The institution of caliphate was conceived in 632 ce after the death of the islamic prophet muhammad 570632 ce. The islamic caliphate became one of the largest unitary states in history, and. Her book is a thoughtful introduction to society, culture, and characteristic. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The abbasid dynasty, known to its supporters as the blessed dynasty, which imposed its authority on the islamic empire in 2750, claimed to inaugurate a. The battle of the yarmuk and after, 636 ce accounts of the arab conquest of egypt, 642 ce the coptic account from the history of the patriarchs of alexandria and an arab account albaladhuri. The result of this curatorial decision was surprising, as well as sensible and beautiful. The umayyad dynasty in the period of islamic history bartleby. Jul 10, 2017 the philosophers, scientists, inventors, and poets of the abbasid empire paved the way for the renaissance and continue to affect our world, and the history and achievements of the islamic golden. Most historians accept that islam originated in mecca and medina at the start of the 7th century ce, approximately 600 years after the founding of christianity, with the revelations received by the prophet muhammad.
From the prophet to the present by antony black edinburgh university press, 2011 2nd edition librarians tip. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The house of wisdom also known as the grand library of baghdad, refers to either a major abbasid public academy and intellectual center in baghdad or to a large private library belonging to the abbasid caliphs during the islamic golden age. Abbasid caliphate brief history of abbasids islam and. This list is focused on premodern historians who wrote before the heavy european influence that occurred from the 19th century onward. After five centuries of power, the abbasid empire fell into a slow decline. The abbasid caliphate chapter 4 the cambridge history of islam. Learning objectives discuss the political stability during the abbasid era and the abbasids rise to power. Harun al rashids reign is universally regarded as the golden age of the islamic caliphate. The early abbasid caliphate was an important period for islam. In 751, the abbasids overthrew the umayyads and moved the caliphs seat from damascus to baghdad. Do you want to read books on islamic history and you are confused. It would be impossible and rather pointless to write a history book with no difficulty involved. They ruled as caliphs, for most of their period from their capital in baghdad in modernday iraq.
Modern scholarship has devoted considerable attention to the formation and execution of the antiumayyad movement. The first three centuries of abbasid rule were a golden age in which baghdad and samarra. After less than a hundred years of rule, however, the slow decline of the abbasids began. Abbasid caliphate, second of the two great dynasties of the muslim empire of the caliphate. Aug 11, 2010 after a brief presentation on the history of the abbasid dynasty, especially related to the progress of science and civilization as well as periods of decline and destruction on the conclusion drawn, among others, that the history of islamic civilization, through the abbasid dynasty, has successfully created a great civilization that is able to. A list of books on the history of muslims and islam. This is an excellent work on preservation of islamic history and is a common point of reference. Hello guys, im looking for readable books on islamic history in general. Overall, i would rate this book as a useful supplemental resource on the history of islamic caliphates in general and on the abbasid dynasty in particular, but not necessarily as the best introduction or the most comprehensive account.
Extensive as is the reputation of the suyuti as a distinguished author and scholar and unsurpassed for then number and range of the works which in every branch of literature known to his age, his unwearied pen never ceased to produce, we are indebted to the malice or envy of but one. The decline and fall of the abbasid caliphate in the first half of the fourthtenth century led to the emergence of a new political order. The abbassids were influenced by the quranic injunctions and hadith, such as the ink of a scholar is more holy than the blood of a martyr, stressing the value of knowledge. Iranian historythe abbasids wikibooks, open books for an. The city was founded by the abbasid caliph mansur in 762, set within an auspicious euclidian circle. Dec 11, 2015 abbasid caliphate the early islamic empire fell to abbasid control with the overthrow and decimation of the umayyad house in 750 c. Just click on the title of the book to get the book for your reading. All our medieval islam articles turn away from the mediterranean.
This is a fine introduction to a muchheralded period of islamic history. Painting of the ali baba story in the book of one thousand and one nights. The abbasid caliphate chapter 4 the cambridge history of. Relevant chapters are in volume 1, book 2 the classical civilization of the. The abbasid dynasty descended from muhammads youngest uncle, abbas ibn abd almuttalib 566653 ce. His reign saw the flowering of islamic culture and civilization. The abbasid caliphate was at the zenith of its power. In asia muslims have lived among nonmuslims since the eighth century ce, and despite the complex history of violent conflicts between hindus, buddhists, and muslims, islamic books, like all other sacred books, are a commodity made by humans.
