Chapter 7

1. Chapter 7 The Abbasid Decline/ Spread of the Islamic Civilization

2. The Middle and Late Abbasid Eras • Al-Mahdi- • Reigned for a short time, taste for luxury • Could not quell the Shi’a opposition of the empire--> Shi’a revolts and assassinations • Allowed wives, mothers, and concubines to become involved in palace business • One year after al-Mahdi’s death, his son was poisoned and Harun al-Rashid became caliph

3. Imperial Extravagance and Succession Disputes • Harun al-Rashid, son of Charlemagne, shared his father’s taste for luxury • Became dependent on group of royal advisors --> began a trend of royal advisors gaining more power than the caliphs • From the 9th century onward, caliphs lost most of their power and became pawns between different fractions of the royal court • Harun al-Rashis’s death ---> civil war --> struggle for the throne • Sons of leaders began to build their own armies to help them gain the throne once their fathers died --> mercenaries became powerful forces behind social unrest (prompted uprisings)

5. Imperial Breakdown and Agrarian Disorder What drained the treasury: • Constant civil warfare • Relocation of the capital • Public works (palaces, mosques) • Peasants were heavily taxed --> destruction and abandonment of villages due to pillaging • Some peasants dies from hunger/disease, others fled to the wilderness or joined groups of bandits • Shi’a sects instigated the uprisings (meant that they wanted to destroy the dynasties)

6. The Declining Position of Women • Symbolized by the veil and the harem • High demand for slaves; purchased in slave markets in the non-Muslim regions surrounding the empire, valued for beauty and intelligence • Wives were required to wear veils, concubines and slaves were not • Rich women were allowed almost no career outlets, married around 9, raised and children • Wives and concubines plotted with royal advisors to win their sons the throne

7. Nomadic Incursions and the Eclipse of Caliphal Power • By mid-10th century, independent regions conquered by the Abbasids began to plot to overthrow the Abbasids • In 945, the Buyids of Persia invaded the Abbasid empire and captured Baghdad • “Sultans” • Caliphs were no more than puppets controlled by powerful families • The Seljuk Turks from Asia overthrew the Buyids in 1055; very powerful military; they overtook the Shi’a officials who had risen to power during the Buyids

9. The Christian Crusades • The first Crusade assault occurred between 1096 and 1099 --> the Holy Land was captured and divided into Christian Kingdoms • Jerusalem was taken in June, 1099; all the citizens were massacred • Crusades lasted for two centuries • When united under Salah-uh-Din, the Muslims re-captured much of their land • The last crusader kingdom, Acre, was taken back in 1291 • European borrowing from the Muslims intensified: • Weapons • Defense techniques • Rugs, cloth, textiles (high demand)

10. Resources • http://www.jaafarimuslim.com/shrine%20imam%20husain.png • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/8/89/Muhammad_Ahmad_al-Mahdi.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.answers.com/topic/muhammad-ahmad&h=250&w=218&sz=16&hl=en&start=5&sig2=1o5hopjlepfvni00vrH1lQ&tbnid=HTDB_vR8i0Gg8M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=97&ei=sv_1RoaOIpeqggPz3uDgDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dal-Mahdi%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.notablebiographies.com/images/uewb_08_img0585.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pu-Ro/Rashid-Harun-al.html&h=278&w=228&sz=21&hl=en&start=1&sig2=WX5PY-ZvygU8UD_j3zIxsg&tbnid=JqE4lKWFiIcwNM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=93&ei=MgD2Rrv7GoXGgAOfucTkDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHarun%2Bal-Rashid%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG • http://www.princeton.edu/~humcomp/map3.gif • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newssummimg/1964islam-veil.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countrynewssumm.php%3Fcountry%3DIslam&h=242&w=345&sz=8&hl=en&start=9&sig2=1aHpbtqKtVSAReXq0viruQ&tbnid=Vm8MK5xEK8zuzM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=120&ei=RwH2Rs2BFoXKgAOfsoTmDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dclassical%2Bislamic%2Bveil%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX • http://www.travelinstyle.com/turkey/harem/Harem's%20Private%20Partycopy.jpg • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://members.fortunecity.com/agreeve/comics/SULTAN.gif&imgrefurl=http://members.fortunecity.com/agreeve/comicsbw3.htm&h=755&w=589&sz=16&hl=en&start=2&sig2=PsTzDLtLHeTasnHRBrWTBA&tbnid=NmCmUQOuEDKArM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=111&ei=bAL2Rt-CJoTMgAP2k8zmDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsultan%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/images/crusaders.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/the-crusades.htm&h=280&w=247&sz=23&hl=en&start=13&sig2=RvmAHWTJEYjES9F_UyXfBg&tbnid=-eiEzXD6T5BBTM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=101&ei=GwP2Rq2dLYbWgAOzid3nDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bcrusaders%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cache.eb.com/eb/image%3Fid%3D82302%26rendTypeId%3D4&imgrefurl=http://www.britannica.com/ebc/art-75015/Artists-rendition-of-Saladin-founder-of-the-Ayyubid-dynasty&h=450&w=337&sz=14&hl=en&start=10&sig2=rImfPrBX5UNcuqp1sPO3_Q&tbnid=xXVZwTs9lzgzsM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=95&ei=fgP2Rr-dOoOsgQOM04jVDA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsaladin%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG