- Date:
- 750 - 1258
- Major Events:
- Zanj rebellion
ʿAbbasid caliphate
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What was the ʿAbbasid caliphate?
The ʿAbbasid Caliphate was the second of Islam's two great caliphate dynasties, rising to power in 750 CE by overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate. The ʿAbbasid dynasty traces its name to al-ʿAbbās, an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad.
Turning eastward, the ʿAbbasids shifted the caliphate's focus from the West and established their capital in Baghdad. The ʿAbbasid Empire became more international as it grew, emphasizing inclusion in the community of believers rather than Arab ethnicity. The dynasty fell in 1258 during a Mongol siege of Baghdad.
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When and where did the ʿAbbasid caliphate begin?
The Abbasid caliphate began in 747 CE with an open revolt against the Umayyad caliphate in Khorasan, led by Abu Muslim. In 750, Marwan II, the last Umayyad caliph, was defeated at the Battle of the Great Zab River in Mesopotamia. Subsequently, Abu al-\'Abbas al-Saffah was proclaimed the first Abbasid caliph in the mosque at Kufah.
Under the Abbasids, the caliphate shifted its focus eastward and, in 762-763, the capital was moved to Baghdad. The Abbasid caliphate was overthrown by the Mongol invasion in 1258.
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Who founded the ʿAbbasid caliphate and why?
The ʿAbbasid caliphate was founded by the family of al-ʿAbbās, an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. From about 718 CE, the family worked to take control of the empire from the Umayyads. By employing skillful propaganda, they gained support, especially from Shiʿi Arabs and Persians in Khorāsān.
Open revolt in 747, under the leadership of Abū Muslim, led to the defeat of Marwān II, the last Umayyad caliph, at the Battle of the Great Zab River (750) and to the proclamation of the first Abbasid caliph, Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Saffāḥ. The Abbasids owed the success of their revolt to their appeal to various groups and to the aid of the Shiʿah.
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How was the ʿAbbasid caliphate different from the Umayyad caliphate before it?
The ʿAbbasid caliphate differed significantly from the Umayyad caliphate. The Umayyads focused westward, but the ʿAbbasids shifted eastward, establishing their capital in Baghdad and closely monitoring Persia and Transoxania. The ʿAbbasids embraced a more international base, emphasizing the community of believers over Arab nationality, which contrasted with the Umayyad's focus on the West.
The ʿAbbasids symbolized their connection with pre-Islamic predecessors by founding Baghdad near the old Sasanian capital. They also adopted many Persian governmental traditions and, with the support of pious Muslims, publicly acknowledged Islamic law as the basis of their rule. They also encouraged translation from pre-Islamic languages, particularly Middle Persian, Greek, and Syriac.
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What was life like in the capital city of Baghdad during the ʿAbbasid caliphate?
During the Abbasid caliphate, Baghdad was a prosperous and cosmopolitan center of Arab and Islamic civilization. Founded in 762 by al-Manṣūr, the second caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, Baghdad quickly grew to become one of the largest cities in the world, possibly reaching as many as 500,000 inhabitants by the year 800.
Baghdad was a major commercial hub, with ships arriving from China, India, and East Africa. The city was also a center of intellectual life, with Caliph al-Maʾmūn encouraging the translation of ancient Greek works into Arabic and founding the Bayt al-Ḥikmah (House of Wisdom), an academy with a library and observatory.
Baghdadis enjoyed gardens and family recreation, with restaurants, cafes, and public parks filled with people on weekends. Despite later periods of war and economic hardship, Baghdad has maintained its mystique as a sophisticated city with a rich cultural life.
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What important contributions to science, culture, or learning happened during the ʿAbbasid caliphate?
During its rule from 750 to 1258 CE, the Abbasid caliphate fostered significant contributions to science, culture and learning, particularly between 750 and 833 CE. The Abbasids shifted the empire's focus eastward, with a new capital in Baghdad, becoming a hub for intellectual exchange.
The House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikmah) in Baghdad, fostered by Caliphs like al-Manṣūr, Hārūn al-Rashīd and al-Maʾmūn, became a center for translation and scholarship, preserving Persian heritage and Hellenistic thought. Scholars made advances in mathematics, including algebra (derived from the Arabic "al-jabr") and algorithms. The Abbasids also supported the arts, industry, and commerce, with Baghdad becoming a major metropolis on the Silk Road.
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ʿAbbasid caliphate, second of the two great dynasties of the Muslim empire of the caliphate. It overthrew the Umayyad caliphate in 750 ce and reigned as the Abbasid caliphate until it was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in 1258.
The name is derived from that of the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, al-ʿAbbās (died c. 653) of the Hashemite clan of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. From about 718, members of his family worked to gain control of the empire from the Umayyads and, by skillful propaganda, won much support, especially from Shiʿi Arabs and Persians in Khorāsān. Open revolt in 747, under the leadership of Abū Muslim, led to the defeat of Marwān II, the last Umayyad caliph, at the Battle of the Great Zab River (750) in Mesopotamia and to the proclamation of the first Abbasid caliph, Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Saffāḥ.
Under the Abbasids the caliphate entered a new phase. Instead of focusing, as the Umayyads had done, on the West—on North Africa, the Mediterranean, and southern Europe—the caliphate now turned eastward. The capital was moved to the new city of Baghdad, and 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 caliphal status. With the rise of the Abbasids, the base for influence in the empire became international, emphasizing membership in the community of believers rather than Arab nationality. Since much support for the Abbasids came from Persian converts, it was natural for the Abbasids to take over much of the Persian (Sasanian) tradition of government. Support by pious Muslims likewise led the Abbasids to acknowledge publicly the embryonic Islamic law and to profess to base their rule on the religion of Islam.
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Between 750 and 833 the Abbasids raised the prestige and power of the empire, promoting commerce, industry, arts, and science, particularly during the reigns of al-Manṣūr, Hārūn al-Rashīd, and al-Maʾmūn. Their temporal power, however, began to decline when al-Muʿtaṣim introduced non-Muslim Berber, Slav, and especially Turkish mercenary forces into his personal army. Although these troops were converted to Islam, the base of imperial unity through religion was gone, and some of the new army officers quickly learned to control the caliphate through assassination of any caliph who would not accede to their demands.
The power of the army officers had already weakened through internal rivalries when the Iranian Būyids entered Baghdad in 945, demanding of al-Mustakfī (944–946) that they be recognized as the sole rulers of the territory they controlled. This event initiated a century-long period in which much of the empire was ruled by local dynasties. In 1055 the Abbasids were overpowered by the Seljuqs, who took what temporal power may have been left to the caliph but respected his position as the titular leader, restoring the authority of the caliphate, especially during the reigns of al-Mustarshid (1118–35), al-Muqtafī, and al-Nāṣir. Soon after, in 1258, the dynasty fell during a Mongol siege of Baghdad.