The decline of the Abbasids was not a steady of rapid series of events. There were numerous revivals of the Caliphate in which certain strong Caliphs gained more control and influence over the Islamic world than their predecessors had had. However at no point after the death of Harun al-Rahid (reigned 786-809) was the Caliphate ever as powerful. This period is regarded as the Golden Age of the Abbasid Caliphate and was followed immediately by civil war between his sons. Harun’s two sons were called Al-Amin and Al-Mamun. Al-Amin was the elder and was nominated as the heir to the Caliphate. However Al-Mamun, who was the effective governor of the eastern provinces was ambitious. He was spurred towards seizing the Caliphate for …show more content…
Such a compromise was a symptom of a relatively weak Caliph. Further revolts led to the temporary loss of the Caliph’s power in Egypt, Syria and Palestine for substantial periods. However with Tahir and his family at his side, al-Mamun was able to regain these lands, leaving the Caliphate in 833 much less weak than it had been although not as strong as al-Rashid had in 809. Al-Mamun’s successor and son was a man called Al Mu’tasim. His reign was particularly important in the gradual decline of the Abbasids. Although he was not the first to use the infamous ‘slave soldiers’, they had been used from 814 onwards, he expanded their usage massively. The slave soldiers were mostly Turks from areas like modern Turkmenistan. These were hard nomadic peoples from the grass planes of the Steppe who were brutal worriers and provided the Caliph with military security for a price. These Turk soldiers were to play a crucial part in the decline of the Caliphate as their influence and power grew over their masters. The Turks soon formed the palace guard of the Caliph, taking on a similar to the Praetorian Guard of the Roman Empire. As their presence increased they became increasingly unpopular in Baghdad. This unpopularity and the Caliphs increasing dependence on his mercenaries lead to Mu’tasim relocating the capital from Baghdad to Samarra in 835. This only diminished the power of the Caliphate in
A change that occurred in the political life of Islamic civilization was the shift from the election of a Caliphate to a more dynastical system. Previously, the caliphates were elected by the Islamic community. Capable leaders were preferred over heirs who were not as qualified. Sunni Muslims were firm believers of this concept, while Shia muslims believed that Ali should’ve
Safavid empire reached peak under this ruler, ruled from 1588 to 1629. He increased the size of the millitary and brought the empire out of their fall.
The Abbasid caliphate was the empire of the golden age in the Islamic culture. This dynasty ruled the Islamic caliphate for a very long time, which made it one of the most influential dynasties. Since it ruled the Islamic empire for a very long time it became the largest empire in the world which helped it have contact with neighboring places like China, India, and the Byzantine empire which helped majorly with cultural diffusion. But, in what ways would the Abbasid caliphate be considered a golden age throughout the dynasties in Islam?
The world began to drastically change before the year fifteen hundred. These changes not only reshaped the world, but continued to change and develop from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries. Among these changes came the formation of many outstanding empires that included the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. The Ottoman and Safavid Empires account for two of the three Islamic Empires that underwent change and development during these centuries. Both empires had a ruler at the head of the empire; a sultan ruled the Ottoman Empire while a shah ruled the Safavid Empire. Two great rulers emerged from these empires; a sultan named Suleiman the Magnificent ruler of the Ottoman Empire and a shah named Abbas the Great ruler of the Safavid Empire.
Ever since 636 CE, the Muslims have been expanding the Islamic Empire. How exactly did the Muslims expand their Islamic Empire? In Document A, the Muslims expanded the Islamic Empire by leaving Mecca to Yarmuk to have a battle. When the Muslims won the battle, they cut off the non- Muslims arms and took over the city. This battle was one way that the Early Islamic Empire expanded. In document B, The Treaty of Tudmir also lead to the expansion of the Early Islamic Empire. The Treaty of Tudmir was a treaty that did not force religion, nor burn down their churches. It also stated that they would not take away their sacred objects or give shelter to fugitives and their enemies. This was another way that the Early Islamic Empire expanded because
caliph’s challege, raiding into baghdad with violent and destructive intentions. By the end of the
Similarity, the Ottoman and Safavid empires had one highly recognized and strong leader each, where they both ruled a Monarch. For the Ottomans, the strongest leader was Suleiman, who came to power around 1520 and ended his reign in 1566. On the other side, for the Safavids, the greatest leader was Abbas I, who came to the throne in the year 1588 at the young but determining age of sixteen. During Suleiman’s power in the Ottoman Empire, he created a Uniform System of Law and welcomed variety forms of art and literature (History.com). Suleiman, also nicknamed Suleiman the Magnificent, also advocated for
The Safavid Empire began in Azerbaijan. The empire continued to expand during Shah Abbas's reign but after his death, the dynasty gradually lost its vigor. At first, Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, tried to convert members of the Ottoman Empire into Shiites. This resulted in massacre of the Sunni Muslims in 1508. Alarmed, the Ottomans fought back and won a major battle. However, after a few years, Ismail regained the land. Many years later, the Ottomans attacked back and forced the new shah, Abbas, to sign a treaty. It was Abbas who led the Safavids to their highest point. The political and social structure was strong. Senior positions in the bureaucracy were by merit rather than by birth. Religious tolerance was practiced. Abbas hired foreigners from neighboring countries for positions in his government to avoid religious competition. The shahs also took a direct interest in the economy, playing an active part in trade and manufacturing. The artistic excellence was
The role of Prophet Muhammad, as both a temporal and religious leader was undeniably an important factor in the success of the Arab conquests. These events took place between 622 and 750, first involving the establishment of a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula, then leading to a Muslim Empire which stretched from central Asia to North Africa and was one of the largest the world has ever seen. This overwhelming success merits explanation, yet this is difficult to establish with certainty, due to the small number and poor quality of surviving sources. Muhammad’s main role was to provide a unifying influence, both during his lifetime when he united a
In this week’s chapter, it discusses a lot about the rise and fall of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. In many dynasties, it is critically important to have a well balanced society and economy. Anderson displays many of the reasons why these two empires were so great during their time, but evidently loss of power and control of government can be a major turning point and, eventually, led to the decline of these empires. This specific chapter focus on the systems of governance that was established in each empire.
After the IL-Khans, Successors states battled for the control of Iran. The Inju dynasty ruled Fars where they had already been governors. Later on, the Inju been supplanted by a dynasty of Arab origin the Muzaffarids, whose force endured until 1393. Meantime, in Iraq and North West Iran, the Il-Khan being trailed by the Jalayr's. Sultan Ahmad Jalayr, a benefactor of preeminent significance in the historical setting of the art of the book, came to control in 1382 and carried on with his accomplishment until 1410, being killed by a Turkman
The most prominent leaders of Al-Andalus were Abd al-Rahman I, Abd al-Rahman II, and Abd al-Rahman III. The Abbasids joined forces with other groups opposing the Umayyads on the Arabian Peninsula, and slaughtered
th caliphs and became the caliphate after the assassination of the last rightly guided Caliph Ali.
The Mughal Empire was the first large empire in India since the Gupta Empire (nearly a millennium years of difference); it was made up of many ethnicities, a variety of geographic localities, and hundreds of nobles and their principalities. At its largest extent, this empire contained over 140 million inhabitants, as well as encompassing 3.5 million square kilometers. However, as all empires do, the Mughal Empire faced many difficulties, and by the turn of the 19th century, had weakened significantly.
Babur's son Humayun succeeded him in 1530, but suffered reversals at the hands of the Pashtun Sher Shah Suri and lost most of the fledgling empire before it could grow beyond a minor regional state. From 1540 Humayun became ruler in exile, reaching the court of the Safavid rule in 1554