Abbasid Caliphate

It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs , who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphs from all but Al Andalus . It was founded by the descendant of the Prophet Muhammad 's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib . It was created in Harran in 750 and shifted its capital in 762 from Harran to Baghdad . It flourished for two centuries, but slowly went into decline with the rise to power of the Turkish army it had created, the Mamluks . Within 150 years of gaining power across Persia , the caliphs were forced to cede power to local dynastic amirs who only nominally acknowledged their power, and had to cede Al Andalus to an escaped Umayyad royal and the Maghreb and Ifriqiya to independent entities such as the Aghlabids and the Fatimids . Their rule was briefly ended for three years in 1258, when Hulagu Khan , the Mongol conqueror, sacked Baghdad , resuming in Egypt in 1261.

The Abbasid Caliphate ( al-Khilāfah al-‘Abbāsīyah ) was the third of the Islamic caliphates to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad . The Abbasid dynasty descended from Muhammad's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), whose name was the derivation of the caliphate. They ruled as caliphs , for most of their period from their capital in Baghdad in modern-day Iraq , after taking back authority of the Muslim empire from the Umayyads in 750 CE (132 AH). The Abbasid caliphate first centered their government in Kufa , but in 762 the caliph Al-Mansur founded the city of Baghdad, north of the Sasanian capital city of Ctesiphon . The choice of a capital so close to Persia proper reflects a growing reliance on Persian bureaucrats, most notably of the Barmakid family, to govern the territories conquered by Arab Muslims, as well as an increasing inclusion of non-Arab Muslims in the ummah . Despite this cooperation, the Abbasids of the 8th century were forced to cede authority over Al-Andalus and Maghreb to the Umayyads, Morocco to the Idrisid dynasty , Ifriqiya to the Aghlabids , and Egypt to the Shi'ite Caliphate of the Fatimids . The political power of the caliphs largely ended with the rise of the Buyids and the Seljuq Turks . Although Abbasid leadership over the vast Islamic empire was gradually reduced to a ceremonial religious function, the dynasty retained control over its Mesopotamian demesne. The capital city of Baghdad became a center of science, culture, philosophy and invention during the Golden Age of Islam . This period of cultural fruition ended in 1258 with the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols under Hulagu Khan . The Abbasid line of rulers, and Muslim culture in general, recentered themselves in the Mamluk capital of Cairo in 1261. Though lacking in political power, the dynasty continued to claim authority in religious matters until after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt (1517).

