Essay on Abbasid Caliphate

Submitted By mike9707
Words: 1330
Pages: 6
Open Document
The Abbasid Golden Age

The Abbasid dynasty lasted from 750-1258 A.D.(Douglas. pg.162-165). The dynasty began with the fall of the earlier caliphate known as the Umayyad’s. The Abbasids were widely accepted when they came to power and wasted no time rebuilding the empire. With the help of wonderful resources and the adoption of ideas from earlier empires, the Abbasid Caliphate blossomed into a prominent golden age. A golden age is a time in which a dynasty makes advancements in multiple fields and aspects of life. In their time as leaders of the Islamic world, their dynasty thrived in all fields. The caliphs built a new city called Baghdad and moved their capital there. This city eventually became the international learning center of the Middle East. Beautifully designed and crafted mosques, libraries and universities popped up, promoting education and spreading important knowledge of the world. This led to progress in math, medicine and science. New technologies including paper-making, advanced maps and explosive gun powder made the Abbasid’s efficiency and power hard to match. The Abbasidian society became more complex and the idea of religious tolerance was spread throughout the capital. The immense amount of trade led to cultural diffusion and the dissemination of ideas throughout the empire. Soon the Abbasid dynasty stretched as far as Morocco in the West to Pakistan in the East, all well protected by a standing army. Under rule of great leaders like Harun al-Rashid and al-Mansur, the Empire flourished with wealth.(wiki. Abbasid Caliphate) Due to the promotion of education, literature and language, the Abbasid dynasty quickly rose to the top in architecture, technology and scholarship.

The fall of the Umayyad’s was a relief to many citizens of the Empire. Almost all were ready to move on from the past and start fresh with the Abbasid Caliphate. With the rise of the Abbasid’s, the traditionally styled imperial architecture predominantly used by the Umayyad’s was forgotten and in its place rose Abbasidian styled architecture. The Abbasids preferred to build with mud brick or baked brick whereas the Umayyad’s were known for their use of stone.(Yalaman) With the building of libraries such as the House of Wisdom, Abbasidian architecture had hints of multiple cultures blended into it.(Yalaman) They adopted the Roman’s technique of manufacturing glass, which led to remarkable stained windows in many of their mosques.(Saylor) They borrowed the idea of domes and arches from the Byzantine empire, which was well known for similar structures.(Abbasid) This is exemplified by the famous mosque “Dome of the Mosque” which is stationed in Israel and built under Abbasid control. (Abbasid) The Abbasids vast knowledge of geometry, much of which was inherited from the Greeks, led them to designing buildings that were sturdy and durable. Lastly, the Abbasids adopted a new form of carving which proved to be more efficient and provide a smoother result.(Yalaman) This new abstract style was called the pseudo-vegetal form and was taken from the Egyptians.(Yalaman) The Abbasids also developed some of their own original architecture. A new fancier type of calligraphy established and commonly used by scribes. Some of what was written was so elaborate, that it was illegible and considered art. The Abbasid’s ability to build off other culture’s architecture led to diversity and economical gain in the arts.

During the Golden Age of the Abbasids, there was peace and happiness throughout the empire. The rulers of the Abbasid Caliphate stressed education and were looking to make advancements in all fields. Many of the Abbasidian cities opened universities, libraries and places of education for their people. This led to an abundance of general knowledge and gains in math, science medicine and astronomy. Great mathematicians such as Al-Kwarzimi formed the roots of algebra.(Jordan. P.1-3) In fact, algebra was even named after him. Other
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Abbasid Caliphate

Abbasid Research Paper

The Abbasid Caliphate, the third of the Islamic Caliphates to succeed Muhammad, overthrew the Umayyads and claimed the Muslim empire to themselves in 750 CE. Although both the Abbasid and the Umayyad dynasties were Muslim, the Abbasids moved the Muslim empire into a new direction. Governing from their capital, Baghdad, the Abbasids transformed the Muslim faith into a worldwide religion that spread across North Africa and Euro-Asia. The Abbasids constituted a new direction from the Umayyads by the…

