a result.
History
Ancient farmers irrigated crops by channeling
river water. The Egyptians first
used Nile River water about 7,000 years
ago. The people in Mesopotamia (what
is now Iraq) used the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers. The people of the ancient
Indus Valley civilization used the Indus
River. The ancient Chinese used the
Huang He, or Yellow River.
Native Americans were using irrigation
more than 2,000 years ago. The Inca of
Peru developed an advanced farming
civilization based on irrigation. In about
AD 1200 the Hohokam Indians built
irrigation systems in what is now the
U.S. state of Arizona.
Since then more and more land has
come under irrigation. In the 1900s the
U.S. government built many large dams
for irrigation purposes. In the early 21st
century India, China, the United States,
and Pakistan had more irrigated land
than any other countries.
#More to explore
Agriculture •Water
Isabella
#see Ferdinand and Isabella.
Isis and Osiris
Isis and Osiris were among the most
important gods in ancient Egyptian
mythology. Osiris was the god of the
dead. He was also the god of crops and
plentiful growth. Isis was his wife and
An overhead sprinkler system waters the
crops on a farm in France.
162 Isabella BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
sister. She was a mother goddess believed
to have great magical powers. Isis and
Osiris had a son named Horus. The
Egyptians considered Isis and Horus to
be the perfect mother and child.
According to legend, Osiris and Isis had
a brother named Seth (or Set). Seth was
a god of violence and disorder. He
tricked Osiris into climbing into a
wooden box. When Osiris climbed in,
Seth slammed the lid shut. He threw the
box into the Nile River, sending Osiris
to his death.
Stories tell that Isis mourned her husband’s
death deeply. She recovered
Osiris’ body and buried him. Isis then
used her great magic to give new life to
Osiris. From then on, he was considered
the ruler of the land of the dead, or
underworld. Osiris was said to grant
people life after death in the underworld.
#More to explore
Egypt, Ancient • Mythology
Islam
Islam is one of the world’s major religions.
Its founder was Muhammad.
Islam has about 1.3 billion followers
worldwide. Most of the followers of
Islam, called Muslims, live in North
Africa, the Middle East, and southern
and central Asia.
Beliefs
At the core of Islam is this idea: “There
is no God but Allah, and Muhammad
is the prophet of Allah.” Muslims
believe that Allah created the universe
and that humans must submit to his
will. The content of the Koran, the
Muslims
consider
Adam, Noah,
Abraham,
Moses, and
Jesus to be
prophets.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped many
gods. Isis (right) and Osiris were two of the
most important gods.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Islam 163
holy book of Islam, is believed by
Muslims to be the word of Allah as told
to Muhammad.
Practices
Five duties, called the five pillars of
Islam, are expected of every Muslim.
The first is the most important: to profess
that there is one God and that
Muhammad was his prophet. The second
duty is prayer. Muslims pray five
times a day. On Fridays communities
gather at a place of worship, called a
mosque, for special prayers. The third
duty is charity. The fourth duty is to
fast, or refuse to eat, from sunrise to
sunset during the holy month of
Ramadan. The fifth duty is to make a
pilgrimage, or journey, to the holy city
of Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once.
Divisions
There are two major branches of Islam.
Most Muslims belong to the Sunnah
branch. They are called Sunnites. Sunnites
are known as traditional Muslims.
They follow the sayings of Muhammad
and emphasize community.
Members of the smaller Shi!ah branch
are called Shi!ites. They believe that the
truths of the Koran are revealed only
through a community leader called the
imam. Interpretations by other people
are not accepted. For this reason Shi!ites
are not as open to other views as Sunnites
are.
History
Muhammad
According to Muslims, in 610 an angel
told Muhammad that Allah had chosen
him as a prophet. Throughout his life,
Muhammad continued to receive messages
that he believed came from God.
The idea that there is only one God was
unusual for Arabs at the time. Many
people in Muhammad’s hometown of
Muslims pray at a mosque in India.
Some Important Islamic Holidays
Holiday Meaning Date
Ramadan a month of fasting, or not eating, during ninth month of the Islamic calendar
daylight hours
!Id al-Fitr celebration of the end of Ramadan first three days of the 10th month
of the Islamic calendar
!Id al-Adha end of the time of the hajj, or the journey begins on the 10th day of the
to Mecca last month of the Islamic calendar
and lasts for four days
Note: The Islamic calendar is based on the Moon, so the holidays may occur in different seasons.
164 Islam BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mecca disliked the new religion because
of that belief. To avoid their hostility,
Muhammad encouraged his followers to
move to the nearby city of Medina.
Muhammad’s journey to Medina ended
on September 24, 622, which is considered
the starting point of Islamic history.
Division and Spread of Islam
