Despite the disintegration of the abbasid caliphate, islam continued to spread across afro-eurasia in the period 1200-1450 primarily because of which of the following?
a. the conquest of the christian crusader states in the levant
b. the activities of sufi missionaries
c. the voyages of the muslim eunuch zheng he
d. the translation activities of muslim scholars

Despite the disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate, Islam continued to spread across Afro-Eurasia in the period 1200-1450 primarily because of the activities of Sufi missionaries.

Option B

Explanation:

The activities of Sufi missionaries gained pace after the downfall of the Abbasid Caliphate. These missionaries were determined to disseminate the religion through a better understanding of the religion and by propounding that Islam is all about love and compassion.

Most Sufi missionaries took up campaigns to convert non-Muslims to Islam through non-violent means.

The answer is B. The activities of Sufi missionaries made Islam continued to spread across Afro-Eurasia.

EXPLANATION

Islamic missionary exertion is also known as Dakwah. Its purpose is to invite people to Islam. After the 7th century (the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), Islam was spread rapidly, starting from the Arabian Peninsula to the rest of the world. Islam was spread through Muslim conquest, and even by trade and exploration.

In 1200-1245, Islam kept being spread because of Sufi missionaries. Berke, Genghis Khan’s grandson, converted to Islam. He was one of the few Mongol rulers to eventually convert to Islam. Saif Ud-Din Dervish was the one who converted him. The Mamluk ruler Baibars converted a lot of Golden Horde Mongols to Islam.  

They played a very important role in Islam conversion. This happened because Baibars had a strong connection with the Mongols of Golden Horde. Baibars then took the Mongols od Golden Horde to Egypt, and their arrival to Egypt made a lot of them ended up accepting Islam. This has developed until three of the four khanates of the Mongol Empire became Muslim.

Missionaries would discover an easier passage to the lands because of the conquest of Anatolia by the Seljuk Turks. Turkic form of Shamanism was still practiced in Anatolia, before the stages of the Ottoman Empire. They then started to give in and believed in the mysticism that was offered by the Sufism. Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, the one who migrated from Khorasan to Anatolia, gave teachings that could be good examples of Sufism’s mystical aspect.

LEARN MORE

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend you to also take a look at the following questions:

Abbasid dynasty is known for: link  

Post-partition fighting between Hindus and Muslims: link  

KEYWORD: Abbasid Caliphate, Islam, Sufi, dakwah  

Subject: History

Class: 7-9

Subchapter: Sufism