A history of the Abbasid Caliphate from its foundation in 750 and golden age under Harun al-Rashid to the conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258, this study examines the Caliphate as an empire and an institution, and its imprint on the society and culture of classical Islamic civilization.

The Abbasid Caliphate

The early Abbasid Caliphate was an important period for Islam. The dynasty, based in Baghdad, ruled over a vast Empire, stretching from the Indus Valley and Southern Russia to the East to Tunisia in the West; and presided over an age of brilliant cultural achievements. This study, first published in 1981, examines the Abbasid Caliphs from their coming to power in 750 AD, to the death of the Caliph al-Ma’mun in 833 AD, when the period of Turkish domination began. It looks at the political history of the period, and also considers the social and economic factors, showing how they developed and influenced political life. The work is designed as a unique introduction to the period, and will prove invaluable to all students involved with Islamic, Byzantine and Mediterranean history and culture.

The Early Abbasid Caliphate

The history of Baghdad as a metropolis coincides with the history of the rise and fall of the Abbasid Caliphs. In this volume, first published in 1900 and written by a recognized authority in the field, the history of the city and of the Abbasid dynasty are closely interwoven so that, from a scholarly blending of contemporary records and discursive narrative, an accurate picture emerges of the state and society within the capital of the Muslim world during the period from the eighth to the thirteenth centuries.

Baghdad During the Abbasid Caliphate

Mustafa Banister presents a thorough investigation of a forgotten dynasty: the Cairene descendants of the Abbasid family. He uncovers the public and private lives of the 18 men invested as caliphs during the period of 'Mamluk' rule in Egypt and Syria (1250-1517) and reveals a nuanced understanding of the Abbasid Caliphate according to elite members of Syro-Egyptian society. In doing so, he addresses the function of the caliph and his office amidst the breakdown and recreation of each new socio-political order of the sultanate.

The Abbasid Caliphate of Cairo, 1261-1517

Literally the concept of Al-Rasm means an attempt of picturing things and generally it means all the customs habits manners superstition and laws that limits the way of communication between the caliph (the successor) and the common people including his favorite. In the field of specialized study a book was written in the fifth century of Hijra by HilalIbnMuhsin Al-sababi called (Rusum Dar Al-khilapha) in addition to what was written by Al-Jahidh in his book "Al-taj in kings' morality" concerning this subject but containing only some of Al-Rusum. Al-Maukib contained the Arts of walking (the rule) and manners of approaching the Caliph and the right way of talking to him while walking. The main conclusions of this study is the fact that nothing but the reflection of the true Islamic customs who claim that Arabs had taken most of their customs and manners from the kings of other nations. Also ABBASI Caliphs did apply the Islamic law in managing their affairs following the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and the four rightly- guided Caliphs.

The Manners, Norms, and Customs (Rusoom) of the House of Governance In the First Age (Era) of the Abbasid Caliphate 750 – 865AD

Writings in learned subjects from the period eighth to thirteenth centuries, AD.

Religion, Learning and Science in the 'Abbasid Period

For approximately six hundred years after the death of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, the Muslim community formed a cohesive state called the Caliphate. This book follows the four distinct Caliphates (Rightly Guided, Umayyad, ‘Abbasid, and Fatimid) through their periods of leadership, to the state's prolonged downfall at the hands of the Seljuqs and the Crusaders, and its ultimate defeat by the Ottoman Empire. This text includes a focus on contributions made to the arts, literature, medicine, astronomy, science and mathematics, among other disciplines, particularly during the golden age of the Caliphate spanning the eighth and ninth centuries.

The Islamic Caliphate

This book is a collection of original chronicles of the fourth Islamic century that discusses the events surrounding the eclipse of the Abbasid Caliphate. It provides a fascinating insight into the political, social and economic factors that contributed to the decline of the Caliphate. This book is a valuable resource for historians, sociologists and anyone interested in Islamic history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Eclipse of the 'Abbasid Caliphate; Original Chronicles of the Fourth Islamic Century; Volume 4

Abu Bakr al-Suli was an Abbasid polymath and table companion, as well as a legendary chess player. He was perhaps best known for his work on poetry and chancery, which would have a long-lasting influence on Arabic literature. His decades of service at the court of at least three caliphs give him a unique perspective as an historian of his own time, although he is often valued as an observer rather than an interpreter of events for posterity. Letizia Osti here provides the first full-length English-language study devoted to al-Suli, illustrating how investigating the life, times and works of such a complex individual can serve as a fil rouge for tackling broader, contested concepts, such as biography, autobiography, court culture, and written culture. The result is an exploration of the ways in which the Abbasid court made sense of the past and, in general, of what 'historiography' means in a medieval Arabic context.

