The Middle Era of The Abbasid Empire

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Literature Review
Methodology: The Qualitative Research Method
The Emergence of Ibadism as an Islamic Subsect and Present Prospects
The Significance of the Abbasid Empire
Conclusion
References

The Abbasids represent an Arabic dynasty that originally reigned over most of the Islamic empire. This occurred after they assumed the caliphate in 750CE. Later on, the Abbasids Empire was disjointed and split apart. However, the Abbasids retained their spiritual sovereignty and power as the Caliphate until 1258 CE (Bennison 2010). The Abbasid Empire was founded by a dynasty that originated from the uncle of Muhammad, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (Bennison 2010). As such, the Empire has inherited its name from him. The first place for the Abbasids to set their government was Kufa, which is a modern-day Iraq. After that, Caliph Al-Mansur founded the city of Baghdad, which was near the ancient Sasanian, and the new capital was formed. Within the next five centuries, Baghdad has been the center of several core events of Islamic history.

The reign of the Abbasids was marked by its dependence on the Persians administrative processes for governing its territories and increasing the inclusion of Muslims who are non-Arabic in the Ummah (Cooperson 2017, 42). The ruling class adopted the Persian customs and began to support the scholars and artists (Symons-Ferraro 2018). Due to such a crucial support, Baghdad became a scientific, cultural, and philosophical center that has established the Islamic Golden Age. The Abbasid Empire’s Middle era was characterized by its independent authorities in some areas, such as Transoxiana, Great Khorasan, and succeeding Iraq dynasties: the Tahind and the Saffarid. This research paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis and examination of the middle era of the Abbasid Empire between 861 and 936 CE and its crucial impact on the Islamic states today.

Literature Review

The Emergency of the Abbasid Empire

The Abbasid Empire was formed by Prophet Mohammed’s descendants in Baghdad, Iraq. According to Frassetto (2019), it arose after overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate in 750 CE. After that, the Abbasid Empire existed until it was demolished by the invasion of the Mongols in 1258 (Bennison 2010). As a result of the Holy Quran’s language and the Arabic language, Abbasid was widely termed as the beginning of Arabic Civilization. The reason for that is because Islam faith encouraged people to value education, along with the Quran inspiring Muslims to invest in knowledge to become enlightened. The emergence of the Abbasid Empire was a turning point in the Muslim society due to the deeply cultivated educational norms and religion that, in turn, established the civilized nation.

The Abbasids based their acceptability and legitimacy on rulers from the extended family of Prophet Muhammad. They aimed to reunite Muslims under the support of the Prophet’s family (Bennison 2010). The majority of the supporters of the Abbasids came from eastern Iran, Khurasan, and some of them spoke Persian despite belonging to Arab ethnicity (Goldschmidt and Al-Marashi 2018). During the reign, the Abbasids differentiated themselves from the Umayyads by confronting their administration and character. The victory of Abbasids over the Umayyads to claim the leadership of Muslims globally was accompanied by the move of the Empire’s capital from Syria to Iraq.

Abbasid Theology and Religious Practices

The victory of the Abbasids facilitated the establishment of the Islamic religion. During this period, the majority of people converted to Islam. The non-Muslims were given special treatment and privileges in the courts. This aimed to encourage more non-Muslims to join the Islamic faith. The Abbasid Caliphate emphasized the value of education and knowledge. Therefore, it is now considered “the Golden Age of the Islamic culture” in relation to its religious beliefs, art, literature, technology, science, and architecture (Frassetto 2019, 54). One of the religious practices performed by Muslims includes reading the Quran, which is God’s complete and final revelation to man in the Islam. It embodies the supreme authority among the Islamic faith that Muslims reverence.

Hadith is another common religious practice prevalent among the followers of the Islamic faith. It is an oral tradition continuing what Muhammad supposedly did, spoke, or even approved. In the Islamic religion, it is considered to be the second in authority after Quran (Azmi 2017). Other practices include the Sunna, which is the written tradition about the conduct of Muhammad. Sunna forms the basis for Sharia among the Sunna Muslims, the code of Islamic jurisprudence. Moreover, Sirat is the biography of the life of Muhammad. All these practices were successful due to the encouragement and emphasis on education by the Abbasid Empire.

Abbasid Influence and Spread (Cultural, Political, and Social)

The rise and growth of the Abbasid Empire resulted in its increased influence on the international level. Additionally, the Abbasids took the benefits from the Persians religious convert. As a result, it was easy for the nation to regulate the Persian government tradition, thus spreading and expanding. The non-Muslims in the Abbasid Caliphate were treated with favoritism in the courts to convince and lure them into Islam.

