The Golden Age of the `Abbasid Caliphate

HIST 10079/23/13

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)

• North African historian• Father of modern social sciences• Used history to generate theories and models about human society• Muqaddimah – The prologue to his chronicle Kitab al-Ibar (Book of Lessons)

Ibn Khaldun’s Four Generational Model

First generation – “builder of glory”Fought hard to achieve success

Second generation – “inherited leadership”Learned to rule by watching his father

Third generation – “traditionalists”Rely on tradition when making decisions

Fourth generation – “entitled rulers”Believe they were born to rule

`Abbasids – First Generation• Abu al-`Abbas `Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Saffah (r. 750-

754)• Grab and then consolidate power• Were other groups looking to gain power through

revolution?• Abu Salama – head of `Abbasid dawa• Killed after dinner with al-Saffah… but whodunnit?

Challenges to `Abbasid Power

• Big tent revolution means many constituencies to please• `Abbasid Family• Persians• Khurasani Arabs• Shi’ites• Sunni religious scholars

`Abbasids – First Generation

• Abu Ja`far `Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Mansur (r. 754-775)

• Brother of al-Saffah• `Abdullah b. `Ali – uncle, revolutionary

general, challenges rule• Rules of succession• Abu Muslim puts down `Abdullah’s revolt

Abu Muslim and Challenges to Authority

• Abu Muslim – governor of the east• Can he be trusted?• 755 – Invited to al-Mansur’s court• Leaves supporters at garrisons throughout Iran• Abu Muslim killed and tossed in the Tigris• Abu Muslim becomes legendary figure – Abu Muslim nameh

Shi’ite Challenges to Authority• `Alids – descendants of `Ali and Fatima• Invited to court, offered state pension• Muhammad “al-Nafs al-Zakya” (The Pure Soul) and

Ibrahim b. `Abdullah• 762 – Muhammad revolts in Medina• Medina’s status in the empire• 763 – Ibrahim revolts in Basra

Consolidation of Authority• `Abbasid Family• al-Saffah and al-Mansur had seven uncles• Establish courts in the provinces• Salih – granted Umayyadfamily property in Syria (marries Marwan II’s widow)• al-Mansur and al-Saffah’s sons largely stay at court

Qasr Ukhaydir – first `Abbasid palace, near Kufa

Consolidating Authority

• Bureaucracy• Create a large, stable institution• Families of high ranking bureaucrats dependent on

the caliphate for their position• Chamberlain – control access to caliph• Rabi b. Yunus and Fadl b. Rabi – slave turned

freeman (mawla) of al-Mansur turned chamberlain

• Advancement by attachment to royal family

Bureaucracy

• Salaried professional clerks (kuttab)• Working in government offices (diwan)• Standardized formalities• Qudama b. Ja`far (d. 948) – Kitab al-kharaj wa sina`at al-kitaba (Book of the Land Tax and the Art of the Secretary)• Emergence of paper

Bureaucracy

• Barid – post office, but also intelligence• Deliver official correspondence• Spy on governors, judges, etc.• Get news to the caliph fast• Shurta – police, city guard of the capital• Haras – Caliph’s private guard

The Round City of Baghdad

• 762 – founded as new capital by al-Mansur• Centrally located in Iraq• Near Ctesiphon• Planned round city• Property for loyalty• Attracts people from around empire

Baghdadi Elites

• abna’ al-dawla – literally “sons of the dynasty”• Khurasani Arab soldiers who had fought in the

revolution• Given property in Baghdad• Build shops, markets, bakeries, etc. and collect

rents for wealth

Bureaucracy and the Second Generation

• 775 – al-Mansur goes on pilgrimage• bay`ah (oath of allegiance) given to

Muhammad b. Mansur al-Mahdi (r. 775-785)• Travels with Rabi b. Yunus and Musa b. al-Mahdi• Rabi hides al-Mansur’s death until the bay`ah for al-Mahdi can be renewed with Musa

Barmakids• Vizier – Chief advisor to the caliph• Guardians of the Nawbahar Buddhist shrine outside Balkh• Come to the `Abbasid cause• Khalid b. Barmak (705-782) – managed finances during revolution• Yahya b. Khalid (d. 806) – “whereas most men begat sons, Yahya had begotten a father”

Bamiyan and its Buddhas

Barmakids and `Abbasids

• 758 – al-Mansur sends al-Mahdi to Rayy as governor of the east

• Yahya b. Khalid goes as his advisor• Harun b. al-Mansur and Fadl b. Yahya• 780 – Harun sent on Byzantine campaign• Yahya sent to administer the army• Yahya as father figure