that were very positive toward the development of civilization. At first, the medieval Europe did not welcome the contributions made by the Islam humanity, although later on they gained a lot from it. The effect of Islam in the field of medicine was that, one of the most significant medical works to be interpreted was Avicenna’s The Canon of Medicine (1025), which was interpreted into Latin and later publicized in document and printed outline all over Europe. It continued to be a typical textbook of medicine in Europe until the early contemporary time (The Impact of Islam on Medieval Europe 1). The impact of Islam on physics was that one of the most significant works of science to be interpreted was Ibn al-Haytham’s Book of Optics (1021), which started an upheaval in optics and visual awareness, and established the initial trial scientific method, for which Ibn al-Haytham is regarded as the father of contemporary optics. The upheaval of Muslim agriculture in particular disseminated a great number of crops and knowledge into medieval Europe, where agriculture was typically limited to wheat strain gained much earlier through central Asia. The developed production of sugar, silk and paper were conveyed from the world of Islam to middle age Europe. There were installations of factory and several developed mills to medieval Europe. The Islamic world also affected the field of education. The madrasah was the initial paradigm of a college, primarily teaching the law and theology of Islam (The Impact of Islam on Medieval Europe 1). Islamic world had an influence on the law. Several Islamic lawful ideas on human rights may have as well powered European lawful systems, including ideas like the liberal trust, property trusteeship, self-esteem of human beings and self-respect of labor. Several of these ideas were accepted in medieval Europe via links with Islamic Spain and Emirate of Sicily, and via the Crusades and the interpretations of Latin, of the 12th century. Islamic humanity had an influence on architecture, particularly gothic architecture. As said by one theorist, the advent of the sharp arch in Europe which approximately corresponded with the Norman invasion of Islamic Sicily in 1090, the Crusaders which started in 1096, and the presence of Islam in Spain, conveyed understanding of this important structural gadget. Although, Islamic architects had previously implemented the sharp arch from churches in Near Eastern and Byzantine bridge structure. Additionally, Europe implemented several educational, lawful and scientific organizations from the Islamic humanity, including the communal hospital and psychiatric sanatorium. A lot of musical instruments utilized in classical music are considered to have been originated from Arabic musical devices. Philosophy was also impacted by the Islamic humanity. From Islamic Spain, the Arabic theoretical literature was interpreted into Hebrew, Latin, and Ladino, adding to the growth of contemporary European philosophy (Islamic Contributions to Medieval Europe). In the 12th century, several unidentified fruits were established to Europe through the Middle East and North Africa: the artichoke, peaches, apricots and spinach. Several fresh techniques in clothing, and also fresh materials were established as well, this include muslin, satin and skirts. Trade methods were also conveyed: tax, customs and bazaars. Art was not left behind. Various methods from Islamic art created the foundation of Arab-Norman art: engraves in mosaics or metals, carving of ivory, carving of hard stones instituted a regium ergastrerium (Islamic Contributions to Medieval Europe). In economics, a number of writers have proposed a link between the economic growths made in the Renaissance and the merchant-motivated proto-entrepreneurship of the Caliphate era (9th -12th centuries), where a financial market financial system was generated on the foundation of an extensively circulated currency (the dinar) and the incorporation of financial areas that were independent previously. Principally essential to this financial system were planned forms of corporation like restricted corporations, and the ideas of credit, turnover, capital and capital growth (Al-Azmeh and Fokas 130). Despite their immense contribution in the medieval Europe, the Islam encountered downfalls that led to their departure. Trounce in Spain did not arise from the north; the conquerors of Muslim derived from the south. This turned out to be a victory. It was a rise of evolution, due to this; the richest and most radiant civilization recognized in Europe was born and prospered during the middle Ages amid the 8th and the 15th centuries (The History of Islam in Europe 1). Throughout this era northern people were destroyed by religious conflicts, and as they moved about in cruel hoards, the inhabitants of Andalusia exceeded thirty million. In this figure, which for the time was high, each race and faith moved about with freedom and with parity, and the rhythm of the society was very dynamic. The Non-Islamic regions were not so much into the leadership of Islam; they therefore made plans regarding the rebellion of Islam leadership. Finally, Andalusia came to an end in 1492 with the collapse of Granada, the very last realm of Muslim on the Iberian Peninsula. Europeans therefore encountered the Ottoman territory, which was starting to progress in the Balkans in the fifteenth century because of various triumphs and heap conversions between the people of Balkan. This switch was by no means forced or acquired by pressure. Another factor that led to the collapse of the Islamic rule is that, Islamic imperialism, similar to others, ultimately reaches geographic boundaries. Its lines of contacts and provision are overextended and a force of grim conflict crop up on the part of though unconquered nations (The History of Islam in Europe 1). Thus, the increase of the different Muslim kingdoms were finally cut short and in several cases other evolutions adopted areas of the military spirit of holy battle in simulation of the Islamic meme. Several countries were managed by Muslim martial and Muslim proprietors or were protectorate states of Islamic kingdoms at one moment from the 8th century to the 20th century (Wakefield 1). The defeating Muslim armies rapidly restrained non-Muslim regions that were essentially ill organized for the attacking forces; non-Muslims were consequently powerfully defeated, with Islamic rules and customs. The ruling of Muslims was with an inhuman iron-fist. For centuries, Non-Muslims developed to fight back the Islamic powers, until they succeeded in triumph and endured. Several Non-Muslims stated that they would prefer to die than to surrender to Islam. Because of the tough rebellion from the Non-Muslims in Europe, the Islam could no longer survive and they eventually lost the battle (Al-Azmeh and Fokas 145). Conclusion Today, the Islamic humanity remains an immeasurable land extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with a significant presence in Europe and America, dynamic by the teachings of Islam and looking to emphasize its own characteristics. Regardless of the existence of nationalism and different worldly beliefs in their midst, Muslims desire to live in the contemporary world although without plainly mimicking blindly the techniques that the West follow. The world of Islam desires to live at peace with the West and also the East however at the same time, not to be conquered by them. The desire to be understood by the West was very essential so that their relations could be better in terms of business amongst other development things. The Islamic humanity desires to dedicate its resources and efforts to making a better life for its people on the grounds of the teachings of Islam and not to misuse its possessions in conflicts that are either internal or external. Finally it wishes to create better consideration with the West and to be better appreciated by the West. The Islamic humanity and the West destinies cannot be completely disconnected and hence it is only in accepting each other better that they can provide service to their own people more effectively and also contribute to an enhanced life for the entire humanity. Although the coming of Islam in the medieval Europe had great impact in terms of medicine, architecture, music, technology, education and physics, it had to be overruled because of its inhuman ruling toward Non-Islam. Works Cited Al-Azmeh, Aziz and Fokas Effie. Islam in Europe: Diversity, Identity and Influence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print. Ash, Timothy. Islam in Europe. The New York Review of Books, 5 October 2006. Web. 23 November 2011. “Islamic Contributions to Medieval Europe.” eNotes.com, 10 March 2010. Web. 23 November 2011. “The History of Islam in Europe.” The Rise of Islam.com. Harun Yahya, 06 March 2010. Web. 23 November 2011. “The Impact of Islam on Medieval Europe.” Islam Watch, 21 July 2009. Web. 23 November 2011. Wakefield, Dexter. “An Islamic Europe?.” Tomorrow’s World 10 May 2006: 1. Print. Read More