Culture

The whole period from the emergence of the Abbasid Empire to the Mongol congest of Baghdad in 1258 CE is considered to be the Islamic Golden Age. This period was characterized by the Empire’s rise and the capital’s relocation from Damascus to Baghdad. The period of the Golden Age redefined the value of education, which resulted in the Muslim world becoming a scholarly center for philosophy, education, science, and medicine. The several scientific advances and improvements accompanied this period (Islam 2019). In terms of technology, Abbasid nation adopted the papermaking practice from China used during the whole reign of the Golden Age. In addition, technological progress was traced in irrigation and farming, including the windmill. Concerning the women’s position in society, the females lost their status in the Empire, unlike in the Umayyad women who benefited from their high social position. While the Muslim men were actively involved in battle, rebellion, and community life, women were kept in seclusion, with most of them being slaves.

Politics

After defeating the Umayyads, the Abbasids depended heavily on the Persians in using their system of governance to administer the Empire. The political power introduced by the Abbasid Caliphate presented an absolute power to provincial governors by granting them semi-independent authority and recognizing the caliphs as the leaders by divine right (El-Hibri 2021). Among the Abbasid Empire, Caliph was the supreme leader after God and Prophet Muhammad. He stood as the head of state and the source of all the powers within the Empire. As the Abbasid Empire fall politically, the intellectual and trade links grew drastically. During this Middle era, Abbasid dynasty was expanding its territories to the neighboring administrations through converting the majority of its citizens to Islam. A solid military army was established to keep the territory safe and promote advances while taking charge of taxation, finances, and coinage.

Society

In general, the spread of the Empire’s power has set the rise of the many Islamic states and empires, shaping the modern outlook and regime of the Muslim countries. Abbasid dynasty was the pinnacle of the Islamic golden Age. For this reason, the Abbasid social structure was mainly influenced by its intellectual figures and their achievements (El-Hibri 2021). Moreover, the main social impact was posed by the diversity of the population, including various religious and cultural communities. Another critical aspect implied the progressive economy and trading system of the Abbasid Caliphate. Given that Baghdad was in-between Arab and Persian cultures, Abbasid nation integrated the Persian subjects into their social system. However, the most critical and unique feature of Abbasid society was based on the incorporation of ethnic and religious minorities into the administration and culture of the Empire. The underlying belief in community over nationality helped the Abbasid Empire to expand its territory and general influence avoiding any conflicts with other civilizations.

Methodology: The Qualitative Research Method

The qualitative research method involves using data from either firsthand information, such as observation, interviews, and focused groups or secondhand information, including recording, artifacts, documents, and other sources. In this method, the data is generally non-numerical. It includes themes of ethnography and analysis of the history based on the visual and textual materials. The advantage of this method is that it provides descriptive data that can be analyzed in the research.

The Justification of the Qualitative Research

The qualitative research method applied in this research paper is ethnographic research. It is the most in-depth, observational method used to study individuals in their natural occurrence environment. The method allows studying either the secondary sources or the primary data effectively. For the topic under study, the researcher can use several secondary sources to study the Abbasids Empire’s Middle Era. Some of the analyzed sources include academic articles, journal articles, reports, and books.

The Emergence of Ibadism as an Islamic Subsect and Present Prospects

Cause and Effects of the Abbasid Empire on Other States or Countries

The defeat of the Umayyads led to the Abbasids control the Islamic Empire. To take the lead, they worked promptly to build a highly-centralized state for effective administration and governance. The Abbasids made use of its neighbors, such as Persians and Byzantine, to establish government bureaucracy. The Umayyads were conquered because of the unity of the non-Muslim group from different backgrounds that supported the armed opposition of the rule of the Umayyads. The introduction of the Quran and Hadith advanced the Abbasids’ influence on other countries, “including Egypt” (Hansen 2020, 127). The Abbasid Empire’s middle era was particularly drawn on the role of knowledge and education, promoting many discoveries during the period known as the Islamic Golden Age or the Islamic Renaissance.

Possible Political and Social Conflicts Occurring during the Middle Era 851-936 CE

The middle era was characterized by the vast development of literacy and science, leading to crucial discoveries. Also, it was a period of Islamic rule resulting in significant intellectual and cultural development. As soon as the non-Muslims gained influence, the Caliphate’s power was considerably accelerating. The majority of the Shia Muslims supported the Abbasids in overthrowing the Umayyad nation because it claimed legitimacy from the familial connection of Prophet Muhammad. Consequently, a new line of caliphs emerged in the Northern part of Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya (El-Hibri 2021). The local leadership eliminated its ties from the central rule of the Abbasids. The introduction of the non-Muslims’ and the Persian culture and tradition in the Abbasid Empire promoted the split in the army and bureaucracy of the dynasty.

