10/18/12
AP World History
Block 8
DBQ
After reviewing these documents, it is clear that the Islamic civilization was able to besiege such an extensive empire by spreading the Islamic belief throughout various methods. Throughout these documents, Islam is shown to spread quickly because of the Muslim’s respect toward other people’s religion. Furthermore, Muslims also used war and battle to grow the Islamic empire and reach other lands. Finally, the Islamic civilization practiced a moral principle – equality – to encompass an extensive empire of the Islamic belief.
Islam is shown to spread quickly because of the Muslim’s respect toward other people’s religion. J.J. Sounders (Doc # 5) states, “ Mohammed respected the older monotheistic faiths… he called them “People of the Book”… they were not forced into Islam but were allowed to retain their ancestral religion on payment of tribute.” J.J. Sounders states that Mohammed respected other religions, which, in turn, allowed the Islamic civilization to grow. J.J. Sounders also states that Mohammed allowed other people to keep their faith by paying a tribute; this also shows respect toward other religions by the Muslims. Mohammed himself asks other people that are not of the Islamic belief to pay tribute and be spared (Doc #1). Mohammed respects other beliefs by giving the non-Islamic people options which included an option to just pay a tribute instead of attacking them without warning just because they were of another belief.
Muslims used war and battle to grow the Islamic empire and reach other lands, thus encompassing an extensive empire. The Muslim style of fighting greatly enhanced the way they could obtain new land as shown in document #4 which describes the Muslims striking their enemies and laying waist to the country as well as showing the Muslims fighting style by comparing it to “the fury and cruelty of raging tigers”. The fighting style in the Battle of Tours definitely helped