The Abbasid Caliphate

Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib

Namesake for the Abbasid Caliphate and the Sons of Abbas. He converted late, was the uncle of Muhammad

Umayyad discontents

Abbasids capitalized on discontent with the Umayyads of various groups, bringing them all together

Abu Muslim

Abbasid general who conquers multiple cities for the Abbasids - Merv, Kufa, and Damascus, the last of which was important because it was the capital of the Umayyads. He was originally a mawla, Abu Muslim is his post-conversion name

As-Saffah

Declared caliph in Kufa, a Messianic title. Implies association with Mahdi, an end-times figure

al-Mansur

Man who declares himself caliph in 754 after as-Saffah died. Had to kill people to get this role, including Abu Muslim who was seen as a threat - basically any prominent members of the revolution were killed by him

Baghdad

Capital established under al-Mansur. Didn’t have a lot going on before this. Was set up circular, unlike the Amsars which were square/rectangular

Mosque-Palace Complex

At the core of Baghdad, meant to reflect the universality of Abbasid powerA

Abbasid Court Life

Reflection of grandeur under the Persians, particularly since it was generated in Khorasan which had post-Sasanian roots

Harun al-Rashid

Guy who shows up in Tales from the Thousand and One nights, a super famous Abbasid caliph known for his extravagance

Social mobility

Insecurity with power at the top that results in easy rising of the ranks. If you gain the interest of the caliph, you can rise easily. Like this one guy wrote a great poem and became instantly elevated

Khaizuran

Harun’s mother who was a slave from Yemen who was a favorite of Harun’s father. She had tremendous influence because of this, her brother becoming governor and her sister marrying a prince. Filthy rich in her own right!

Patriarchy

Women could only have power if they bear an heir. Careful distinctions made between women and men in the Abbasid caliphate, such as a bridge built specifically for women

Abbasid armies

Massive armies that depended on Mawali people and slave soldiers, bringing in people from outer periphery of the realm

Vizier

A governor who serves as the right hand man of the caliph. Sometimes becomes super powerful, and leads to dynastic succession

Yahya the Barmakid

Example of dynastic succession of a vizier

Centralization

Disagreements over this. People within the realm think power should be dispersed to local governments and armies. Viziers and caliphs pro-this, however

Irrigation

Systems renovated resulting in a lot of agricultural output

Abbasid commerce

Trade routes run through Baghdad, generating wealth. Goods like ivory, ceramics, and technology 

Caravans

Merchants alongside this route, Baghdad as a metropolis

Paper-making

Paper being made in China, which is picked up by the Abbasids, resulting in an influx of texts

Great Translation Movement

Ancient texts translated to Arabic in a big movement. Anyone with clout and resources is contributing to this, for two centuries

Paper mills

Sprouting up everywhere, a moment of mixing and fermenting of a richly multicultural society

Sasanian political ideology

Abbasids had many supporters from Persians. They believed and spread the idea that Abbasids were not only descended from Muhammad, but also Sasanians. Abbasids echoing Sasanian ideas of syncretic knowledge

Bayt al-Hikmah

Borrowing of a Persian institution. A storehouse of books related to the history of Persia. Kinda like an archive, akin to a library, part of the state apparatus. Fostered a climate of the Great Translation

al-Mahdi

Caliph who commissioned Aristotle’s Topics to be translated, which spoke to the needs of a Muslim community that could no longer rely on an Arab supremacy

Dialectics

Using rhetoric to argue for Abbasid power

Religious debate

al-Mahdi has debate with a Christian, Timothy, where they use dialectics to argue over whose religion is correct

al-Mamun

Mahdi’s son who has a crisis of legitimacy after a fight against his brother, who has allies who then dislike him because he killed their leader. He rules from Merv because of this, afraid to rule from Baghdad. He establishes the mihna. Very bellicose, fights the Byzantines (Abbasids and Byzantines)

Mihna

Orthodoxy police. Examine your beliefs and can punish you if they are not correct

Greek errors

al-Mamun lays out al the errors of the Greeks, saying they are stupid and such

al-Kindi

Argued Arabs and Greeks were brothers, and Arabs were the true heirs of the Greeks. Faith and reason are supposed to go together

Ulema

Learnéd elite different from other people. Schools of Islamic law pop up during this

Ahmad ibn Hanbal

An Ulema who gathered hadiths together. Believed the Qur’an was not created by humans

Qadi

Example of community experts - local judges who settle disputes

Abbasid decline

Centralization decreases, local ties become important. More provinces ignore wishes of caliphs. Compounded by diminishing agricultural outputs because of the salination of soil

Zanj Rebellion

African people who are enslaved and revolt against the Abbasids, resulting in more weakening of the caliphate