The Significance of the Abbasid Empire

Significance of the Cultural Practices of the Abbasid Empire

The deeply-rooted role of education and knowledge defined the cultural development of Abbasid dynasty. This Golden Age period resulted in critical technology advancements and discoveries of that time. The scholars and scientists of the Abbasid Empire significantly contributed to the rise of “mathematics, science, literature, optics,” and other educational domains (Zakariya 2020, 170). Additionally, the Abbasids facilitated the growth of trade, art, industry, and science. Hence, the Middle era of the Empire earned the name of the era of civilization and renaissance. Under the Caliphate, Baghdad became the cultural hub of philosophy, medicine, science, and education. More specifically, the Indian numeral system was introduced, which was the basis for scientific and mathematical discoveries (Zakariya 2020). Due to the rising civilization during this era, the practical innovations emerged, mainly in agriculture. Notably, it was the introduction and improvement of irrigation methods, allowing more land to be put under cultivation.

Furthermore, the new types of mills and turbines were developed to reduce the amount of labor required. These innovations continued even after the Abbasid Caliphate came to an end. The process of Arabization of the non-Muslim people characterized the Abbasids’ cultural shift. The information was shared in the Arabic language to encourage people from diverse faiths and nationalities learn the language (Zakariya 2020). Moreover, the resources from other cultures were also translated into Arabic, creating the integrated culture and leveraging the civilization and public’s awareness.

Significance of the Religious Beliefs and Practices of the Abbasid Empire

The Abbasid Empire during the middle era considerable advanced the religious beliefs of that time. The Islamic tradition recorded the Hadith, which guided the Muslim community. The Abbasids incorporated the translation of books and other religious resources, which were initially written in Greek, Chinese, and Indian languages. As a result, it paved the way for successful development and the new viewpoint in Islamic intellectualism. The Abbasid Empire created the supportive environment wherein the Islamic faith was rationalized by deducing the religion from a rational ground. The primary reason for such change was the high level of civilization and intellectualism.

Conclusion

To sum up, the Middle Era of the Abbasid Empire provided a conducive climate for innovations in several fields, such as medicine, agriculture, pottery, philosophy, governance, literature, and others. The research deeply examined this era of Abbasid dynasty and explained why it was commonly regarded as the Golden Age for Islamic civilization. After conquering the Umayyads, Abbasid nation achieved a strong authority due to the interaction of diverse cultures and religions. This way, such cultural and religious synthesis facilitated new ideas and thoughts resulting in scientific discoveries. The Caliphate’s success owns to the discoveries and innovations that emerged during this period and the intersection of several trade routes expanding the influence of the Islamic religion worldwide. The current governments in the Muslim world today need to implement the progressive strategies that the Abbasid Empire applied to lead the good governance, innovations, and create a cohesive society.

References

Azmi, Ahmad Sanusi. 2017. “The Influence of Abbasid Empire and Community Needs in the Development of Hadith Literature and Islamic Prophetology.” International Journal of Islamic and Civilizational Studies 4 (2), 25–32. Web.

Bennison, Amira K. 2010. The Great Caliphs: The Golden Age of the “Abbasid Empire.” USA: Yale University Press.

Cooperson, Michael. 2017. “The Abbasid “Golden Age”: An Excavation.” Al-ʿUsur al-Wusta 25 (1): 41–65. Web.

El-Hibri, Tayeb. 2021. The Abbasid Caliphate: A History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Frassetto, Michael. 2019. Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages: From Muhammad to Dante. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.

Goldschmidt Jr., Arthur, and Ibrahim Al-Marashi. 2018. A Concise History of the Middle East. 12^th ed. New York: Routledge.

Hansen, Valerie. 2020. The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Islam, Muhammad Hifdil. 2019. “Islam and Civilization (Analysis Study on the Hisotry of Civilization in Islam).” Jurnal Al-Insyiroh: Jurnal Studi Keislaman 5 (1): 22–39.

Symons-Ferraro, Ethan. 2018. “A Subcontinent Apart: Cross-Cultural Interactions Between India and the Muslim World During the Abbasid Era”. HiPo: The Langara Student Journal of History and Political Science 1 (1): 38–43. Web.

Zakariya, Din Muhammad. 2020. “Development of Islamic Thought and Civilization in History Perspective.” Studia Religia 4 (1): 167–177.

Click Here To Order Now!