University:
Tyler Junior College
Course:
HIST 1301 | History
Academic year:

2024
Views:

308

Pages:

1
Author:

Dave D.

THE RISE OF ISLAM AND CALIPHATES HIST 1301 | History The Abbasid Caliphate Factionalism and internal strife characterised the latter decades of Umayyad governance. Arab clans fought for dominance and authority, and non-Arab Muslims who had converted to Islam felt more and more alienated from their marginalization—particularly in the empire's eastern regions. Arab-Muslims had moved there in the region of Khurasan following the conquests, frequently marrying into the indigenous Persian population. These mixed-ethnic Muslims began to feel marginalised in the area by the middle of the eighth century, and Khurasan became a centre of revolutionary activity. Many who were tired of Umayyad rule and eager for change gathered to envision an open Islamic community where marginalised groups like the followers of the fourth caliph Ali and his family would have more opportunities and all ethnicities could benefit fully from Islamic society. This revolutionary organisation supported Muhammad's family's right to the caliphate. Its adherents, who became known as the Abbasids, backed the assertions of Ibn Abbas's lineage, Muhammad's first cousin. They rebelled against the Umayyads in 749, following years of mounting discontent that led them to overturn Islam's first kingdom in less than a year and take control of the Middle East. From 750 until the early sixteenth century, the Abbasids held the title of caliph, albeit their desired level of authority fluctuated over time. The Abbasids of the eighth century established their new capital, Baghdad, in central Iraq, soon after assuming power, shifting the Islamic world's attention from Arabia to the East. It also made perfect sense to move the capital city closer to the East, given the significance of Khurasan and the Islamic East in the Abbasids' ascent. Designed to capitalise on the vast resources and expertise the Islamic state had amassed during nearly 150 years of conquest and unification under the Umayyads, Baghdad was a planned metropolis. It was constructed in Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Tigris River, a region known for its exceptional fertility, which had sustained some of the first human civilizations. Baghdad expanded outward along the banks of the river and into the lush countryside that surrounding it as the Abbasid state grew more strong and wealthy, becoming as a major hub of trade and culture. A major change in the politics and economy of the area was also indicated by the decision to transfer the centre of Islamic control further east. The people who lived in the old Persian Empire were crucial to the Abbasid dynasty's ascent to power and continued to be so as it developed. Early Islamic civilization began to be more influenced by Persian language, culture, and customs, particularly at the Baghdad court. And while Baghdad surpassed ancient Mediterranean towns like Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Damascus, and Jerusalem in stature, the commercial hub shifted eastward along the Silk Roads that linked China's continuous expansion with the Indian Ocean region.