Midterm Exam Questions

Starting today and finishing tomorrow, I will have a 4-hour window of opportunity to answer the mid-term exam questions for HIST 18 - The History of the Middle East, taken online from Foothill College, taught by D. Davison, and using the text by Bernard Lewis (see earlier post). Last week Dr. Davison released a list of 5 possible questions. Of these, she will select three to actually present for the midterm exam, and we are to select two to respond to. So, here's the list of the questions:

1. Why did Islam spread so easily through the Middle East? What were the major tenets of Islam, and why was the faith so readily accepted by the peoples living in Mecca and Medina?

2. The Umayyads played a major role in the expansion of Islam. What did they accomplish, and why were they so important for the spread of the Islamic faith?

3. The Golden Age of Islam, during the reign of the Abbasids, was one of the greatest periods of creativity and discovery in all of Islamic history. What were the major accomplishments of the Golden Age, and how did the Abbasids contribute to the glory of the time?

4. The rise and spread of the Mongols was devastating to the Middle East and Europe. What impact did the Mongols have, and why were they an important element in the development of the Middle East?

5. What were the origins of authority for the Islamic world? How did the various elements of authority (the Qur’an, the shari’a, caliphs, sultans, etc) work with each other?