Words 703 - Pages 3

Essay about The Abbasid Revolution

The Abbasid Revolution The Abbasid Dynasty, known to its supporters as the ‘blessed dynasty’, which imposed its authority on the Islamic empire in 132/750, claimed to inaugurate a new era of justice, piety and happiness. The dynasty ruled the Islamic Caliphate from 750 to 1258 AD, making it one of the longest and most influential 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…

Words 1789 - Pages 8

Islamic History Midterm Review Essay

broken in chain) -The ruler has to be benevolent (can be absolutist, but must respect the people) if that’s not broken people will pay taxes, treasury full can pay army, and army gets paid can expand the empire and remain loyal to the ruler. *Abbasid Caliphate: -shift east (from Syria to Iraq) and toward Persian culture, new capital in Baghdad. -reassertion of Persian culture and governing practice/admin procedures. (Ultimately return of pre-Islamic Persian notion of divine right to rule, absolutism…

Words 3598 - Pages 15

Essay about Middle East

new people in order to get more converts. However not long after their reign they were overthrown by the Abbasids. Abbasids: The Abbasids to was a big and strong too. The Abbasids opened Islam to Persian people and also embraced Greek and Hellenistic learning, Indian science, and Chinese innovations. To choose their leader, they decided to go the old fashioned way and have a caliphate which was the head of the political and spiritual duties of the Islamic Community. Religious doctrine was…

Words 370 - Pages 2

Islamic Religion And Separate Path

The issue was over of Ali had the right to rule as Caliph. Some believe he has full authority and right while some others believe differently. Some Islamic followers believe that only a descendant of Muhammad should rule as Caliphate and agree with Ali being chosen as Caliphate are called the Shi’ites and…

Words 336 - Pages 2

Model Essay Comparison Essay Post-Classical Civilizations

With the rise of caliphate empires in the Middle East and as a result of the Crusades upon Europe, trade re-emerged within and between these regions. Trade occurs within the confines of the Islamic world which stretched from Spain to the Indus River. In Europe the Italian…

Words 1296 - Pages 6

Essay about Study Terms

HIST 137: World Civilization to 1648 Chapter 1: The Earliest Human Societies Hominid Family Paleolithic Era Neolithic Era Pleistocene Epoch Australopithecus * Homo Habilis * Homo Erectus Homo Sapiens: Origins Homo Sapiens: Brain Size Neanderthals * Homo Sapiens: Migration Endogamy Foragers Division of Labor Paleolithic Family and Kinship Animism * Shamans * Venus Figurines Agricultural Revolution Fertile Crescent * Selective Breeding Pastoralism * Plow Agriculture Occupational…

Words 1344 - Pages 6

History Of Mesopotamia

Middle East Book Period I Mesopotamia Major civilizations started to develop and become dominant around 3000 BCE, including Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia literally means, “land between the rivers”, the rivers were the Tigris and the Euphrates. A series of ancient civilizations thrived along their banks. Mesopotamia is part of a larger area of relatively arable land known as the Fertile Crescent, which extends westward from Mesopotamia toward the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, the flooding of the Tigris…

Words 5058 - Pages 21

Baghdad: Iraq and Coterminous Baghdad Province Essay

the government, which is preparing for a census, the population of the country has reached 35 million, with 9 million in the capital.[3] Located along the Tigris River, the city was founded in the 8th century and became the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Within a short time of its inception, Baghdad evolved into a significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center for the Islamic world. This, in addition to housing several key academic institutions (e.g. House of Wisdom), garnered the…

Words 338 - Pages 2

Religion: The Umayyad In Medieval Spain

Abd al-Rahman III was a very merciless type of ruler, which consequential made him very successful in defeating anyone who had opposed him. In 929, he claimed the title of caliph, declaring his religious independence from the Abbasid caliphs for political motivations, and appointed a Jew as his foreign minister. The Umayyad’s version of Islam differed greatly from the Abasids, as Menocal stated it is defined as “one that loved its dialogues with other traditions.” (21, Menocal)…

Words 1604 - Pages 7