Lesson

2MAIN IDEAS

Government The Abbasids built a powerful empire with Baghdad as their capital.

Culture Muslim culture under the Abbasids was highly advanced.

Government Internal revolts and external challenges led to the decline of Abbasid rule.

TAKING NOTES

Reading Skill: Forming and Supporting OpinionsAfter reading this lesson, you will be asked to form and support an opinion about Abbasid culture. To prepare, use a cluster diagram like the one below to record information on developments in Abbasid culture.

▲ Abbasid Falconer This 12th-century ivory carving shows an Abbasid falconer. Hunting with falcons was a favorite pastime of the Abbasids.

Abbasid Advances

Skillbuilder Handbook, page R22

118 • Chapter 4

7.2.4 Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending within Muslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language.

7.2.5 Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society.

7.2.6 Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature.

A Golden Age in the EastBuild on What You Know After the collapse of Umayyad control, the Muslim Empire was split into eastern and western sections. (See the map on the next page.) In the east, the Abbasids built a new empire where Muslim culture flourished.

Abbasid Rule ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did the Abbasids build a powerful empire?

Like the Umayyads, Abbasid rulers looked for ways to strengthen their control and to hold their empire together.

Abbasid Power The Abbasids held on to power, first and foremost, through force. They built a huge standing army. A standing army is a fighting force that is maintained in times of peace as well as in times of war. The Abbasids stationed army units at military posts throughout the empire. So wherever and whenever trouble broke out, the Abbasids could quickly send soldiers to put it down.

The Abbasids also used a policy of inclusion to persuade people throughout the empire to accept their rule. All Muslims, whether Arab or non-Arab, were equal, they declared. The Abbasids went further and encouraged Christians and Jews to serve in the government. This way, they made sure that the most talented people would be involved in running the empire.

TERMS & NAMES

standing army

Baghdad

golden age

calligraphy

Omar Khayyam

faction

Early Baghdad This illustration shows what the Abbasid capital, Baghdad, and the Tigris River looked like in the late 700s. ▼

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The Abbasid Empire, 763–1100

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MapQuest.Com, Inc.

McDougal-Littell, 7th grade World History Programwh07pe-020402-011

The Abbasid Empire, 763–11004th proof date: 9/13/04

A New Capital The Abbasids also strengthened their power by moving their capital. Their most loyal supporters lived far to the east of the Umayyad capital of Damascus. To be closer to their power base, the Abbasids made Baghdad their new capital in 762. Located on the Tigris River, Baghdad lay on old east-west trade routes. It was, as one Abbasid caliph said, “a marketplace for the world.”

In a very short time, Baghdad became one of the world’s major trading centers. Baghdad’s merchants visited not only lands in the Muslim Empire but also China, India, Northern Europe, and Africa. They brought back with them precious metals and stones, silk and other fabrics, ivory, spices, furs, and porcelain. These goods filled the tables in Baghdad’s many markets.

A Prosperous City As trade increased, Baghdad prospered and grew. By the early 800s, the city had a population of more than 900,000 people. The need to feed and clothe everyone helped to transform the area around Baghdad from desert to garden. Workers repaired and expanded an ancient network of irrigation canals. Farmers used the newly irrigated land to grow such staples as rice, sugar cane, and cotton. They also grew a variety of fruits and vegetables ranging from apricots to artichokes.

Industry flourished under the Abbasids too. In small workshops in and around Baghdad, craftspeople made leather goods, textiles, carpets, ironwork, and perfumes. Merchants from far and wide readily paid top prices for these goods.

How did the Abbasids make sure that they held onto power?

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDERINTERPRETING MAPSLocation Which group took control of most of the Abbasids’ eastern lands?

120 • Chapter 4

Abbasid Advances ESSENTIAL QUESTION What cultural advances were made by the Abbasids?

This brisk economy made the Abbasids very rich. Some wanted to display their wealth. So they began to support the arts and learning. As a result, in the years after 800, Muslim culture enjoyed a golden age. A golden age is a period during which a society or culture is at its peak.