History and Memory in the Abbasid Caliphate

This endlessly informative history brings the classical Islamic world to lifeIn this accessibly written history, Amira K. Bennison contradicts the common assumption that Islam somehow interrupted the smooth flow of Western civilization from its Graeco-Roman origins to its more recent European and American manifestations. Instead, she places Islamic civilization in the longer trajectory of Mediterranean civilizations and sees the ‘Abbasid Empire (750–1258 CE) as the inheritor and interpreter of Graeco-Roman traditions.At its zenith the ‘Abbasid caliphate stretched over the entire Middle East and part of North Africa, and influenced Islamic regimes as far west as Spain. Bennison’s examination of the politics, society, and culture of the ‘Abbasid period presents a picture of a society that nurtured many of the “civilized” values that Western civilization claims to represent, albeit in different premodern forms: from urban planning and international trade networks to religious pluralism and academic research. Bennison’s argument counters the common Western view of Muslim culture as alien and offers a new perspective on the relationship between Western and Islamic cultures.

The Great Caliphs

In order to understand the transition between the revolutionary movement that propelled the Abbasids to power and the imperial government that later took root, Jacob Lassner studies those elements that served to shape the political attitudes and institutions of the emerging regime during its formative years. Originally published in 1980. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Shaping of 'Abbasid Rule

"Soon after their successful revolution in 750 AD, the Abbāsids supplanted the Umayyad dynasty, built the new city of Baghdad, Iraq which became the capital of the Islamic Empire. The civilization that the Abbāsids helped to create carried forth the torch of knowledge lit by ancient Greece, Rome, Byzantium, and Persia. Adding many of their own unique contributions, the Abbāsid dynasty left an indelible mark on the history of humankind. This current selection of {u02BF}Abbāsid Studies presents a colourful mosaic of new research into classical Arabic texts that sheds light on significant historical, political, cultural and religious aspects of the {u02BF}Abbāsid era and provides insight into how the fundamentals of philology are shaped. Wonderful vistas of ancient dreams open up while {u02BF}Abbāsid armies clatter and collide; images are conjured of murderous caliphs, foreign looking littérateurs and talking objects. We see a lively self portrait of a scholar struggling with the presentation of his own image and a Persian courtier on exploratory missions around the globe obtaining eyewitness testimony of the wonders of the world. We learn of magic pools, all-seeing mirrors, the kidnapping of a lute-playing shepherd; a Baghdadi party-pooper at an Isfahani social gathering monopolising all participants with an amazing speech until the narrator drunkenly passes out on the floor, and much more."--Publishers.

Abbasid Studies IV

The reign of al-Muqtadir (295-320/908-32) is a crucial epoch in Abbasid history. Four scholars question the picture of decline attached to this period, exploring the formal and informal power relationships that shaped politics at the court of this caliph.

Crisis and Continuity at the Abbasid Court

The story of the 9th-century caliphal mission from Baghdad to discover the legendary barrier against the apocalyptic nations of Gog and Magog mentioned in the Quran, has been either dismissed as superstition or treated as historical fact. By exploring the intellectual and literary history surrounding the production and early reception of this adventure, Travis Zadeh traces the conceptualization of frontiers within early 'Abbasid society and re-evaluates the modern treatment of marvels and monsters inhabiting medieval Islamic descriptions of the world. Examining the roles of translation, descriptive geography, and salvation history in the projection of early 'Abbasid imperial power, this book is essential for all those interested in Islamic studies, the 'Abbasid dynasty and its politics, geography, religion, Arabic and Persian literature and European Orientalism.

