The Middle and Late Abbasid Era
Chapter 7 (1 of 4)
A Pain in the Abbasid
Abbasid caliphs
spent lavishly
(remember the
marble palaces),
ruining empires
finances and
upsetting the
masses
There was
constant political
divisions and
turmoil, often
over the
succession of
caliphs
Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi
Lived lavish
lifestyle
Failed in
attempt at
peace with
Shi’ites
al-Mahdi
3rd Abbasid caliph
775-785
Had many sons but never
picked a successor, leading to
major problems
Son of al-Mahdi
Harun was one of al-Mahdi’s
sons, emerged as caliph
Most
famous
Abbasid
caliph
Lived in extreme luxury,
hurting empire’s finances
Harun al-Rashid
(786-809)
His death set of civil war over
succession
Over next 10 years, 4 caliphs
were murdered
Caliphs Hire Slave Armies for Protection
1
2
Potential caliphs hire big
armies of Turkic nomads
for protection
Abbasids can’t afford to
pay the slave armies
4
3
Slaves become so strong
they kill the caliph in 846
and replace him with
slave as caliph
Slaves are leading cause
of social unrest amongst
the people, start revolts
50 Years Later…Abbasids Finally
Control Slaves by end of 800s
Paid local
chiefs to
control
slaves
Cost a
fortune
to do
this
To pay for it,
Abbasids
raised taxes
Chief Corruption
While some helped,
most chiefs took
advantage of people
People fled to avoid
the corrupt chiefs and
heavy taxes
Little money coming
in, needed irrigation
projects not built
Peasant Had
Enough!
Women’s Status
The
Harem
and the
Veil
The
Harem
Abbasid elite in cities had huge # of slaves –
got through conquest over non-Muslims
Women were secluded and kept at home
Harem – many women that men had at home
Concubines – slave women kept by men
(part of harem)
Slaves often better educated, caliphs spent
more time with them than with wives
Concubines could gain freedom if bore
healthy son
The
Veil
Women had to wear veils in public
At 1st only applied to city elites, but spread to
towns and the countryside
Interestingly, concubines usually didn’t
Veils show how women (wives) losing status
Thought was women had insatiable lust, so
needed to be veiled and secluded at home
Also thought that men could not resist lures
of women, so veil needed
Rich women
not allowed a
career
Women could
plot to enhance
son’s political
career
By end of
Abbasid Era,
rights women
had in early
Islam gone
Married young
(9 years old),
expected to be
homemakers
Poor women
could farm or
weave clothes
Due to internal problems, caliphs can’t prevent loss of land – parts of
empire break away and nomadic groups begin to gain control
Oh Buyid, Abbasids in Trouble
Buyid – Rebel group
in Abbasid empire,
able to conquer
Baghdad in 945 and
gain control
Allowed Abbasid
caliphs to remain, but
they were
figureheads (no
power), real Buyid
rulers called sultans
Seljuk Turks Gain Control of Abbasid Empire
Buyids couldn’t
prevent Abbasid
empire from
continuing to fall
apart
Seljuk Turks –
nomads from
central Asia who
invaded via Persia
Seljuk Turks
conquered Buyids
and took control of
Abbasid empire in
1055
The Seljuk Turks Rule Abbasid Empire
Seljuk Turks were Sunni, and got
rid of Shi’ite, who rose to power
under Buyid control
For a time, the Seljuk Turks
stabilized the Abbasid empire
(stopped threat from Shia Egypt)
Beat Byzantines, who attacked b/c
thought Abbasid empire weak b/c
of infighting, got Asia Minor
(would become Ottoman Empire)
Umayyads
(661)
Buyid
(945)
Abbasid
(750)
Seljuk
Turks
(1055)
Note: Buyid and Seljuk Turks ruled over what was still considered Abbasid Empire
THE CRUSADES
THE CRUSADES
Shortly after the Seljuk
Turks come to power,
Christian crusaders
attack
There were 8 Crusades
(Christians attack to gain
control of holy land) the
first in 1096
For the next 200 years,
European Christians
control the region
In 1099, Christians gain
control of the holy city of
Jerusalem, slaughtering
Muslims and Jews
Saladin
In 1190, Saladin
united Muslims
and began driving
out Christian
Crusaders
In 1291, the last
Christians kingdom
in the region (Acre)
is defeated
Crusades
Impact
Europeans
much more
than they did
Muslims
Middle Eastern Goods in Demand
Damascene swords
Rugs and Textiles adorned
wealthy Europeans homes
Games like chess began to be
played in Europe
Europeans Impacted in Art and Science
Some Arab
and Persian
words begin
to be used
in Europe
Regained
lost ancient
learning
(preserved
by Arabs)
Richard the
Lionhearted
preferred
Arab
doctors
Europeans
learned
Arab math
and science
advances
Europeans
used Arabic
numbers +
decimal
system
Muslim culture not affected
much by the Crusades
Europeans got all
of this not only
through the
Crusades, but the
years of trade
that followed
Click here for brief video on
impact of the Crusades
The trade was
one-sided –
Muslims were not
very interested in
European goods
and culture