Worlds Together, Worlds Apart - Essay Example

The fifteenth century financial crisis also meant a stop to financing to the influential and controlling marabouts and Sharifian families (Tignor, Adelman, Aron, Kotkin, and Marchand). The Islamic dynasties of the fifteenth century responded through the disruption of trade networks in the quest to rebuild devastated polities. The new polities enjoyed support because of the establishment of hereditary ruling families.

Clear rules of succession promoted stability in the regions and enabled dynasties to form alliances and strengthen their armies. The Islamic dynasties of the sixteenth century focused on state-building efforts through religion and taxes. In consequence, they enjoyed substantial prolonged existence and impact on the masses. New administrative practices were common in their responses. The leaders enhanced local religious and cultural traditions, and religious harmony enhanced the much-needed economic progress.

2The Mali, Baghdad, and Cairo Muslim societies served as commercial trading centers. In Mali, the indigenous African dynasty adopted Islam through nonviolent means, while India was marred with brutal attacks against Hindu and Buddhist temples. In India, the Islamic society took some time before it stabilized and enjoyed peace because it relied on fear to keep subjects subservient. India was split into Muslim and Hindu territories while Africans in Mali largely accepted Islam. The Muslim societies that emerged in Mali prospered because of the vastness of the region.

The traditional Muslim societies in Baghdad and Cairo faced political divisions because of religious differences. In Cairo, different social groups applied Islam differently because it was seen as a complex and diverse religion. Even so, they all agreed on the basic tenets of the religion. The early forms of Muslim cultures were guided by Arab influences, and most of the tenets were adopted from the behaviors common with Arabs. Baghdad and Cairo also depended on trade largely to expand their boundaries and fortify the spread of Islam.

The different political and social contexts affected the forms of Islam practiced by local rulers in several ways. Older Muslim societies were homogenous as compared to newer societies that were more diverse. The lack of homogeneity changed the manner in which local rulers administered Islam. A centralized political authority promoted an Islamic legal system. The social context in India was different because of the strong influence of Hinduism. There were rebellions in several regions as Islam took some time to gain acceptance in most regions.

Today, although Muslims dominate most of the regions, there are still some traces of other religions such as Christianity and Hinduism.