Mapping Frontiers Across Medieval Islam

Modern scholars have often viewed the Abbasid caliphs of the eleventh and twelfth centuries as pale imitations of their eighth- and ninth- century ancestors. Following the rise of the Buyid amirate in the tenth century, scholars have turned their attention away from the Abbasids - viewing them as inconsequential puppets controlled by stronger powers - and focused their studies on the development of the Buyid and Saljuq dynasties. After the Buyid deposition of the Abbasid caliph, al-Mustakfi, in the mid-tenth century, the Caliphate is said to have been relegated to puppet status, vainly clinging to its past glory until its destruction at the hands of the Mongols in 1258. away their ability to administer and defend the central Islamic lands. All that was left to them was the prestige of their institution, however vaguely defined. For this reason, there has been little if any modern research on the Abbasid caliphs of this period.

Putting the Caliph in His Place

Examines the fall of the Syrian Umayyad caliphate and the rise of the 'Abbasid state, predominantly from the view of the local inhabitants of medieval Syria.

White Banners

A pioneering work of historical scholarship by renowned Arabist Guy Le Strange, drawing on a wide variety of Arabic and Persian sources to explore the political, cultural, and social history of Baghdad under the Abbasid caliphs. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Baghdad During The Abbasid Caliphate

This collection of papers deals with a much-neglected experience of Arabic Christian writings at a time when Muslim and Christian thinkers were engaged in a lively intellectual encounter, which left deep marks on both parties.

Christian Arabic apologetics during the Abbasid period

The history of courtesans and slave girls in the medieval Arab world transcends traditional boundaries of study and opens up new fields of sociological and cultural enquiry. In the process it offers a remarkably rich source of historical and cultural information on medieval Islam. 'The Slave Girls of Baghdad' explores the origins, education and art of the 'qiyan' - indentured girls and women who entertained and entranced the caliphs and aristocrats who worked the labyinths of power throughout the Abbasid Empire. In a detailed analysis of Islamic law, historical sources and poetry, F. Matthew Caswell examines the qiyans' unique place in the society of ninth-century Baghdad, providing an insightful and comprehensive cultural overview of an elusive and little understood institution. This important history will be essential reading for all those concerned with the history of slavery and its morality, culture and importance in the early Islamic era.

The Slave Girls of Baghdad

Baghdad During the Abbasid Caliphate was first published in 1900 and is, according to the author, the first attempt at a complete history and topographic outline of the city of Baghdad during the reign of the Abbasids, who ruled from 750 to 1258 A.D. In addition to including a chronological timetable, this work contains the history of the foundation of Baghdad, the building of the canals, gates, roads, trenches, quarters, and palaces (all in great detail), and descriptions of the early, middle, and late periods of the Abbasid Caliphate. This work is ideal for scholars of ancient world and Middle East history, especially those interested in early studies of Islam. GUY LE STRANGE (1854-1933) was born in Hunstanton, Norfolk, England, as the youngest son of Henry L'Estrange Styleman. He studied Arabic and Persian at the College de France in Paris, after which he spent many years traveling and living abroad in Persia, Florence, and Palestine. He settled in Cambridge in 1907, where he contributed to The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, of which he was a member until his death. Le Strange was the editor and translator of several well-known books on the Middle East and Islam, establishing him as one of the most recognized historical geographers of medieval Islam to write in English.

Baghdad

Dr Shaban challenges the view that the 'Abbāsid Revolution was precipitated by the failure of the Arab rulers to treat their Iranian subjects as equals.

The 'Abbāsid Revolution

Circa AD 750, both the Islamic world and western Europe underwent political revolutions; these raised to power, respectively, the ʿAbbasid and Carolingian dynasties. The eras thus inaugurated were similar not only in their chronology, but also in the foundational role each played in its respective civilization, forming and shaping enduring religious, cultural, and societal institutions. The ʿAbbāsid and Carolingian Empires: Studies in Civilizational Formation, is the first collected volume ever dedicated specifically to comparative Carolingian-ʿAbbasid history. In it, editor D.G. Tor brings together essays from some of the leading historians in order to elucidate some of the parallel developments in each of these civilizations, many of which persisted not only throughout the Middle Ages, but to the present day. Contributors are: Michael Cook, Jennifer R. Davis, Robert Gleave, Eric J. Goldberg, Minoru Inaba, Jürgen Paul, Walter Pohl, D.G. Tor and Ian Wood.