Concubines and courtesans contains sixteen essays that consider, from a variety of viewpoints, enslaved and freed women across medieval and premodern islamic social history. Under the umayyad caliphs the abbasids lived quietly until they became involved in numerous disputes, beginning early in the 8th cent. The house of wisdom is the subject of an active dispute over its functions and existence as. When the abbasid dynasty revolted against the umayyads and killed many of their. Mohamed azam khan baniabbassian died in 1967, regarded as the end of the abbasid reign in bastak. Baghdad, from which, during the next five centuries, they would influence many of the main events of islamic history. Abbasid caliphate project gutenberg selfpublishing. Of interest for abbasid studies are volume 1 the formation of the islamic world, sixth to eleventh centuries, edited by chase robinson, volume 4 islamic cultures and societies to the end of the eighteenth century, edited by robert irwin, and for the late abbasids volume 3 the. This is a subarticle of islamic scholars, list of muslim scholars and list of historians the following is a list of muslim historians writing in the islamic historiographical tradition, which developed from hadith literature in the time of the first caliphs. This excellent book summarizes the history of islamic caliphate and caliphs up to the times of imam assuyuti. Culture, rather than politics, is our concern in this work, as the author seeks to demonstrate. Mar 17, 2015 in islamic history, abbasid was the dynastic name generally given to the caliphs of baghdad, the second of the two great sunni dynasties of the muslim empire, that overthrew the umayyad caliphs. The muslim world was ruled by a single sovereign, who waged war against the byzantines and protected the holy cities of. Umayyad, abbasid and ottoman caliphates islamic empire history book 3rd grade childrens history kindle edition by beaver, professor.
The abbasids were less interested in the mediterranean coast than the umayyads had been. The egyptian caliphate following the mongol occupation of baghdad, ending with al mutawakkil alallah abu izz who died in the year 903 hijri 29 september 1497. The rise and fall of islam s greatest dynasty cambridge, ma. The early years of abbasid rule were brilliant, rising to true splendor under harun arrashid, the fifth caliph, and to intellectual brilliance under his son almamun see mamun, al, the seventh caliph. Aug 31, 2010 this endlessly informative history brings the classical islamic world to life in this accessibly written history, amira k. Many of the post abbasid regimes attempted to continue the old system and employ ghilman, with their salaries being paid out of the receipts of taxation. In the eyes of the sunni muslims, the first four sovereigns were part of the rashidun caliphate 632661 ce, rightly guided caliphs, but the shia muslims discredit the first three as usurpers to the rightful throne of the ahl albayt the household of the prophet. Top 15 islamic books every muslim should read in 2019 top books on islamic history the crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf. List of books and articles about abbasid caliphate. The umayyad and abbasid empires boundless world history. From a rebellion planned in a remote desert town to the founding of baghdad in ad 762, the rule of the abbasid dynasty was looked back on as the golden era of the islamic conquest. A history of the world through islamic eyes kindle edition by tamim ansary. The abbasid caliphate chapter 4 the cambridge history. Top 12 islamic history books every muslim must read.
History of the islamic golden age religion, science. History and legend unite together to establish the most brilliant period of baghdad that was the reign of haroon al rashid. Under the abbasids the capital of the caliphate was moved from damascus to the new city of baghdad. Harun alrashid 766809 was the fifth abbasid caliph. The abbasid revolution, also called the movement of the men of the black raiment, was the overthrow of the umayyad caliphate 661750 ce, the second of the four major caliphates in early islamic history, by the third, the abbasid caliphate 7501258 ce. The dynasty ruled the islamic caliphate from 750 to 1258 ad, making it one of the longest and most influential islamic dynasties. Published in the united states as when baghdad ruled the muslim world. The abbasids are seen here in the global context of world history. Many foreign books were translated into arabic during this period. Crisis and continuity at the abbasid court islamic. The establishment of abbasid dynasty, marked the beginning of intellectual development rather than political expansion.
Discover librarianselected research resources on abbasid caliphate from the. The dynasty, based in baghdad, ruled over a vast empire, stretching from the indus valley and southern russia to the east to tunisia in the west. Baghdad had for centuries been the capital of the abbasid caliphate, the third caliphate, whose rulers were descendants of abbas, an uncle of muhammad. The abbasid dynasty, known to its supporters as the blessed dynasty, which imposed its authority on the islamic empire in 2750, claimed to inaugurate a new era of justice, piety and happiness. Ali abna abu jafar abu muslim aghlabide alid alid family allah amin ansab appointed arab army azdi azerbayjan b. The ummayads managed to suppress many of these uprising but with every one that was put down, ten more would occur throughout the caliphate. An era of great expansion, umayyad dynastys reign didnt hold much except for consistent warfare. Kennedy examines arabia before muhammad, muhammads life and preaching, the early islamic conquests, and the umayyad and abbasid caliphates up to the time of the mongol invasions. He authored the book tarikhe jahangiriyeh va baniabbassiane bastak 1960, in which is recounted the history of the region and the abbasid family that ruled it. The abbasid revolution followed an extended period of clandestine organization centered in the eastern province of khurasan. The abbasid caliphate was the third of the islamic caliphates to succeed the islamic prophet muhammad in 750 ce, and ruled over a large, flourishing empire for three centuries. The book includes a table of all the caliphs covered and an index to proper names. Request readable books on umayyad abbasid islamic history in general.