Third Islamic caliphate Amir al-Mu'minin ( أمير المؤمنين ), Caliph ( خليفة ) Southern Ancient Arab states Arab empires and caliphates Eastern dynasties Western dynasties and caliphates Arabian Peninsula East Africa Current monarchies v t e The Abbasid Caliphate ( / ə ˈ b æ s ɪ d / or / ˈ æ b ə s ɪ d / , al-Khilāfah al-ʿAbbāsīyah ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad . It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes its name. They ruled as caliphs for most of the caliphate from their capital in Baghdad in modern-day Iraq , after having overthrown the Umayyad Caliphate in the Abbasid Revolution of 750 CE (132 AH ). The Abbasid Caliphate first centred its government in Kufa , modern-day Iraq, but in 762 the caliph Al-Mansur founded the city of Baghdad, near the ancient Sasanian capital city of Ctesiphon . The Abbasid period was marked by reliance on Persian bureaucrats (notably the Barmakid family) for governing the territories as well as an increasing inclusion of non-Arab Muslims in the ummah (national community). Persianate customs were broadly adopted by the ruling elite, and they began patronage of artists and scholars. Baghdad became a centre of science, culture, philosophy and invention in what became known as the Golden Age of Islam . Despite this initial cooperation, the Abbasids of the late 8th century had alienated both non-Arab mawali (clients) and Iranian bureaucrats. They were forced to cede authority over al-Andalus (Spain) to the Umayyads in 756, Morocco to the Idrisids in 788, Ifriqiya and Southern Italy to the Aghlabids in 800, Khorasan and Transoxiana to the Samanids and Persia to the Saffarids in the 870s, and Egypt to the Isma'ili - Shia caliphate of the Fatimids in 969. The political power of the caliphs was limited with the rise of the Iranian Buyids and the Seljuq Turks , who captured Baghdad in 945 and 1055, respectively. Although Abbasid leadership over the vast Islamic empire was gradually reduced to a ceremonial religious function in much of the Caliphate, the dynasty retained control over its Mesopotamian domain. The Abbasids' period of cultural fruition and its (reduced) territorial control ended in 1258 with the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols under Hulagu Khan and the execution of Al-Musta'sim . The Abbasid line of rulers, and Muslim culture in general, re-centred themselves in the Mamluk capital of Cairo in 1261. Though lacking in political power (with the brief exception of Caliph Al-Musta'in of Cairo ), the dynasty continued to claim religious authority until after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. The Abbasid Revolution against the Umayyad Caliphate adopted black for its rāyaʾ for which their partisans were called the musawwid s. The choice of black as the colour of the Abbasid Revolution was already motivated by the "black standards out of Khorasan" tradition associated with the Mahdi . The contrast of white vs. black as the Umayyad vs. Abbasid dynastic colour over time developed in white as the colour of Shia Islam and black as the colour of Sunni Islam: "The proselytes of the ʿAbbasid revolution took full advantage of the eschatological expectations raised by black banners in their campaign to undermine the Umayyad dynasty from within. Even after the ʿAbbasids had triumphed over the Umayyads in 750, they continued to deploy black as their dynastic colour; not only the banners but the headdresses and garments of the ʿAbbasid caliphs were black ... The ubiquitous black created a striking contrast with the banners and dynastic color of the Umayyads, which had been white ... After the revolution, Islamic apocalyptic circles admitted that the Abbasid banners would be black but asserted that the Mahdi's standard would be black and larger. Anti-Abbasid circles cursed "the black banners from the East", "first and last". Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective .

Third Islamic caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate (750 - 1258) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad . It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE ), from whom the dynasty takes its name. They ruled as caliphs for most of the caliphate from their capital in Baghdad in modern-day Iraq , after having overthrown the Umayyad Caliphate in the Abbasid Revolution of 750 CE (132 AH ). The Abbasid Revolution had its origins and first successes in the easterly region of Khorasan , far from the bases of Umayyad power in Syria and Iraq . The Abbasid Caliphate first centered its government in Kufa , modern-day Iraq, but in 762 the caliph Al-Mansur founded the city of Baghdad , near the ancient Babylonian capital city of Babylon and Persian city of Ctesiphon . Baghdad became the center of science , culture , and invention in what became known as the Golden Age of Islam . This, in addition to housing several key academic institutions, including the House of Wisdom , as well as a multiethnic and multi-religious environment, garnered it an international reputation as the "Centre of Learning". The Abbasid period was marked by dependence on Persian bureaucrats (such as the Barmakid family) for governing the territories as well as an increasing inclusion of non-Arab Muslims in the ummah (Muslim community). Persian customs were broadly adopted by the ruling elite, and they began patronage of artists and scholars. Since much support for the Abbasids came from Persian converts, it was natural for the Abbasids to take over much of the Persian tradition of government. Despite this initial cooperation, the Abbasids of the late 8th century had alienated both non-Arab mawali (clients) and Persian bureaucrats. The political power of the caliphs was limited with the rise of the Iranian Buyids and the Seljuq Turks , who captured Baghdad in 945 and 1055, respectively. Although Abbasid leadership over the vast Islamic empire was gradually reduced to a ceremonial religious function in much of the caliphate, the dynasty retained control of its Mesopotamian domain during the rule of Caliph al-Muqtafi and extended into Iran during the reign of Caliph al-Nasir . The Abbasids' age of cultural revival and fruition ended in 1258 with the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols under Hulagu Khan and the execution of al-Musta'sim . The Abbasid line of rulers, and Muslim culture in general, re-centred themselves in the Mamluk capital of Cairo in 1261. Though lacking in political power (with the brief exception of Caliph al-Musta'in of Cairo ), the dynasty continued to claim religious authority until a few years after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517, with the last Abbasid caliph being Al-Mutawakkil III . Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic . Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective . The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh. The Years 589–629/1193–1231: The Ayyubids after Saladin and the Mongol Menace . "الكتاب : التاريخ الإسلامي – الموضوع : المتوكل على الله "الثالث" محمد بن يعقوب المستمسك بالله" . 11 June 2008. There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ). There are <ref group=pron> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).