Art and Design Most Muslims thought that it was wrong to use the human form in art. Such images, they believed, took people‘s attention away from their faith. Many religious leaders also felt that people might be encouraged to worship these images rather than God. As a result, Muslim art emphasized plant life and geometric patterns. Abbasid artists became famous for stunning designs using tile, pottery, and wood. One particular design, the arabesque, showed the intertwined stem, leaves, and flowers of a plant.

Muslim art also often used Arabic script. Arabic was very special to Muslims because it was the language of the Qur’an. Many Muslim artists became very skilled at calligraphy, or the art of fine handwriting. The Abbasids employed calligraphers to decorate everything from buildings to swords and armor. When used as decoration, calligraphy often became so fancy that the words were almost unreadable.

Muslim Art and Christian Art

▲ Portrait of Saint Nicholas

▲ Decorated box with hunting scene

Visual Vocabulary

arabesque

Muslim Art Christian Art

Art should praise Allah but not imitate his human creations.

PhilosophyArt should illustrate God’s glory.

Decorative shapes and patterns, plants, and flowers

SubjectsBiblical scenes and religious figures

Avoidance of human forms; sometimes animals are shown

Restrictions

Rarely depicted anything except religious subjects; little everyday life

Art decorated buildings, objects, and manuscripts.

DisplayArt took such forms as mosaic tiles or wood carvings.

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Bookmaking Muslims used calligraphy extensively in books. In the 750s, the Abbasids learned how to make paper from the Chinese. By the early 800s, Baghdad had become a major papermaking center.

Paper was much better for making books than the parchment used in the Middle East and Europe. As books became more widely available, people became interested in all kinds of learning. In the 830s, the Abbasids opened the House of Wisdom in Baghdad to meet the demand for knowledge. It housed books on all subjects from many parts of the world. Scholars there translated into Arabic works by such ancient Greek thinkers as Aristotle and Plato.

Literature Muslims soon developed literature of their own. The Thousand and One Nights quickly became a favorite with readers in Baghdad. It mixed stories about life in the Abbasid court with tales of adventure and fantasy. Many of these tales, such as “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor,” are still popular with young readers today. (See the Literature Connections feature on pages 126–129.)

Poetry flourished during the Abbasid period. A poetic form called the quatrain was especially popular among people in Persia. This is a four-line poem in which the first, second, and fourth lines rhyme. A Persian-born Muslim named Omar Khayyam (OH•mahr ky•yahm) was a master of this form. (See Primary Source feature below.)

DOCUMENT–BASED QUESTIONHow do the moods of these two poems compare? What do you think this says about Omar Khayyam’s view of life?

from the RubaiyatBy Omar KhayyamTranslated by Edward FitzGerald

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and ThouBeside me singing in the Wilderness—O, Wilderness were Paradise enow1!

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,Moves on: nor all thy Piety2 nor Wit3

Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.

1. enow: enough.

2. Piety: goodness, devotion.

3. Wit: cleverness.

Background: In the Rubaiyat, Omar Khayyam (1048–1131) explored such themes as religious faith and worldly pleasure. These two poems take very different views of life.

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Mathematics and Astronomy Muslim scholars of the Abbasid period borrowed and built upon the ideas of ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Indians. For example, al-Khwarizmi (al•KWAHR•ihz•mee), who was born in Baghdad around 780, borrowed the numerical system and zero from Indian scholars. His work resulted in the Arabic numbering system that is still used in most of the world today. Al-Khwarizmi also published a set of mathematical calculations titled Hisab al-jabr. Roughly translated, this title means “the addition of one thing to another.” Al-jabr is the origin of the word algebra.

In addition to being a poet, Omar Khayyam was a great mathematician. He drew on Greek ideas to further the work of al-Khwarizmi. He also wrote an examination of Greek studies on geometry. Khayyam applied his knowledge of mathematics to astronomy to develop a very accurate calendar. Astronomers’ work often had a practical use. For example, an astronomer named al-Biruni fixed the direction of Mecca from any point on Earth. This enabled Muslims everywhere in the empire to fulfill the requirement to pray while facing Mecca.

Medicine Muslim doctors, like other Muslim scholars, improved upon the discoveries of earlier scientists. Al-Razi, a Persian-born doctor, used old studies to help him identify and describe diseases such as smallpox and measles. Medical scholars also wrote books that combined ancient works with recent Muslim discoveries. For example, the Persian doctor Ibn Sina wrote the Canon of Medicine around 1000. This detailed work organized all known medical knowledge. It even described mental conditions such as “love sickness”! Ibn Sina’s work remained an important medical reference book for more than 600 years.

