Baghdad in the 11th century
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe Baghdad in the 11th century and its connections to the wider Islamic world.
Key learning points
- Baghdad was in decline by the 11th century.
- The Abbasids remained the nominal rulers of much of the Middle East.
- Power over government really lay with groups like the Seljuks.
- The Islamic world was more fragmented that it superficially appeared.
Keywords
Abbasid - an Abbasid is a member of the third dynasty of caliphs that ruled the Islamic Empire after Muhammad (PBUH)
Caliphate - a caliphate is an Islamic state, especially one ruled by a single religious and political leader
Extent - the size of something can be described as its extent
Caliph - a caliph is a political and religious leader of Muslim communities
Seljuks - the Seljuks were a Muslim group from Central Asia
Common misconception
Because the Abbasid Caliphate was large, the caliphs must have retained a lot of power.
Remind pupils that the caliphs had little effective power beyond Baghdad itself by the 11th century and the Seljuks became de facto rulers.
Teacher tip
Begin learning cycle 3 by focusing on the map of the Abbasid Caliphate. Highlight the position of Baghdad and ask why it might be difficult for the caliphs to keep control over all of the land which was a part of the Caliphate.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which group of people made up the majority of the population in the Islamic world?
Q2.Most people in medieval Europe were part of the religion.
Q3.Which religion had a 'golden age' from the 8th century until the 13th century?
Q4.Who was the head of Christianity in medieval western Europe?
Q5.Starting with the earliest, sort the years into chronological order.
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort the years into chronological order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match up each keyword with the correct definition.
an Islamic state
a Muslim group from Central Asia
a political and religious leader of Muslim communities
Q2.What were Abbasid leaders known as?
Q3.Which three areas were part of the Abbasid Caliphate?
Q4.What was set up in Baghdad in 1065?
Q5.Write the missing word. The Abbasid caliph was only able to regain control over Baghdad in 1057 with the help of the ...
Q6.Which statement about local governors in the Abbasid Caliphate during the 11th century is most accurate?
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Baghdad in the 11th century, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Baghdad in the 11th century, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the 11th-century Islamic worlds: how similar were the regions of the Islamic world? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.