The Technology of the Medieval Islamic World

The Technology of the Medieval Islamic World

Overview

For centuries during the European Middle Ages, non-European cultures continued to make progress in science and technology, only marginally affected by Europe's troubles and relative stagnation. Among these cultures, the Islamic world stands out for having made particularly important contributions, in part because of the location of Islamic nations between the learning centers of the East and Europe. During these centuries, Islamic scholars not only retained the best of ancient and classical European discoveries, but they also augmented these with many discoveries of their own and some that were imported from India and China. Among the areas in which Islamic scientists made significant contributions are metallurgy, glassmaking, architecture, chemistry, military engineering, and what is now known as civil engineering. Some of these developments were transferred to Europe through trade, others during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula, and still more during the Crusades. The introduction of Islamic science and technology into Europe through these various routes of encounter was an important factor that helped bring Europe into the Renaissance.

Background

The Roman Empire collapsed in the fifth century A.D., destroyed by a combination of barbarian armies and cultural decay.

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