The Abbasid Caliphate

Rise and Fall

Cultural Achievement

Push Towards Southeast Asia

Spread of Islam at Dawn of Abbasid Caliphate

Height of Abbasid Power

Abbasid Caliphate (755-1258)

• Early Years• Spread Islam throughout Africa, Parts of Europe, Asia

• Consolidated power, supressed enemies, adopted Sunni Islam

• Moved Capital to Bagdhad, Wazirs made laws for entire empire

• Conversion incentive: no jiyza, government and military roles, better school

• Trade networks from Spain to Southern China– Furniture, carpets, jewelry, tapistries

• Cultural flowering, blend of Hellenistic, Persian Indian, Egyptian, Jewish, and Christian traditions of scholarship

– Math, science, philosophy, astronomy, medicine, ethics

• Slave labor common

Political Decline

• Political Disorganization

• Bad Caliphs Al- Mahdi, Al Rashid, 755-809

• – extravagant, corrupt, untrustworthy (Thousand and one Nights)

• Dependent on Persian advisors

• Relied on slave mercenary armies, 70,000 strong by 833 CE, dictated Caliph power

• Heavy taxes on peasants, villages destroyed, food rebellion, Shi’a uprising

• Buyids – powerful Persian family take Bagdhad in 945

• Caliphs become puppet of Buyid Sultan

• 1045 – Seljuk Turks take power from Buyids, rule Abbasid Caliphate, put down Shi’a Uprisings, Spread to Anatolia (will find Ottoman Empire)

• 1220 – Chinngis Khan raids Turko-Persian Kingdom

• 1258 – Bagdhad sacked by Mongols, last Abbasid Caliph Killed

Cultural Flowering• Expanding trade networks and intellectual creativity• Artisans – design palaces, mosques, Persian rugs• Persian Literature

– Arabic is language of religion and law, Persian of creative writing

– Historical Epics, Shah-Nama, illustrated, performed

• Math and Science– Combined pre-existing knowledge with new innovations

– Al- Razi – chemistry and minerals, physician

– Al-Biruni – specific weight of 18 Minerals

– Corrected Greek algebra and geometry – sine, cosine, tangent

• Health – hospitals and medical exams• Astronomy – astrolabe, mapping, constellations• Machinery – silk weaving, paper making, map

making• Religion

– Al-Ghazali fusion of Greek philosophy and Quaran

– Sufis – mystics, wandering, popular, closer relationship with Allah, “find Allah in all things”

Islam moves to Southeast Asia

• INDIA• First Wave• Muslim Invaders began to enter the Indian Subcontinent in the 7th Century

• Conflict between Islam and Hindu beliefs– Exclusive worship vs. many deities– Transcendent God vs. idol worship– All equal vs. caste system

• Northern India– Collapse of Gupta Empire in 604– Harsha, successful ruler, embraces Buddhism, unites most of India– Dies in 646, leaves no successor, first Muslim traders arrive in 711– Muhammad in Qasm gains Sind, in Western India for Ummayad Empire

• Cultural Fusion– Indian Number system– Indian physicians go to Bagdhad– Chess, Indian food, dress, architecture arrive in Abbasid Territory– Arab colonies in Mulabar and Bengal

• INDIA, Second Wave

• 926 – Seljuk Turks move toward India

• Muhammad of Ghur – takes most of Northern and Central India– Capital at Delhi, ruled by Muslims for 300 Years

• Conversion?– Sufi mystics travel along trade routs– Build mosques and schools, form militias, welcome lower caste members– Convert many Buddhists– Muslim rulers absorb Hindu practices, alternate caste system

• Hindu Opposition– Higher caste Hindus oppose Muslim conversions– Bhaki – Hindu cults to reach supernatural – popular rituals, dances, festivals– Stemmed Muslim conversion– Brahman encourage Hindu disunity with Islam

Southeast Asia• Muslim Merchants and Sufi mystics

travel to Southeast Asian Islands from India

• Win convertsin Java by adopting animist, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions

• Sumatra, Malayan Peninsula, Java, center for trade between China, India, Europe (SPICES)

• 8th Century, Muslims dominate East Indian Trade

• 13th Century – Java Buddhist rule collapses

• Malacca, Demake, Philipines, all convert

• Conversion easier along trade ports• Sufi Mystics

– Establish schools and mosques

– Allow pre-Islamic customs, puppet plays based on Brahman age, worship of old deities and spirits, Hindu-Buddhist symbols worn by Muslim rulers

Lotus Flower – purity

Endless knot – harmony

Pair of Fish – happiness

Victory Banner- Victory

Wheel – Knowledge

Treasure vase – wealth

Conch shell – Buddhist thoughts

Parasol – crown, protection