The ʿAbbasid and Carolingian Empires

Abu Ma'ali al-Juwayni (d.478/1085) lived in a politically tumultuous period. The rise of powerful dynastic families forced the Abbasid Caliph into a position of titular power, and created instability. He also witnessed intellectual upheavals living amidst great theological and legal diversity. Collectively, these experiences led him to consider questions of religious certainty and social and political continuity. He noted that if political elites are constantly changing, paralleled with shifting intellectual allegiances, what ensures the continuity of religion? He concluded that continuity of society is contingent upon knowledge and practice of the Shari'a. Here, Sohaira Siddiqui explores how scholars grappled with questions of human reason and knowledge, and how their answers to these questions often led them to challenge dominant ideas of what the Shari'a is. By doing this, she highlights the interconnections between al-Juwayni's discussions on theology, law and politics, and the socio-political intellectual landscapes that forged them.

Law and Politics under the Abbasids

Examines the socio-cultural history of the regions where Islam took hold between the 7th and 16th century. This two-volume work contains 700 alphabetically arranged entries, and provides a portrait of Islamic civilization. It is of use in understanding the roots of Islamic society as well to explore the culture of medieval civilization.

Medieval Islamic Civilization

The period covered in this volume is one of the most tumultuous periods of Islamic history. In it, al-Ṭabarī details with great success the intricate events that shaped real political power in Sāmarrā and Baghdad during the middle of the ninth century, laying bare the dynamics through which the army generals--who were mainly of Central Asian Turkish extraction--consolidated their grip on the caliphate. The political maneuvering that enabled them to pass the reins of real power to their descendants, creating a dynasty parallel to the "legitimate" caliphal dynasty, is also clearly revealed. A discounted price is available when purchasing the entire 39-volume History of al-Ṭabarī set. Contact SUNY Press for more information.

The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 35

Black Banners from the East

In the United States and Europe, the word "caliphate" has conjured historically romantic and increasingly pernicious associations. Yet the caliphate's significance in Islamic history and Muslim culture remains poorly understood. This book explores the myriad meanings of the caliphate for Muslims around the world through the analytical lens of two key moments of loss in the thirteenth and twentieth centuries. Through extensive primary-source research, Mona Hassan explores the rich constellation of interpretations created by religious scholars, historians, musicians, statesmen, poets, and intellectuals. Hassan fills a scholarly gap regarding Muslim reactions to the destruction of the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad in 1258 and challenges the notion that the Mongol onslaught signaled an end to the critical engagement of Muslim jurists and intellectuals with the idea of an Islamic caliphate. She also situates Muslim responses to the dramatic abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924 as part of a longer trajectory of transregional cultural memory, revealing commonalities and differences in how modern Muslims have creatively interpreted and reinterpreted their heritage. Hassan examines how poignant memories of the lost caliphate have been evoked in Muslim culture, law, and politics, similar to the losses and repercussions experienced by other religious communities, including the destruction of the Second Temple for Jews and the fall of Rome for Christians. A global history, Longing for the Lost Caliphate delves into why the caliphate has been so important to Muslims in vastly different eras and places.

Longing for the Lost Caliphate

The history of the early Abbasid Caliphate has long been studied as a factual or interpretive synthesis of various accounts preserved in the medieval Islamic chronicles. Tayeb El-Hibri s book breaks with the traditional approach, applying a literary-critical reading to examine the lives of the caliphs. By focusing on the reigns of Harun al-Rashid and his successors, the study demonstrates how the various historical accounts were not in fact intended as faithful portraits of the past, but as allusive devices used to shed light on controversial religious, political and social issues of the period. The analysis also reveals how the exercise of decoding Islamic historigraphy, through an investigation of the narrative strategies and thematic motifs used in the chronicles, can uncover new layers of meaning and even identify the early narrators. This is an important book which represents a landmark in the field of early Islamic historiography.

Reinterpreting Islamic Historiography

Presents a history of the Abbasid dynasty, the founders of Baghdad, and discusses the politics, military conquests, court life, palace bureacracy, culture, and arts which characterized the era.

When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World

This splendid book describes the Qur'ans of the eight to tenth centuries in the Khalili Collection. It provides an exotically illustrated catalogue with detailed scholarship encompassing the history of the subject.

