The Rise of Islam History Map

The Rise of Islam history map, timeline and full historical narrativeThe TimeMap looks at how the Islamic religion spread so far and so fast. It covers the rise of the huge Islamic empire from its origins in Arabia, to its conquests of the Middle East, North Africa, Spain and western India.

Unlike any other major faith in the world today, Islam began its expansion as a political and military movement which created one of the largest empires in history (this empire is called the “Caliphate”). The rise of the Caliphate meant that the early history of Islam shaped world history in a quite unique way.

The purpose of the unit is to give pupils an overall understanding of the rise of Islam in the time of Mohammed and in the century or so after his death. It deals with such questions as :

In what period of history did this episode occur? Over what time frame did it take place?

What geographical areas and civilizations were affected?

What was the nature of the spread of the new faith?

What were the key events in the rise of Islam?

Why was this such a dramatic and important process in world history?

What were its causes, and what its effects?

This TimeMap also looks at the way the leadership of the Islamic community had to evolve to meet changing circumstances, and what challenges the new faith faced as it expanded.

The TimeMap will give students a clear grasp of the chronology of the early Islamic period; the causes and effects of the spread of Islam; what changed, and what remained the same, as a result of the rise of Islam; the impact of geography upon history, as seen in the specific location of Muslim origins in the Arabian peninsula; and the influence of global connections, apparent in the influence of the pre-existing Persian, Indian and Roman civilizations upon Islamic civilization.

Opportunities are offered for students to think about the significance of different events (for example, the Battle of Tours - did it save Europe from Islamic conquest or not?) and the contrasting interpretations placed upon them by contemporary and later commentators.