Abbasid+Caliphate+Fall



 
 * __Location: __**
 * After the fall of the Umayyad, capital moved from Damascus in Syria to Baghdad in Iraq
 * Baghdad was between 4 agricultural districts
 * On the river, Tigris, - good for trading with China, Byzantine and Mosul
 * No enemy can approach except by boat
 * Arid climate and fertile farm land that is flooded each year
 * Mountainous regions to the north
 * Warm and desert climate


 * __The Appeal of Islam: __**

//5 pillars // which seem simple and are easy to follow: //1st pillar // - act of bearing witness saying there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet //2nd pillar // - Salat the act of praying five times a day //3rd pillar // - Zakat giving a percent of their wealth //4th pillar // - Ramadan and the fasting of that period //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">5th pillar //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> - the pilgrimage to Mecca, the hajj

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 * __<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Events and leaders __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">1st leader was Abu al-abbas al Saffah - claimed to be one of the descendants of Muhammad’s uncle Abbas
 * His brother and successor Abu Ja’far, known as the victorious, over saw the construction of Baghdad
 * Caliph Harun al Rashid, a huge patron of the arts. Under his rule many great works were translated into Arabic

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 * __<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Science and Math __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Al-Gebra made up the cocept of algebra and algorithms
 * Al-Khwarizmi paved the way for the decimal system
 * Al-Mamun and Al-Khwarizmi wrote text books that were used up to the 16th century
 * Ibin Sina a big writer of science math and theology and philosophy made important contributions to the study of contagious diseases anatomy and medicine
 * Al-Arazi wrote about the diseases measles and small pox that is still used today
 * Al-Zahraui described complex surgeries and designed surgical instruments, and1st to write a clear description of hemophilia recognizing it was hereditary
 * __<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Weaponry __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Light cavalry
 * Initially Arabs skilled in combat
 * As Islamic expansion proceeded slaves became soldiers, less skilled but more in number
 * Attack strategy – 1st cavalry to break apart enemy formation– then ground troops, easy to defeat small groups
 * Adopted catapults and siege machines from Sassanids and Franks
 * At sea ruled Mediterranean – adopted and learned naval tactics from Roman and Byzantine
 * Used Roman galley – oars and anchors fore and aft
 * Evolved naval techniques and made them better than the Christians
 * Avoided battle – relied on piracy and raids
 * Used bent bow – more effective – smaller bow with just as much tension
 * Soldiers well paid, foot soldiers made half of cavalry salary
 * At peak 120 000 men
 * Infantry armed with sword, spears, shields
 * Cavalry – lances and battle axes

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Socio – Political Structure __** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
 * __<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Agriculture __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Expansion meant new Arab land owners – wealth became abundant - new agriculture techniques used
 * Developed new crops – from east – rice, cotton, lemons, oranges, sugar cane
 * Restored or rebuild Roman irrigation systems
 * Agricultural surplus – lead to well being of cities and development of arts and sciences
 * Developed new ways of breeding - selective breeding – thoroughbred Arabian stallions were in high demand throughout Europe
 * Peasants worked as farm labourers
 * High taxes ruined many peasants and drove them into cities
 * __<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Like a pyramid – top – Caliph – middle – mass/subjects – bottom – slaves
 * Abbasid Caliphs – absolute rulers – isolated themselves because they thought they were chosen by god
 * Only law obeyed was the law of Islam
 * Vizers – like a prime minister
 * Also kept trusted advisors, diwans nearby
 * One diwan for each topic – eg. one for postal service
 * Could not rely on Arab nobles for protection because the Abbasids had taken over by force, therefore protection became very expensive
 * Diwans ran police service – 10 000 police officers – were very powerful

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 * __<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Art and Literature __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Several Latin texts translated into Arabic, which resulted in saving several of Aristotle’s works
 * All buildings adorned by artists
 * Al – Mamun, a great patron of the arts
 * Several cultures were linked together in the architecture of buildings
 * Ceramic arts flourished

Essay Bibliography