Abbasid Traditions

This volume examines the library of the Abbasid caliphs, known as "The House of Wisdom" ("Bayt al-Hikma"), exploring how this important institution has been misconceived by scholars’. This book places the palace library within the framework of the multifaceted cultural and scientific activities in the era of the caliphs, Harun al-Rashid and al-Ma’mun, generally regarded as the Golden Age of Islamic civilization. The author studies the first references to the House of Wisdom in European sources and shows how misconceptions arose because of incorrect translations of Arabic manuscripts and also because of how scholars overlooked the historical context of the library in ways that reflected their own cultural and national ambitions. The Abbasid House of Wisdom is perfect for scholars, students, and the wider public interested in the scientific and cultural activities of the Islamic Golden Age.

The Abbasid House of Wisdom

A myth-shattering view of the Islamic world's myriad scientific innovations and the role they played in sparking the European Renaissance. Many of the innovations that we think of as hallmarks of Western science had their roots in the Arab world of the middle ages, a period when much of Western Christendom lay in intellectual darkness. Jim al- Khalili, a leading British-Iraqi physicist, resurrects this lost chapter of history, and given current East-West tensions, his book could not be timelier. With transporting detail, al-Khalili places readers in the hothouses of the Arabic Enlightenment, shows how they led to Europe's cultural awakening, and poses the question: Why did the Islamic world enter its own dark age after such a dazzling flowering?

The House of Wisdom

Tayeb El-Hibri draws on medieval Islamic chronicles to remap the origins of Islamic political and religious orthodoxy, offering an insightful critique of both early and contemporary Islam and the concerns of legitimacy shadowing various rulers. He also highlights the Islamic reinterpretation of biblical traditions.

Parable and Politics in Early Islamic History

THREE GREAT ABBASID POETS Abu Nuwas, al-Mutanabbi & al-Ma'arri Lives & Poems Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The Abbasid Caliphate that ruled the Islamic world was the golden age of Islamic culture. It ruled from 750 to 1258 AD, making it one of the longest and most influential of the Islamic dynasties. For most of its early history it was the largest empire in the world and this meant that it had contact with distant neighbors such as the Chinese and Indians in the East and the Byzantines in the West, allowing it to adopt and synthesize ideas from all these cultures. All the arts and sciences flourished during these 500 years and in the art of Poetry three poets stood out among the non-Sufi poets like Ibn al-Farid... these were Abu Nuwas, al-Mutanabbi and al-Ma'arri. Here is their lives & times and a large selection of their poetry in the correct beautiful rhyme-structures and meaning. Included in the Introduction chapters on The Abbasid Caliphate, Poetry of the Abbasid Period, Forms of Arabic Poetry of the Abbasid Period. Selected Bibliography. Large Format 7" x 10" Pages 350. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFEZ'S DIVAN"It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafez is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished.." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafez 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of English to Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafez." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish and other languages including Hafez, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in ud-din Chishti, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Hallaj, Rudaki, Yunus Emre Ghalib, Iqbal, Makhfi, Lalla Ded, Abu Nuwas, Ibn al-Farid, Rahman Baba, Nazir and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, kids books and a dozen screenplays. New Humanity Books amazon.com/author/smithpa

Three Great Abbasid Poets

A study of the religious policies of the early Abb sids. It describes the caliphs' patronage of the nascent Sunni religious elite and offers a new interpretation of the relationship of religion and politics in Islam's first centuries.

Religion and Politics Under the Early ʻAbbāsids

The Arab Background Series provides the English-speaking, educated reader with a series of books which attempt to clarify the historical past of the Arabs and to analyse their present problems. The contributors to the series, who come from many parts of the world, are all specialists in their own fields. This variety of approach and attitude creates for the English-speaking reader a unique picture of the Arab world.

Social Life Under the Abbasids, 170-289 AH, 786-902 AD

The Abbasid Caliphate, a significant Islamic dynasty that ruled from the 8th to the 13th century, played a pivotal role in shaping the Islamic world's cultural, intellectual, and political landscape. Established in 750 CE, it was characterized by a vibrant capital in Baghdad and a commitment to scholarship, leading to the preservation and translation of classical Greek and Roman knowledge. The Abbasids oversaw a golden age of Islamic civilization, fostering advancements in science, medicine, and the arts. Despite internal strife and external pressures, the caliphate's legacy endures through its contributions to Islamic culture, learning, and governance, leaving an indelible mark on history.

HistoryShelf

Abbasid Caliphate

HistoryMap available:

Visit Shop