The Abbasid Caliphate: Islam's Golden Age

Overview

• The Abbasid Caliphate ruled over the Islamic world for five centuries.
• Oversaw an era of military dominance, city-building, scholarship, and technological innovation.
• Reign remembered as Islam's Golden Age.

Origins

• 632 AD: Death of Prophet Muhammad; Muslims united under Abu Bakr.
• Defeated Eastern Roman and Sassanian Empires.
• 656: Uthman assassinated, leading to the first Muslim civil war (fitna).
• 661: Muawiya establishes the Umayyad Caliphate post-civil war.

Rise of the Abbasids

• 680: Husayn (Prophet's grandson) defeated at the Battle of Karbala. His supporters become Shiites.
• Umayyads became unpopular, resulting in heavy taxation and discrimination against non-Muslims (Dhimmi) and converted Muslims (Mawali).
• 747: Abu Muslim leads a revolt in Khorasan, symbolized by the Black Banner.
• 750: Victory at the Battle of Zab River; Marwan II defeated; start of Abbasid Caliphate.

Consolidation and Expansion

• 751: Battle of Talas against the Chinese Tang Dynasty.
• Abbasids establish Baghdad as their capital in 762.

Cultural and Scientific Flourishing

• Baghdad becomes a center for Islamic culture and learning.
• House of Wisdom: Major center for translations and original works.
• Prominent scholars:
  • Al-Kindi: Philosopher
  • Al-Khwarizmi: Father of Algebra
  • Hunayn ibn Ishaq: Translator
• Innovations in art, pottery, and reliance on the Silk Road for trade.

Political Struggles and Military Developments

• Introduction of Turkish slave soldiers (Mamluks) as an elite military force.
• Construction of Samarra for Turkish garrisons, leading to unrest and power struggles.
• 861: Assassination of Caliph Al-Mutawakil, start of the Decade of Anarchy.

Decline

• Civil wars and fragmentation of the Caliphate.
• Loss of authority in regions such as Egypt and Arabian Peninsula.
• Emergence of rival dynasties like the Tulunids in Egypt and the Saffarids in Persia.
• 945: Buwayhids control Baghdad, Abbasids remain as figureheads.
• 1258: Mongol destruction of Baghdad; Caliph Al-Musta’sim killed.

Legacy

• Abbasid Caliphs continued as figureheads under the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt and later the Ottoman Empire.
• The Abbasid era is remembered for vast contributions to culture, science, technology, and governance.