Third Islamic caliphate For the dynasty that ruled the Abbasid Caliphate, see Abbasid dynasty . The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire ( / ə ˈ b æ s ɪ d , ˈ æ b ə s ɪ d / ; Arabic : الْخِلَافَة الْعَبَّاسِيَّة , romanized : al-Khilāfa al-ʿAbbāsiyya ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad . It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE ), from whom the dynasty takes its name. After overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate in the Abbasid Revolution of 750 CE (132 AH ), they ruled as caliphs based in modern-day Iraq, with Baghdad being their capital for most of their history. The Abbasid Revolution had its origins and first successes in the easterly region of Khurasan , far from the Levantine center of Umayyad influence. The Abbasid Caliphate first centered its government in Kufa , modern-day Iraq, but in 762 the caliph al-Mansur founded the city of Baghdad as the new capital. Baghdad became the center of science , culture , arts , and invention in what became known as the Golden Age of Islam . By housing several key academic institutions, including the House of Wisdom , as well as a multiethnic and multi-religious environment, the city garnered an international reputation as a centre of learning. The Abbasid period was marked by the use of bureaucrats in governance, including the vizier , as well as an increasing inclusion of non-Arab Muslims in the ummah (Muslim community) and among the political elites. The apogee of the caliphate's power and prestige is traditionally associated with Harun al-Rashid ( r. 786–809 ). After his death, civil war brought new divisions and was followed by significant changes to the character of the state, including the creation of a new professional army recruited mainly from Turkic slaves and the construction of a new capital, Samarra , in 836. The 9th century also saw a growing trend of provincial autonomy spawning local dynasties who controlled different regions of the empire, such as the Aghlabids , Tahirids , Samanids , Saffarids , and Tulunids . Following a period of turmoil in the 860s, the caliphate regained some stability and its seat returned to Baghdad in 892. During the 10th century, the authority of the caliphs was progressively reduced to a ceremonial function in the Islamic world . Political and military power was transferred instead to the Iranian Buyids and the Seljuq Turks , who took control of Baghdad in 945 and 1055, respectively. The Abbasids eventually regained control of Mesopotamia during the rule of Caliph al-Muqtafi ( r. 1136–1160 ) and extended it into Iran during the reign of Caliph al-Nasir ( r. 1180–1225 ). This revival ended in 1258 with the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols under Hulagu Khan and the execution of Caliph al-Musta'sim . A surviving line of Abbasids was re-installed in the Mamluk capital of Cairo in 1261. Though lacking in political power, with the brief exception of Caliph al-Musta'in , the dynasty continued to claim symbolic authority until a few years after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517, with the last Abbasid caliph being al-Mutawakkil III . Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic . The New Encyclopaedia Britannica . In Lewis, B. ; Ménage, V. The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition . The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh. The Years 589–629/1193–1231: The Ayyubids after Saladin and the Mongol Menace . "الكتاب : التاريخ الإسلامي – الموضوع : المتوكل على الله "الثالث" محمد بن يعقوب المستمسك بالله" . 11 June 2008. There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).