World History I

Chapter 10: Islamic Civilization and Byzantium
600-1300 CE

47: Wed, Feb 25, 2026

Please post in the forum for the day a short essay in response to this question:

The concept of umma or ummah (ummat al-Islamiyah) is critical to the Islamic view of community and culture. How does this concept compare with the concept of Christian community in the Latin West and Byzantium?

How do these concepts of religious communities contribute to

• The creation of a diverse metropolitan culture in Constantinople?
• Muhammad’s unification of Arab tribes?
• The creation of a large and diverse metropolitan culture in Baghdad and Córdoba?
• The eventual development of rival communities of sects within each religion?
• The eventual assimilation of immigrating tribes in the Balkans and central Asia?
• How do these factors influence the development of commonwealths? (be sure to define what you think a commonwealth is, in the context of our text!)

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