Download apworldchapter7Abbasid Decline and the Spread of

Abbasid Decline and the
Spread of Islam Through Asia
Abbasid Excesses



Al-Mahdi – 3rd Abbasid caliph –
during his reign it was already
evident that courtly excesses
and political divisions would
plague the dynasty
Al-Mahdi tried to reconcile with
moderate Shi’a but this effort
failed – Shi’a revolts and
intrigue followed
Al-Mahdi opulence, dependent
wives, concubines and
courtiers drained the imperial
treasury.




HARUN AL-RASHID came to the
Abbasid throne after al-Mahdi’s
son and successor was poisoned.
Harun’s lavish court was on
display in the early 800s, when
the Holy Roman Emperor
Charlemagne sent emissaries to
the Abbasid court.
Harun’s reign also saw the rise of
the power of advisors. Later
caliphs would have to struggle for
power within their own court
among different factions led by
such advisors.
Harun’s death was marked by
questions of succession and civil
war.


The Thousand and
One Nights
Scheherazade

The civil wars after the death of Harun al-Rashid caused
greater imperial breakdown






New caliphs built new imperial palaces and mosques
The imperial bureaucracy needed more and more state officials
The cost of the court led to massive taxes – many of which were
imposed on peasants in the lands under firm Abbasid control
The growing armies also added to the tax burden
Infrastructure – including irrigation systems – failed – leading
many peasants to leave Abbasid control, join bandit gangs, or to
move to the cities as homeless.
Dissident Shi’a often encouraged peasant revolts against the
Abbasid



The failure of smooth successions led not
only to civil wars but to the growth of
personal armies – teams of “bodyguards”
were often in the thousands
Slave Armies
Mercenaries
Women and Slavery in the Abbasid Empire





“The harem and the veil” – growing confinement of women to the
home in the Abbasid dynasty. Slave women were allowed to leave
the home and did not have to wear the veils and robes forced on
free women.
Concubines – often slaves – they could earn their freedom if their
sons were healthy and strong
Eunuchs – (as in China) eunuchs often were behind palace plots and
intrigue
Thousands of slaves were obtained from the regions surrounding
the empire – the Balkans, Africa, central Asia, etc.
Intelligent slaves of both sexes were prized – with many of the
dynasties best educated men and women were slaves. Caliphs and
other court officials often used their slaves as trusted advisors and
personal soldiers.
Nomadic Invaders





As with all empires of the time, border regions were often prone to
attack by invaders and a loss of direct control by the central
government.
945 C.E. Buyids – a Persian dynasty that took control of Baghdad
and made the caliphs their puppets – the Buyids tried to increase
the influence of the Shi’a/
Sultan – “victorious” in Arabic – title taken by the Buyids
Seljuk Turks – 1055 C.E. the central Asian Seljuk Turks entered the
Abbasid Empire through Persia. The Turks ruled the empire “in the
name of the caliphs.” As Sunnis, the Turks moved against the Shi’a
and then against the Byzantines.
The Turks began to move into Asia Minor – Anatolia.
Crusades

See separate PowerPoint
Persian Literature



Rubaiyat Omar
Khayyam – Persian
poetry
Shah-Nama “Book of
Kings” – Persian
historical conquests
The calligraphy made
the actual texts
examples of Islamic
art.
Sciences


Occupying a central place in Asian trade, the Abbasids
gained knowledge from the Greeks and Indians.
In cultural centers such as Baghdad, the Muslims made
great scientific breakthroughs – as well as refining and
improving the work of the Greeks and Indians







Trigonometry – sine, cosine, and tangent
Objective experiment
Classification of animal, vegetable and mineral
Astronomical tables and maps of the stars (trade)
Cairo hospitals
Schools and examinations for doctors and pharmacists
Taught papermaking, silk weaving and ceramic firing from China
to Europe
Complex Religious Trends



Ulama – orthodox
religious scholars – their
conservative stand on
Islam was a
counterbalance to a
growing Islamic
mysticism
Al-Ghazali – tried to blend
Greek and Islamic
traditions – but was
rejected by the Ulama
Sufi – Islamic mysticism
Mongols

See separate PowerPoint
Islamic Movement East





Hinduism and Islam – Muslim warriors, merchants, etc.
moved into South Asia.
Muslim inroads in India led to a unique relationship
between Islam and Hinduism – as Hindus were viewed
as “people of the book.”
Islam was egalitarian while Hinduism was based upon
the caste system.
Hinduism was adaptive while Islam was religiously rigid.
Conversion to Islam was relatively limited – mainly in
trading centers and among people of lower castes.



Muhammad ibn Qasim – was
17 when he led 10,000 Muslim
warriors into Pakistan in 711
C.E. to avenge attacks on Arab
shipping by the king of Sindh –
this began an eventual
conquest of India
Muslim rulers controlled a vast
population of Hindus and
Buddhists.
Muslims also began to adopt
Indian dress and customs.
The Second Wave of Muslim Invasions in India




MAHMUD OF GHAZNI – 3rd ruler
of a Turkish slave dynasty in
Afghanistan – he led a series of
raids that led to the Muslim
domination of northern India
Muhammad of Ghur – in the late
12th century – he expanded upon
the gains of Mahmud of Ghazni
into the Gangetic plain.
Qutb-ud-din Aibak – seized power
after the assassination of
Muhammad of Ghur
“Sultans of Delhi” – the Muslims
built their capital at Delhi in the
center of northern India. Muslim
dynasties fought each other, the
Mongols, the Turks, and the Hindu
princes for control of India.
Hindu Revivals in the Face of Islam



BHAKTIC – mystical devotional
cults to the gods – developed
as to counter the appeal of
Islam to the lower castes.
Mira Bai – female writer who
wrote religious poetry and
songs as part of the bhaktic
cults.
Kabir – a Muslim mystic and
weaver who tried to play down
the religious differences and
build common ground.
Muslim Sailors and Traders




Muslim sailors and traders took
their religion east into
Indonesia
Shrivijaya – the 13th century
collapse of this empire along
the Strait of Malacca led to
opening for Islam in the port
cities of the Buddhist
Shrivijaya.
Malacca and Demak – trading
center that became an Islamic
center
Conversion linked to business
and trading centers