The Abbasid Dynasty the Golden Age of Islamic Civilization (Essay Sample)

The Abbasid Dynasty the Golden Age of Islamic Civilization Introduction The Abbasid dynasty is associated with the golden age of Islamic civilizations because of the changes between 750 and 1258 AD (Grabar 1963, p. 6). Historian shows that the Abbasid dynasty created Bagdad and turned it into the world’s largest city, with pomp of luxury and the center of authorship and philosophy (Kennedy 1981, p. 3). One could argue that Bagdad’s good leadership and strategic position were the reasons for the golden age of Islamic civilization. Additionally, the traditional journey to Mecca also contributed to the Islamic culture. This paper debates that the golden age of Islamic civilization was brought by political stability, the strategic position of Bagdad, and the sacred pilgrimage called Hajji. First, the paper provides the historical background of the Abbasid dynasty and then provides how their policies led golden age of Islamic Civilization.  Abbasid Revolution  The Abbasid caliphate persisted from 750 to 1258 and is considered the longest ruling dynasty in the Islamic world (Grabar 1963, p. 6). They became the ruling caliphate through a revolution, which saw Umayyad Dynasty overthrown. Before the uprising, the Umayyad Dynasty became unpopular because of favoring Syrian Arabs and treating the newly converted Muslims regarded as  Mawali as second-class citizens. Persian Mawalis were neighbors of Arabs and were very angry with how the Umayyad Caliphate treated them (Marín-Guzmán 1994, p. 228). Additionally, other sections of Muslims became dissatisfied with Umayyad Dynasty for turning the caliphate into a dynasty (Grabar 1963, p. 8). The Shiite Muslims believed that only one family had the power to rule, and that was the family of Prophet Muhammad, through his son-in-law Ali. Umayyad Dynasty was not part of the family.   All these groups in the eastern part of the Umayyad Caliphate supported the Abbasid claim for power with the belief that once in power; they would get rid of Umayyad policies. As a result, the Persian general, referred to as Abu Muslim, rallied the armies and began a rebellion in Persia. The armies involved in the rebellion included the Persian Mawalis, Eastern Arabs, and Shiites. Although Abbasids were not from Ali’s family lineage, they gained Shiite support because they claimed to be Muhammad’s family’s descendants through his uncle (Grabar 1963, p. 11). As a result, the Shiite felt that the group deserved to be Caliphate rather than Umayyad Caliphate, who were not from Muhammad’s lineage. Taking advantage of what the Umayyad Caliphate was facing, Sunni Arab Abu al-Abbas using his helpers Abu Muslim and other groups, mounted a revolution in 750 CE. They destroyed all the troops and the lineage of the Umayyad Caliphate, except one member Abd al-Rahman who escaped to Spain and continued the Umayyad Caliphate. Arjomand (1994, p.9) argues that the revolution marked the end of Arab reign and the start of an integrated Islamic society where underprivileged Mawali played a great role in its evolution. Early Abbasid Dynasty The early leaders of the Abbasid Dynasty played a key role in achieving the golden age of Islamic civilization. Renima et al. (2016) show that earlier leaders failed to implement the policies that led to the revolution. They claimed their house as above that of Ali and established a dynasty. They also claimed the life of Abu Muslim, a key ally during the revolution, and continued subjugating the Shiite Muslims. However, they upheld one of their promises: their alliance with the Persians. They also established Bagdad as the headquarters of the dynasty and selected the best advisors to the caliphate. Renima et al. (2016) argue that the caliphate ruled rather than persuaded by developing the bureaucratic system (p.26). However, despite having power, they were weaker because they lacked support from the feudal caste system of priesthood. First, destroying the Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur (r. 754–775) established the Sunni orthodoxy, which upheld the authority of their family over that of Ali. This key element provided the political stability necessary for growth and development. The Abbasid chose a powerful house of Persian Barmakid as advisor of the dynast who rivaled them with power and wealth (Zaman 1997, p. 6). Numerous scholars argue that moving the capital from Damascus to Bagdad played a key role in the thriving and realization of Islamic civilization (Grabar, 1963, p. 10; Kennedy 1981, p. 5; Goodwin 2003, p. 25). Al-Mansur, the second caliphate, builds Bagdad from scratch on the banks of River Tigris. It was round and was designed to be the center of the Islamic world. The city was not far from Ctesiphon, the oldest Persian Capital, which revealed the desire for the caliphate to connect with the Persian culture. Bagdad was a strategic place and ideal spot for food production (Goodwin 2003, p. 25). Al-Mansur created Bagdad while