English, malay, urdu, arabic and bangla tareekh e islam history of islam. Muslims regard islam as a return to the original faith of the. The history of islam concerns the political, social, economic and cultural developments of islamic civilization. How it represented and defined the culture of the abbasids the abbasid caliphate was an islamic empire that existed from 750 to 1258 c. The art of the abbasid period 7501258 essay the metropolitan.
In 750 ad, the abbasid caliphs murdered all of the surviving umayyad men but one. Coming to power three decades after the death of the muslim prophet muhammad and immediately after the rashidun caliphate, the umayyads were a feudal arab empire ruling over a population which was overwhelmingly nonarab. In the mideighth century a revolution began against the ummayad caliphate. The abbasid revolution refers to the overthrow of the umayyad caliphate, the second of the four major caliphates in early islamic history, by the third, the abbasid caliphate. While in the west the caliphate evokes overwhelmingly negative images, throughout islamic history it has been regarded as the ideal islamic polity.
The abbasids held the caliphate from 749 to 1258, but they were recognized neither in spain nor after 787 w of egypt. Her book, byzantium viewed by the arabs, was published in 2004. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Umayyad dynasty in the period of islamic history has been regarded with great reverence due to the fact that the boundaries of islamic empire reached as far as river indus to the pyrenees mountains. It overthrew the umayyad caliphate in 750 ce and reigned until it was destroyed by the mongol invasion in 1258. The golden age of islamic civilization the abbasid caliphate, which ruled the islamic world, oversaw the golden age of islamic culture. The golden age of the abbasid empire bennison, amira k. Here is a list of famous books on islamic history and a little intro of the book to help you decide the book you may want to read. Imam suyuti ends this book with a two page overview of the rulers of the umayyad dynasty of spain. This is one of the most comprehensive books on islamic history starting from jahiliya dark ages and covers till ottomon empire. In the middle east, during these centuries, the abbasids, after their victory over the umayyads, had transformed the umayyads arab empire into a multinational muslim empire.
Request readable books on umayyadabbasidislamic history. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading umayyad, abbasid and ottoman caliphates islamic empire history book 3rd grade childrens history. List of books and articles about abbasid caliphate online. This is exemplified in his current work and previous publications, including muslim cities in the later middle ages 1967, 1984, middle eastern cities edited, 1969, contemporary islamic movements in historical perspective 1983, islam, politics and social movements, coedited with edmund burke 1988, a history of islamic societies 1988. The abbasid realm witnessed a brief revival under caliphs alnasir r. The book is a narrative story of arab chronicles that seeks to provide an arab perspective on the crusades. It seized power in 758, when it finally defeated the umayyads in battle, and flourished for two centuries, but slowly went into eclipse with the rise. I guess one example of a readable book would be the crusades by thomas asbridge, a book that is well written and easy to read. The cosmopolitan empire introduction the abbasid khilafath lasted from 750 ce to 1258 ce, was the first nonarab dynasty in the history of islam. During the umayyad era, muawiyah i started to gather a collection of books in. Poetry and literature were significant ways that the abbasids expressed their cultural values.
Paul halsall this page is a subset of texts derived from the three major online sourcebooks. The islamic near east from the sixth to the eleventh century. Abbasid caliphate islamic studies oxford bibliographies. The essays bring together arguments regarding slavery, gender, social networking, cultural production songs, poetry and instrumental music, sexuality, islamic family law, and religion in the shaping of near eastern and. Abbasid caliphate abbasid family abbasid revolution abd allah b. Bennison contradicts the common assumption that islam somehow interrupted the smooth flow of western civilization from its graecoroman origins to its more recent european and american manifestations. In 1258, the house of wisdom and millions of books were destroyed from the invasion of the mongols abbasid caliphate. Her other main areas of research are gender history and court history in the abbasid period. This book is interesting and informative to read not only for the knowledge it presents but also for conceptualizing islamic history as part of. Replaces holt 1977 as the standard history of islamic lands. Still, i would recommend it for anyone with an interest in the subject. This endlessly informative history brings the classical islamic world to life.
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