Abbasid Empire

1. The Abbasid Empire was founded by non-Arabic Muslims and the Abbasids, during their reign, adopted Iranian culture. By doing so, they sparked cultural divisions in Islam.

2. In 762 they shifted the Islamic capital from Damascus to Baghdad along the Tigris River, which brought a unique intermingling of Persian and Semitic culture and a new office-the vizier.

3. The “Golden Age” 786-809 Harun al-Rashid’s rule initiated great intellectual achievement, especially in medicine. It even influenced the European Renaissance!

4. Advancements were made in Arabic learning and Hellenistic practices were used often and preserved in Islam.

5. Al-Ma’mun (rashid’s son and successor) seized the caliphate in 813, during this time his brother assembled a strong military force of Turks. This was important because by the middle of al-Wathig’s reign, the Turk army had replaced Arab and Persian caliph army.

6. The Abbasid was in conflict with the Shias and instead welcomed Sunnis, leading to several internal conflicts. As a result, the Berbers set up an independent state in north Africa in 801, shortly after and uprising in Mecca in 780.

7. From 750-754, Abul Abbass became the caliphate, and his successor, Abu Ja’far al-Mansur used power to set up administrative rules which characterized Islam Government. The early years of the Abbasid Empire was marked by consolidating power through ruthless means.

8. Cities were marked by lighted streets, public baths, public libraries, and hospitals

9. The Abbasid had wealth, learning, architecture and art. Although they were not really bent on imperialistic expansion, they grew through military activity.

10. Decline = the Turks gained influence and power and regional revolts for independence lead to its decline. Rule finally ended when the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258.

Quotes

“The success of the first crusade in 1096 in taking Jerusalem, Israel, and Lebanon was due largely to the gradual decline of the Abbasid Empire.”

“The capital moved to Baghdad and the events in Persia and Transoxania were closely watched. For the first time the caliphate was not coterminous with Islam; In Egypt, North Africa, Spain and elsewhere, local dynasties claimed caliphate status, with the rise of the Abbasid, the base for influence in the empire became international, with emphasis on members in the community rather than Arab nationality.”

“A number of medieval thinkers and scientists living under Islamic rule played a role in transmitting Greek, Hindu, and other pre-Islamic knowledge to the Christian west. They contributed to making Aristotle known in Christian Europe. In addition, the period saw the recovery of much of the Alexandrian mathematics, geometry, and astronomical knowledge such as that of the Euclides.”

Summary Paragraph

The Abbasid Empire began in 750 AD after it overthrew the Umayyad caliph’s which had turned to secularism. The Abbasid Empire matters to the rest of the world because of several reasons. First, it played a prominent role in fusing several cultures in the Islamic world, largely in part by the move of the capital from Damascus, Syria, to Baghdad, Iraq. Secondly, it was an era of great learning and intellectual development, and it revived the knowledge from Alexandra and Greek culture, thus playing a part in beginning the Renaissance and the ideas of Aristotle and Plato, which ultimately transformed the European dark ages into a time of light and learning. Thirdly, the Abbasid Empire linked the east and the west. In addition to these, the Abbasid Empire, by its consolidation of the Turkish army, lead to the growth of the Ottoman empire centuries later. As evident, the Abbasid empire served as an important link between the world and culture of the east and west, and their innovations have directly related to the achievements of the European renaissance. However, their decline was marked by regional revolts for independence, civil war between the sons of the ruler, and growing Turkish influence until the sultan was the real power behind the throne, thus ending the Abbasid’s long and influential reign.

Natalie Colla, 2006