The Abbasids set up hospitals throughout their empire. Unlike hospitals in most other parts of the world, these medical centers treated poor people who couldn’t pay. The hospital in Baghdad also served as a teaching center. There, young doctors learned to practice medicine by actually attending to patients.

How did Muslim scholars advance world civilization?

▲ Aristotle Teaching Ancient Greek thinkers, such as Aristotle, had a huge influence on Muslim learning. In recognition of this, Muslim artists often portrayed them in a Muslim setting.

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The Decline of the Abbasids ESSENTIAL QUESTION What challenges led to the decline of Abbasid rule?

Factions, or opposing groups, challenged Abbasid rule as early as the mid-800s. But many of the Abbasids’ problems were of their own making.

Poor Leadership Some Abbasid caliphs were fond of easy living. As a result, they ignored their government responsibilities. Also, they did little to protect merchants from attacks by bandits. This badly hurt trade, which was a major source of caliphs’ wealth. Because of this, the Abbasid caliphs raised taxes. People soon tired of the Abbasids’ selfish behavior.

Fatimid Revolt One group, the Fatimids, challenged Abbasid rule. The Fatimids claimed descent from Fatima, a daughter of Muhammad, and were Shi’a Muslims. The Abbasids, in contrast, followed the Sunni branch of Islam. So the Fatimids had major religious differences with the Abbasids. They especially disliked the Abbasids’ fancy lifestyle. They thought Muslims should live simply.

The Fatimids drove the Abbasids out of what today is Egypt and Tunisia. They set up their own caliphate there, with their capital in Cairo. By the late 960s, they controlled much of North Africa.

The Seljuk Turks The more opposition the Abbasids faced from within their empire, the more open they were to attacks from outside. In 1055, one of these attacks succeeded. The Seljuk Turks from Central Asia captured Baghdad. The Seljuk leader became ruler of the empire. However, he allowed the Abbasid caliph to remain as a religious leader.

Seljuk Expansion This illustration from an 11th-century manuscript shows a clash between Byzantine and Seljuk cavalries. ▼

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Activity

LessonReview Homework Helper

ClassZone.com

Over time, the Seljuks converted to Islam. They also began to expand the lands under their control. (See the map on page 120.) In 1071, they captured Jerusalem. By the late 1090s, they were threatening the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. In response, the Christian countries of Europe launched several wars to drive the Seljuks back. (You’ll read more about these wars, called the Crusades, in Chapter 10.)

The Seljuk-Abbasid Empire also faced a challenge from the east. In 1258, a Central Asian tribe called the Mongols overran Baghdad. They destroyed the city and killed the Abbasid caliph. The Abbasid dynasty died with him.

Why did Abbasid rule come to an end?

Lesson Summary• The Abbasids strengthened central control of the

Muslim Empire and made Baghdad a great city.

• For more than 200 years, Muslims led the world in scholarship and science.

• Internal and external challenges led to the decline of the Abbasids.

Why It Matters Now . . .Muslim scholars provided the foundation for much of the mathematical and scientific knowledge that we take for granted today.

Terms & Names1. Explain the importance of

standing army golden age Omar Khayyam Baghdad calligraphy factions

Using Your NotesForming and Supporting Opinions Use your completed cluster diagram to answer this question:2. Which Abbasid cultural advance do you think was

most important for life today? Why? (7.2.6)

Main Ideas3. How did Abbasid caliphs strengthen their control

over the empire? (7.2.4)4. What were some of the influences that led to

developments in Abbasid culture? (7.2.6)5. What challenges did Abbasid caliphs face that made

it difficult to hold their empire together? (7.2.4)

Critical Thinking6. Understanding Effects How did trade

contribute to the growth of Abbasid power? (7.2.5)7. Drawing Conclusions How did the wealth that

brought the Abbasids power also lead to their downfall? (7.2.5)

Writing a Poem Look again at the Primary Source feature on page 122. Write two quatrains about people or events discussed in this lesson. Try to use different moods in your poems. (7.2.6)

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Abbasid Advances

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