last week we examined the spread of Christianity and Buddhism. In addition, we explored the rise and fall of the Byzantine empire and understood how the Bosporus became a major linkage between Europe and Asia. We saw how the silk roads connected east and west, and it is in this region of connection that we spend this week. In our study of the birth of Islam and the societies it spawned, we will examine the background of Islam, the influence of Muhammad, the Islamic conquest, and the divided Islamic communities that emerged after the death of Muhammad.The spread of Islamic challenged European societies, so in addition to examining Islam, we will see the impact of the spread of Islam on medieval Europe. After a study of the conflict between Islam and Christianity during the medieval period, which will include a study of the crusades, we will revisit Asia to examine the influence of Chinese civilization on Japan. The transmissions of key elements in Chinese culture to the offshore islands, that came to make up Japan provides one of the most important examples of the spread of civilization from a central core area to neighboring or overseas people.