maintaining a network of roads and trade routes that Persian had built before the Umayyad Dynasty. The city was also centrally located between Europe and Asia, thus providing an ideal exchange of overland trade between the two continents. Some goods traded include soap, diamonds, ivory, and honey. Bagdad manufactured silk glass, tiles, and papers. Its strategic location supported trade, exchanging ideas, and culture (von Sivers 1982, p.78). As a result, it attracted numerous scholars from different parts of the world. A biography by Yakut al-Hamawi provides a vivid description of what Bagdad did in the tenth century. According to the biography, Bagdad appeared as a semi-circle separated by the river Tigris. The city is described as inhabitants of about two million with numerous suburbs. It was 12 miles in diameter, and the palace stood amid vast parks. Ideally, the author reveals that Bagdad increased in size and richness to become the world’s largest city (Goodwin 2003, p. 27). It also became the center of art, education, and culture. The Golden Age The political stability characterizes the Islamic golden age, increase in trade, and the pursuit of knowledge and inventions. Ideally, the early Abbasids ensured political stability that safeguarded the thriving of the people. Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809) will remain remembered in history for his focus on art and science. The caliphates established policies to support art and science (Yemelianova 2022, p. 58). Abbasids Empire expanded and had contacts with its neighbors such as the Chinese, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Byzantines. Scholars in Bagdad collected scholarships from these cultures, translated them, and expanded on them. Harun al-Rashid’s son al-Ma’mun (r. 813–833) further reinforced his father’s policies. Also, he introduced a house specifically for learning called the House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) (Renima et al. 2016, p. 36).  Pursuit of Knowledge  The pursuit of knowledge was a key characteristic of the Islamic Golden Age. The introduction of House of Wisdom illustrated how the empire was dedicated to the quest for knowledge. Apart from supporting scholars, Al-Mamun also managed to recruit famous scholars, including Muslims, Christian, and Jew, and all collaborated, leading to numerous inventions. Ideally, there was no discrimination based on religion at the House of Wisdom, and they collaborated and worked peacefully (Hajar 2013, p. 46). The focus was to consolidate human knowledge from other languages to Arabic. The Caliphs wanted the Greeks’ works like that of Aristotle to be available to the Arab world. Specifically, they targeted Greek knowledge in medicine, science, and philosophy translated (Falagas et al. 2006, p. 759). The Syrian Christians also translated the Syrian test into Arabic (Arjomand 1994, p. 15). However, the immense undertaking also signified their thirst for medical knowledge, as the dynasty faced a shortage of skilled doctors. Abbasids spread the knowledge quickly thanks to the introduction of the printing technology from China after the battle between the Abbasids and Tang dynasty in 751 C. E (Algeriani & Mohadi 2019, p. 5).  When the Tang Dynasty was defeated, the Abbasids captured knowledgeable Chinese and forced them to reproduce the craft. Papermaking in China and Abbasids was different because while in China, the art was only reserved for the elites, in the Arab world, they learned how to produce on a large scale (Algeriani & Mohadi 2019, p. 5). Since Bagdad was home to trade between continents, the technology was able to reach Europe later The collecting texts worldwide and then translating them, Abbasids made notable advances during the evolution of Islamic civilization. Renowned scholars such as Ibn al-Haythm introduced the first camera, and he was also able to explain how the human eye works. A Persian mathematician became famous for introducing algebra. The house of wisdom transformed the dynasty (Goodwin 2003, p. 27). Ideally, the scholars came up with the Indian numerical, which aided discoveries in mathematics and science. Additionally, there were discoveries in geometry and astronomy and the expansion of Greek mathematical concepts. Agriculture greatly improved due to the dynasty’s focus on acquiring knowledge. For example, there was an improvement in agricultural techniques such as irrigation and the introduction of new mills and turbines. New mills and turbines reduced the use of human labor, although they still practiced slavery within the empire. New crops were also established, especially through trade with neighboring countries. For example, from Africa, they got sorghum and China citrus fruits, and in India, they got rice, sugar, and cotton. Ideally, these crops were able to find their way to the western world (Marín-Guzmán (1994, p. 234). Even after the fall of the Abbasid dynasty, people continued to rely on these crops.  Importance of Sacred Pilgrimage The sacr...